EAT FOR ABS 13
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1 SERVING SIZE
Many products look like single-serving
snacks—a “King-Size” Snicker’s bar, for
instance—but may actually provide two
or more servings. The Nutrition Facts
give you the calories per one serving,
not the entire package.
2 CALORIES
This is the number of calories per
serving. Multiply this by the number of
servings you eat to know your total
calorie intake.
3 FAT
Don’t obsess over the number of fat
grams. The total number of calories
is your best guide. If you want to calcu-
late fat calories, 1 gram of fat equals
9 calories.
4 SATURATED FAT
Saturated fat has been demonized over
the years, but again, it’s your overall
diet that’s most important. As long as
you aren’t regularly overeating or gaining
weight, your saturated fat intake isn’t
likely an issue.
5 CARBOHYDRATE
You may have been told that carbs make
you fat. But as with fat, your major
concern is total calories. We recommend
that you limit your carbohydrate intake
to around 40 grams at any given meal
(to avoid large spikes in blood sugar).
Use that as a general guide, not as an
unbreakable rule. If you want to calculate
carbohydrate calories on your own,
1 gram of carbohydrate equals 4 calories.
6 FIBER
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that
makes up the structural material in the
leaves, stems, and roots of plants. Un-
like sugar and starch—the other two
kinds of carbs—fiber doesn’t impact
your blood sugar. In fact, it helps slow
the absorption of sugar into your blood
stream. Fiber may also stimulate CCK,
an appetite-suppressing hormone in the
gut. Think of it as the “anti-sugar.”
7 SUGAR
Just like saturated fat, don’t obsess over
sugar. But generally, packaged foods with
more than 15 grams of sugar per serving
(candy, soda) aren’t great choices.
8 PROTEIN
Protein is a key nutrient when you’re
trying to lose weight because it helps
curb your appetite and protect your
muscles. If you want to calculate protein
calories on your own, 1 gram of protein
equals 4 calories.
9 INGREDIENTS
We like the rule: The fewer ingredients,
the better. When reviewing the ingredi-
ents, keep in mind that the ingredients
list is ordered from “most” to “least.”