It's so confusing to consider all the different nutritional data out there. From calories to fat, carbohydrates to sugar grams, cholesterol or saturated fats ... it's enough to make your head swim and your stomach growl.
Sometimes people become extremists when they become involved with nutrition data.
That is to say, for some of us, the information is so extensive, overwhelming and triggering of anxiety that we shun it completely, munching on our mallomars and hot fudge sundaes, and saturated fats be darned.
We feel we'll fail no matter how hard we try because it's all just "too much" so we just give up completely.
Others of us become obsessed with the perfect caloric intake, measuring out spoonsful of brown rice and yogurt, feeling internally as if sharp nails are being methodically scraped down and long, dry chalkboard if we are "over" in our "bad fats" for the day, or if we have had more processed bread than quinoa.
Being on either end of the spectrum when it comes to nutrition data extremes can lead to unhealthy approaches to health -- and not just physical health but emotional and psychological health, as well.
In order to find balance and still feel good about our choices with food, we need to arm ourselves with as much information as we can and then make healthy decisions, not "perfect" decisions.
For example, knowing a bowl of ice cream with hot fudge and whipped cream isn't great in the calorie, sugar, fat or vitamin department doesn't mean that either:
a) it's too hard to never eat it so you may as well eat it every day
or,
b) it's too hard to worry that you will eat it every day so you may as well never, ever allow yourself to eat it.
Somewhere in the middle is the place where you can, every now and then, and in full understanding that it is not the healthiest choice, eat that bowl of deliciousness and then not partake again for a number of days/weeks or even months.
The point is, getting information about nutrition can and should be a valuable tool for you to use to make your life more healthy and manageable, not more unhealthy and stressful.
For more detailed information about nutrition data follow the links below.
Sources:
Selfnutritiondata. Retrieved from the internet on January 26, 2012
http://nutritiondata.self.com
Nutrition.gov. Retrieved from the internet on January 26, 2012
http://www.nutrition.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=11&tax_level=1
Aimee Boyle is a regular contributor to EmpowHER.
Reviewed January 26, 2012
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith