L.A. Lifestyle - Nutritional Products

For a supplement to be a good value, it must be manufactured in a clean, safe environment, formulated with all-natural ingredients that complement each other and be affordable. The list of ingredients on some vitamin and mineral supplement labels could tax your mind, even someone with a PhD in nutrition! The challenge is to distinguish the truth from the marketing hype. In order to understand and distinguish different brands of vitamins and supplements, you must look very carefully at the label. In the past, I have received many calls from clients comparing the price of one of our products to another brand. For example, our Vitamin C with rose hips 1,000 mg. 100 tablets sells for $5.39. The serving size on the label is 1 tablet per serving, so there are 100 servings per bottle. A competitor’s vitamin C 1,000 mg. 100 tablets may cost $4.99, but if you look closely at the label you’ll find the tablets are only 500 mg. with a serving size of 2 tablets per serving. This meets the 1,000 mg label claim, but only has 50 servings compared to our 100 servings. Another example is our Glucosamine Complex 180 capsules for $19.49. If you look on our competitors’ labels of their Glucosamine products, in most cases the only ingredients in those products are Glucosamine and Chondroitin sulfate. Our Glucosamine Complex contains not only Glucosamine and Chondroitin, but several other ingredients related to joint support and inflammation. So many of us at L.A. Lifestyle use our products, and we understand how important it is to maximize a purchase of vitamins or supplements. Our serving sizes are accurate and will not trick the buyer in any way. From now on, whether buying vitamins or just comparing them, read the labels first; the serving size will tell you how much of the product you will get for the price, as well as the actual ingredients of the formula.

Summer is right around the corner, and soon everyone will be flocking to pools and beaches to bask in the sun and relax. For many, summer can be very difficult. There is this pressure to slim down quickly and look perfect in a swimsuit, but drastic dieting will hurt your body, but by cutting back and changing your eating habits little by little, you will see results and feel great in and out of that suit.

• Eat breakfast!

It’s really easy to miss breakfast when you’re on-the-go, but later on you are more likely to reach for something sweet or fatty because you are that much hungrier. Another mistake people make is to eat a small breakfast that consists of a few hundred calories and mostly full or carbohydrates, such as cereal or toast. This will cause your blood sugar to rise and fall within a few hours, leaving you hungry for more. A breakfast that will ensure you don’t stray from your healthy eating plan will be full of vitamins, protein and fiber and leave you feeling full and energized until lunch time.

• Keep a food diary

I am always amazed at how many people forget what they have eaten throughout the day. Writing down everything you eat can be a startling experience, but it will help you tame cravings and make better choices. Research has shown that people who track what they eat and when they exercise are more successful at sustaining long-term changes than those who do not. A food diary will help track how many calories you eat in a day and will help identify food triggers like situations that trigger unhealthy eating.

• Find low-calorie alternatives to meal choices

Snacking on fruits and vegetables instead of sugary or fatty foods will make a huge difference in how you look and feel. Meal replacements are also a great way to get all the nutrients your body needs without lots of calories. They are perfect for every type of person, because they can be prepared in advance and are portable and filling. Read more about Meal replacements here.

Many people are unaware of the differences between polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats and Trans fats or saturated fats. When looking at food labels, it is important to know what fats are good for the body, and which ones to avoid—which will lead to better food choices. The body needs fat to function properly—providing energy and stimulating the production of cell membranes. Fat also helps maintain healthy hair and skin, protects vital organs and keeps your body insulated. Fats provide essential fatty acids, which are not made by the body and must be obtained from food. The essential fatty acids are linoleic and linolenic acid. They are important for controlling inflammation, blood clotting, and brain development. Too much fat in the diet, however, can lead to a series of health problems, including a high risk of heart disease. Below are characteristics of each type of fat present in the foods we eat.

Good Fats

When choosing fats, your best options are unsaturated fats: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are found mainly in fish, nuts, seeds and oils. Foods that contain these fats include salmon, trout, herring, avocados, olives, walnuts and liquid vegetable oils such as soybean, corn, safflower, canola, olive and sunflower. Both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats may help lower your blood cholesterol level when used in place of saturated and trans fats, by reducing the total low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in your blood.

Bad Fats

Saturated fats are found mostly in foods from animals and some plants. Foods from animals include beef, veal, lamb, pork, lard, poultry or beef fat, butter, cream, milk, cheeses and other dairy products. Foods from plants that contain saturated fat include coconut, coconut oil, palm oil and cocoa butter. During food processing, fats may undergo a chemical process called hydrogenation. When you see “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” oils on an ingredient list, the food contains trans fats. Trans fats are primarily found in animal products such as beef, pork, lamb, the butterfat in butter and milk, fried foods, commercial baked goods, processed foods and margarines. Like saturated fats, trans fats can raise cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease.