Causes

SIBO is not yet well understood. Here are a few causes resulting in over growth of bacteria.

• Poor nutrition, diet
• The PH in your gut changes
• Poor immune system
• The muscular function in your intestines are not functioning properly. Also known as slow motility. This can result in bacteria overgrowth from undigested food
• Over use of PPIs (AKA medication for reflux)
• Antibiotic usage- It only takes one course of antibiotics to throw off your gut microbiome.

Common health conditions associated with SIBO include:

• Viral (stomach bug)
• IBS, Celiac, Crohn’s
• Gastroparesis
• Hypochlorhydria
• Nerve damage (Chiropractors are your best friends)
• Cirrhosis and portal hypertension
• Strictures or adhesions

Risk Factors

Chronic health conditions that slow the gut motility are a major risk factor. These include Crohn’s, Parkinsons, diabetes, hypothyroidism, and medications such as narcotics. Heavy alcohol usage will increase your risk as well.

Symptoms

SIBO symptoms mostly affect the gut. However, the more chronic the condition, the more broad the symptoms can be. Initially you may feel digestive issues such as pain especially after eating, bloating, cramps, diarrhea, constipation, indigestion, gas, and/or feeling full. If you dont address SIBO, this can lead to some if not all of the following symptoms….

• Food allergies/ sensitivities
• Skin issues such as rashes, acne, eczema
• Chronic sinus infections
• Fatigue, brain fog
• Swollen, painful joints
• Hormonal disruptions
• Gallbladder

Diagnosis

The ‘gold standard’ for non-invasive SIBO testing is a hydrogen breath test. This test measures levels of hydrogen and methane gas in your breath.

Positive Intestinal Permeability Test measures the ability of two nonmetabolizing sugar molecules mannitol and lactulose getting through the digestive lining. This is measurable via a urine sample.

Zonulin is another test that can be utilized. Zonulin acts like a patch for holes in the intestinal lining. If zonulin is present or elevated, it indicates the body is producing more to repair the leaky spaces in the small intestines.

Food antibody tests are also utilized and can be indicative of SIBO or leaky gut.

Very often SIBO is missed. Many people can go for years with out a proper diagnosis. At this point, many symptoms are occurring. One common confusion of SIBO is acid reflux. Before you start acid reflux treatments, discuss symptoms of a possible SIBO diagnosis. PPI’s and acid reflux medication can worsen SIBO symptoms. If you’re experiencing symptoms, keep pushing for answers.

Treatments

When addressing any type of symptoms, it is essential to find the root cause that may be contributing to the illness. Whether it is the migrating motor complex, structural issues such as adhesions or any of the above mentioned causes, the root cause needs to be addressed so healing can occur.

However, A good place to start would be an elimination diet of removing irritating substances such as reactive foods or imbalanced gut bacteria.

Keeping a food journal. Sometimes it can take a couple days for your body to react to an aggravating food. Keep an journal of the foods you eat and how you feel after each meal. Also, jot down when you use the bathroom.

The next step would be to look at your nutritional status. A good nutritional guide to utilize during this time is low FODMAP foods, short for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. Which is basically high in fiber and low in sugar. Sugar feeds bacteria!

Keeping your gut PH in balance will help keep the good bacteria and rid of the bad. Most common acidic foods include high refined sugar, lactose, Wheat gluten, alcohol, NSAIDs.

Digestive enzymes help break down and absorb foods you eat. There are other forms of digestive enzymes that also help supplement your HCL levels, the acid in your stomach. Remember stomach acid breaks down food. Be cautious on usage because it can be too much causing adverse affects of dumping syndrome leading to malabsorption. Digestive enzymes with added HCL should only be used under a providers supervision.

Support the body with detoxification. When you change your diet, the bad bacteria will not like this and start to die-off. This buildup of toxins needs to be removed from the body. A safe way to detox for any age is to sweat with activity, and/or epsom salt baths. However, some people require more help with detoxing. Keep in mind, detoxing can make you feel a bit worse before you feel better. Seek help from a holistic provider to properly detox at any age.

If you’re experiencing constipation from slow motility, magnesium and vitamin C daily will help keep you regular. Talk to your provider about dosing for treating constipation. Like most supplements, start low and go slow. The main goal of SIBO treatments is to keep the pipes running smoothly and not backed up, slow or sluggish to prohibit more bacteria.

Chiropractor care and applied kinesiology is the single most best thing you can do, aside from nutrition, to help your body heal and be healthy. The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in your body starting from the neck down to the GI system. It’s a major component in the parasympathetic nervous system, affecting every major system and organ in your body. It sends signals in your body controlling your fight-or-flight, and rest-or-digest response… Pretty important! If the nervous system is not balanced, it can wreak havoc on the other systems in your body including your GI system.

Lastly, its time to repopulate the gut with good bacteria. A probiotic will help balance your flora. It is best to avoid general store bought and use refrigerated products only. Some probiotics will aggravate your stomach with SIBO. It is best to start low and go slow to find what works best. Probiotic rich foods can help improve that balance more naturally prior to starting supplements.

Take Away

The key point regarding SIBO is to keep your food moving along the digestive track while eating healthy, hydrating and exercise daily.

What symptoms do you experience? When are they at its worse? Does your child have symptoms of SIBO?

However, the B’s I am actually referring to in this article are the 8 B’s….. B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9 and B12. These B’s are water-soluble vitamins that are responsible for making red blood cells, assist in metabolism and are important for optimal neurological functioning.

Health Benefits

Vitamin B complex vitamins helps prevent infections including support for…..

• Cardiovascular health and red blood cells
• Brain function and proper nerve function
• Muscle tone
• Digestion and Appetite
• Energy levels
• Hormones
• Cholesterol
• Eyesight
• Fetal Brain development

Types of B vitamins

Thiamin (B1)– Thiamin helps create energy for brain and neurological function playing a major role in muscle contraction and nerve signals.

Riboflavin (B2)– Riboflavin plays a major role in energy production. it helps convert the food you consume such as carbohydrates into adenosine triphosphate producing energy.

Niacin (B3)- Niacin helps metabolize our food, helps our nervous system to function properly and helps keep our skin healthy. In addition, this vitamin can improve cardiovascular function by supporting cellular energy production thus boosting HDL (good) cholesterol and lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.  

Pantothenic acid (B5)- Pantothenic acid helps break down fats and carbohydrates for energy.

Pyridoxine (B6)– Pyridoxine helps forms hemoglobin build new red blood cells. It also is involved in sleep patterns due to its ability to produce serotonin, melatonin and norepinephrine.

Biotin (B7)– Best known for supporting healthy hair, skin and nails.

Cobalamin (B12)– Vitamin B12 is essential for brain development, cognitive function and neural myelination. B12 deficiancy during pregnancy has been associated with impaired cognitive development in early childhood. B12 helps with synthesizing DNA, red blod cells and nerves. It works with vitamin B9 to produce red blood cells.

Folate (B9)– AKA Folic Acid, AKA Folinic Acid but I like to call this one the Queen B. Folic acid is a synthetic form of Folate. Folate is the naturally occurring form of vitamin B9 and the most active form is known as levomefolic or 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF).

Vitamin B9 in most commonly known for fetal health and development, and plays a critical role in the nervous system. It reduces the risk of neural tube defects, like spina bifida. It also helps red blood cell growth. It is essential for DNA production, correct cell division, activating B12, reducing homocysteine levels and supporting the synthesis of SAMe.

Most dietary folate is converted into 5-MTHF in the digestive system before entering your bloodstream. However, when folate/folic acid enters a cell, it needs to be converted into 5-MTHF before the body can utilize it. This conversion can be hindered by a gene variant that some people carry. This gene, MTHFR helps produce an enzyme that coverts folate/folic acid into folinic acid leading to the most active form of methylfolate that is utilized in cells. In other words, if you have the gene that stops you from utilizing folate, you could be compromised with health conditions related to B9 deficiency. If you take B9 and dont know if you carry this gene, you could be over dosing in B9 if your body is not metabolizing this properly. You can read about the MTHFR gene here.

Food Source

• Leafy green vegetables
• Salmon
• Eggs
• Milk, cheese
• Citrus fruit

Risk factors

• Ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, Celiac disease, and Inflammatory bowel disease
• HIV
• Alcoholism
• Kidney conditions
• Rheumatoid arthritis

Common Side effects

For the most part common side effects for B complex vitamins include upset stomach or flushing may occur. However, higher doses can lead to…

• Vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps, diarrhea
• Nerve damage
• light sensitivity, blurred vision
• Skin rashes
• Bright yellow urine from you body excreting excess vitamin

Concerns of Deficiency

If a deficiency is left untreated, you could be at risk for developing

• Anemia
• Skin conditions
• Digestive issues
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Neuropsychiatric disorders
• Birth defects

Drug Interactions

Like with any new medication or supplement, consult with your practitioner. Just to name a few products that interact with this supplement:

• Some antibiotics
• Anti-seizure medications
• Anti-coagulants
• Cancer medications
• Cholesterol medication
• Kidney medication

History

In 1713, Lemmery and Geofgroy discovered the importance of iron in the body. However, it is believed that during much earlier times, iron was used for therapeutic purposes. At this time, no one was fully aware of iron and its usefulness other than it had “healing powers”.

Health Benefits

Iron has many benefits to our health and wellness. Although, iron is essential for hemoglobin transportation, it is also important for the following….

• Energy Production
• DNA Production/Gene regulation
• Antioxidant Protection
• Immunity- Activation and proliferation of immune cells
• Detoxification Process
• Brain motor function
• Mental clarity and cognitive function
• Sleep
• Synthesis of some hormones- This is important for thyroid patients. Insufficient iron levels can alter and reduce the conversion of T4 to T3. It can also have an affect on cortisol levels.

Forms

Iron is a mineral essential for health. The body can not make iron alone. Iron comes in supplemental and food form. The best source of iron is from animals known as heme. Plant sourced iron (nonheme) is not well absorbed. The body absorbs two to three times more iron from animal sources than from plants. However, eating foods high in vitamin C can facilitate iron absorption which I will get to a bit further down.

Supplement forms

Ferrous/ferric is just the form of iron utilized. The sulfate, gluconate and citrate are the carriers it is bound to, such as salt, or sugar.

• ferrous sulfate
• ferric sulfate
• ferrous gluconate
• ferric citrate

Food forms

• Lean beef
• Chicken
• Turkey
• Eggs
• Peanut butter
• Tofu
• Baked potatoes.
• Cashews
• Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach
• Beans and lentils
• Fruits like banana, apples and pomegranates

Vitamin C

Vitamin C can enhance iron absorption. Eating iron rich foods with also a source of vitamin C will help the body absorb iron into the cells. The following foods are high in vitamin C

• oranges
• broccoli
• red/green peppers
• strawberries
• potatoes

Symptoms of Deficiency

Iron deficiency is one of the most common types of anemia. Symptoms include

• Fatigue
• headaches
• Pale skin
• Weakness, Dizziness
• Glossitis (inflamed tongue)

Risk Factors for Deficiency

The following populations are at a higher risk for developing iron deficiency.

• Pregnancy- Increased blood volume requires more iron to deliver oxygen to both mom and baby.
• Babies- The first 6 months of life, babies store enough iron to meet their needs. However, after the first six months, iron needs increase.
• Women- blood loss during menstrual cycle and child birth
• Malabsorption- certain conditions such celiac disease, cystic fibrosis and pancreatitis
• Diet
• Cancer
• Elderly
• People on blood thinners
• Kidney failure, on dialysis

Common Side Effects of Iron

• Stomach upset/pain
• constipation
• Diarrhea
• Nausea, vomiting
• Dark stools
• Heartburn

All these side effects are generally correlated to how well your body is absorbing the Iron. Taking plenty of Vitamin C will help with absorption.

Interactions

• Milk, caffeine, antacids or calcium supplement
• levothyroxine and levodopa
• Speak to your provider if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.
• Diabetes- High iron can be correlated with risk of heart disease
• GI- Iron can cause irritation because it can be hard to absorb. This can upset the stomach, ulcers, or any intestinal inflammatory disease such as UC or Crohns
• Neuro- Excess iron can have effect on the development and progression of neurological diseases, such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons.

Nutritious food can support a child’s healthy growth and development, and play a major role in boosting the immune function. A major part of the immune system is found in the gut.

Healthy eating starts as soon as your baby can start solid foods. Kids are not born with an aversion to fruits and veggies. If your baby makes a funny face during those first few bites, it is more due to learning and understanding a new taste and texture. Conditioning to healthy foods happens over time as kids are exposed to healthy foods. The sooner you introduce nutritious choices, the easier it is for them to develop a healthy relation with food that will follow them into adult hood.

And it starts with meal planning.

Read further to understand what is considered healthy and ways to encourage kids to eat healthy.

Benefits of a Healthy Meal Plan

Im a big believer in everything in moderation. Maintaining a healthy body and consuming proper nutrients can reduce your risk to many common health conditions such as…..

• Diabetes
• Iron deficiency
• Dental caries (cavities)
• High blood pressure and heart disease
• Obesity
• Cancer

Everything in moderation.

Serving Size

It is hard to determine how many calories your child is consuming each day if you dont follow serving sizes with each meal and snack. However, it truly is NOT necessary to follow your child’s caloric intake unless they are having issues with keeping their weight, are over weight and/or suffer from chronic congenital disorders requiring caloric intake such as cardiac, endocrine, and Gastro pathologies. If your child is a healthy weight, the best way to measure the proportions to serve is to serve each food group according to the size of their fist. Children should consume a diet in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, protein and dairy. Generally, kids need three meals and two snacks per day. Caloric intake varies depending on the age and activity level of the child. Somedays they will literally eat a granola bar all day and other days they may eat more than their weight. Below is a general idea of how many calories children should intake each day.

Caloric Intake

American heart association recommends:

1-3 years of age 900-1000kcal/day

4-8 years of age 1200-1400kcal/day

9-13 years of age 1600-1800kcal/day

14-18 years of age 1800-2200kcal/day

Example: 1 medium sized banana is about 100 calories of the daily intake

Daily Dietary Requirements

• Grains: 3 servings
• Veggies: 3-4 servings
• Fruits: 2-3 servings
• Dairy: 3 servings
• Protein: 3 servings
• Fats: Seldom

Good Sources for Vitamins

• Vitamin A– A good source comes from Fish and eggs or plant based such as yellow/orange foods.
• Vitamin C– A good source comes from citrus fruits but also green veggies like broccoli and spinach.
• Vitamin D– A good source comes from fish and eggs but also the sun. Most people are deficient in D and would benefit to supplementation because not a huge amount comes from food.
• Iron– Tofu, leafy green veggies and beans are a great source of iron.
• Zinc– Mushrooms offer a great source of zinc if you can get your child to eat these. However, red/white meat, seafood, eggs, beans, chick peas, seeds and nuts are a great source as well.

*You can follow each link for more food sources and other information regarding each vitamin/mineral.

Read Your Labels

Here are four simple steps to follow when looking at package labels. Click here to read more in depth about nutritional labels.

Step 1: Claims on the front

Step 2: Serving Size, Total Calories, Percent Daily Values

Step 3: Nutritional Facts/Terms

Step 4: The additives

SNACKING

Some children get hungry when they are bored. This is why kids snack so much during the summer. A good rule of thumb is to offer an apple or a banana. Snacking is perfectly fine but provide healthy snacks for good eating habits. I am all about survival and so not a pintrest worthy mom so here are a few ideas that can easily be a grab-and-go

• Fresh or dried fruits
• Veggies with dip such as ranch or hummus
• Cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, milk
• Crackers or pretzels with peanut butter or hummus

Hydration

Below are general guidelines. A good rule for hydration is a cup for each age. So a two year old should drink about 2 cups a day. However, keep in mind children require more fluids with increased activity.

• Toddlers: 2 to 4 cups
• 4-8 years: 5 cups
• 9 -13 years: 7 to 8 cups
• 14 and up: 8 to 11 cups (depending on age)

Special Age Considerations

Infants–

• Breast-feeding is ideal nutrition and sufficient to support optimal growth and development. Try to maintain breast-feeding for 12 months. It is perfectly fine to breastfeed beyond 12 months. There is no right or wrong, it is a personal choice between mom and infant. We are huge breast-feeding advocates! However, we support all moms and believe fed is best if that is your choice for your family.
• Transition to other sources of nutrients can begin at about 6 months of age to ensure sufficient micronutrients in the diet. Keep in mind, formula/breast milk is the major source of nutrients. Table feeding is more for developmental learning the first year of life.
• Delay introducing 100 percent juice until at least 6 months of age and limit to no more than 4 oz/day. Juice should only be fed from a cup and cut in half. What I mean by cut in half is 2oz of juice mixed with 2oz of water.
• Don’t overfeed infants and young children — they can usually self-regulate the amount of calories they need each day.

Children–

Foods to Avoid Choking Risk in Toddlers

• Raw carrots, celery, green beans
• Large pieces of hot dog
• Cherries or anything with pits
• Whole grapes
• Round, hard candy
• Peanuts, other nuts
• Large globs of peanut butter or large marshmallows
• Popcorn
• Gum

Picky Eaters- It is very normal for toddlers to be picky eaters and I dislike even labeling kids as “picky eaters”. They may prefer one or two very specific foods and then refuse to eat anything else. Favorite foods might change on a daily basis and those changes can be unpredictable. They may eat more on some days than others. Try not to focus on these changes, instead focus on finding healthy food choices and just accept that their food preferences will change. Children shouldn’t be forced to finish meals if they aren’t hungry. As time goes on, your kid’s eating habits will stabilize. If your child is not receiving the proper nutrition from the foods they eat, supplements may be considered. You can consider a multi-vitamin. We see typical deficiencies in iron and Vitamin D. Children utilize a lot of energy and require more frequent meals which is why healthy snacking is important for in between meals.

Over Eating-

I know a lot of parents can get stuck on how much their child eats. There is no reason you should force your child to eat or stop eating. This can create a bad relationship with food. Children need to learn to listen to their own body and self-regulate the amount of calories they need each day. If your child eats their entire meal at dinner and walks in the kitchen asking for a snack, you have two ways this can go…… offer them a fruit snack such as an apple or suggest they come back in twenty minutes for that apple. Some kids can eat fast that their brain doesn’t have time to catch up with their belly. In other words, give them some time to digest their food before you offer a healthy snack option. I by no means suggest you dont feed your baby if they are hungry. Feed that belly! But, there are ways to understand where that hunger is coming from if they are eating all day long. Diabetes and obesity is very prevalent in our society and the number one way to combat this is healthy food habits. Here is a link to assist with ways to educate our children on how to form a healthy relationship with food and nutrition.

Adolescents–

• Sports nutrition- Make sure your sports player is consuming enough calories to meet up with supply and demand. Generally a sports player can consume almost twice the normal amount of calories than a non-athlete. If your child is heavily into sports, make sure you speak with his/her health provider and/or coach to discuss a nutritional plan.
• Junk food- New drivers can access junk food much easier.
• Late night eating- Try to encourage a “closed kitchen” after late hours.

Special diet considerations

• Vegetarian, Etc. Living in a household with special dietary needs can have great health benefits. However, this can sometimes present a challenge to meet nutritional demands. Be mindful of what your child is missing. Supplement instead with plenty of beans, avocado, nuts and nut butter, seeds, dried fruits, coconut oil, eggs, soy, and dairy products. A good idea is to consult a nutritionist to ensure your child is receiving the proper nutrients missing from the average dietary food group.
• Gluten free- A lot of products have gluten. This is hard to stay clear from and still receive adequate nutritional requirements. Read your labels and find substitutes to meet the average dietary requirements.

Example Meal plan

Some quick ideas to get you started with a meal plan for your children. These are pretty average meals for the average family. When you can, buy organic products. The most important Organic foods are meats and fruits/veggies without hard skins (think avocados hard skin).

Breakfast:

• Smoothies! My go-to for my kids. you can add everything in there. Just add an apple or a banana to give it a better flavor. Here is a link to our favorite smoothies recipe.
• Yogurt with granola and berries, whole grain toast with nut butter and banana
• Oatmeal with fruit and honey drizzle
• Hard-boiled eggs on hand for an easy source of protein at breakfast.

Snack 1:

• Granola bar, lara bars are great for school snacks
• Apple
• Orange

Lunch:

• Peanut butter with banana on a wrap to make a pinwheel, carrots, strawberries,
• Quesadilla, tomato/cucumber with dipping sauce, applesauce
• Turkey pinwheels (honey mustard for dipping), edamame, dried apricots

*The best sauces for dipping are mustard base or oil based so honey mustard, avocado dressing, balsamic vinaigrette

Snack 2:

• Banana, strawberries, blueberries and yogurt based dip
• pretzels, popcorn, nuts, raisins, dried fruit

Dinner:

• Tacos- beef, lettuce, mashed avocado, salsa on a tortilla wrap
• Grilled chicken, broccoli, rice, applesauce

What type of meal plan do you use? Tried and true recipes your child loves? Where are my allergy babies at…. please share these recipes too.

We have to start some where.

Shopping and Cooking

Engage your children in grocery shopping and cooking. If they are old enough, they can search for a recipe, write down the ingredients and help prepare the meal. For younger kids, they can help write down ingredients for shopping and they can help with the meal prep. I am a worrier around the hot stove top or oven for my youngest two kids but they do help chop, pour and mix. While shopping, teach your kids to read labels. Simple items on labels such as….What does organic mean. What item is high in vitamins and minerals. What are vitamins and minerals. Here you can learn more about product labels and nutritional facts. I might add, and I cant say this enough, but eat at the dinner table together. Its important to make dinner or eating a positive experience.

Intuitive Eating and Self awareness

Intuitive eating allows a person to make food choices without experiencing guilt and enjoys the pleasure of eating. It creates self awareness by allowing your child to understand his/her own hunger and fullness cues. It also encourages a mindful relationship with food, by understanding how foods make you feel. Its never a good idea to teach your children to eat everything on their plate because you’re teaching your child to ignore their own internal cues for hunger vs fullness. Instead, we are teaching kids to eat even if they are full and finish eating until your plate is empty. Also, when your kids want to snack all day, ask yourself, is it because they are hungry or perhaps bored. A good way to determine this is too offer a nutritious snack like a banana. My kids do this some evenings at bedtime. They generally don’t want the banana but sometimes, they eat the banana. Honor real hunger cues otherwise, you can trigger a tendency to overeat.

Everything in Moderation

Obsessing over diets or clean eating can do more harm then good if you are not enjoying the foods you eat. It is a much healthier approach to sustain good eating habits by enjoying all foods in moderation. What I mean by moderation is having a healthy rounded whole food diet but also having allowing yourself to have that glass of wine or allowing your child to eat that small bowl of ice cream.

Life is too short, so go ahead and have your cookie too.

Don’t Punish or Reward with Food

Giving sweets and soda as a reward can lead to over eating. These behaviors negate the healthy relationship with food. I too am so guilty of this at times. The, “if you eat all your dinner, we can get some ice cream later”.  Saying things like this can associate food as a negative and the ice cream as a positive causing a distorted view on eating for a reward and/or comfort.

Lead by Example

Children look to their parents/guardians as role models. They are ALWAYS watching. Set an example to be a great role model for mindful eating and nutrition and also having a positive mindset about your body image. Show your kids that nutritious foods are enjoyable and that you can enjoy all foods in moderation. What you set on the table each night is the precedence of how they will define nutrition. Also, don’t let your kids see you criticize your body, their body or any other body. If you feel uncomfortable in your own skin, don’t pass that down to your children by calling yourself too fat, too skinny, too anything that shows you dislike your body. All bodies come in different shapes and forms. Teach your children to embrace who they are and that their body is a “healthy body”.

I know all this stuff can be overwhelming especially if you are just starting to change the way you look at food. Am I eating too much or too little? The right foods or the wrong foods? If you take anything away from this, is to just eat healthy foods that are grown from the earth that are colorful but also to just enjoy life and have that damn cookie!

What are some fun recipes you and your family cook together?

First, lets discuss a few terms….

USDA Organic

My favorite term on a box. For a product to be certified USDA organic, it’s required to meet specific standards:

• Organic crops cannot be grown with synthetic fertilizers, synthetic pesticides or sewage sludge.
• Organic crops cannot be genetically engineered or irradiated.
• Animals must eat only organically grown feed and can’t be treated with synthetic hormones or antibiotics.
• Animals must have access to the outdoors, and ruminants (hoofed animals, including cows) must have access to pasture.
• Animals cannot be cloned.

If you see a USDA Organic stamp on an item, ensure the company includes where it is certified. For example, It will say USDA Organic (stamp), certified by XYZ on their product. Here is a link to search the organic integrity database of the certifier approving the stamp of USDA Organic.

USDA Inspected

A USDA inspection seal means that your food meets certain quality standards and has been inspected and graded by USDA employees. Each inspection should include a code for the producing establishment. Meat and eggs are graded by a letter-based system regarding quality and size.

Country of Origin labeling

Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) is require by the US for meats such as chicken, seafood, including produce and some nuts. This basic information provides which country food was produced.

Treated with Irradiation

I know what you’re thinking…. What the heck, radiation on food?! Ionizing radiation can extend shelf life and improve the quality and safety of foods. The idea behind irradiated food is to destroy bacteria by exposing them to free radicals thus protecting against food born illness. National and international organizations have concluded irradiated food is safe. I have not done enough research to be for or against this. There has been some research that food irradiation causes minimal changes to the chemical composition of some foods BUT its not natural so I cant speak on this with out more research. Most people do not know whether the foods they are eating have received a dose of ionizing radiation because most places do not require labeling such as restaurants. However, grocery stores should have irradiated food labeled with a radura symbol.

4 rules to consider when looking at Nutrition facts

Step 1: Claims on the front

Step 2: Serving Size, Total Calories, Percent Daily Values

Step 3: Nutritional Facts/Terms

Step 4: The additives

1) The claims on the front of the container/box

• Cage free eggs- Most chickens are raised without cages but it says nothing about other living conditions.
• Free range- These labels are regulated by the USDA for poultry meat ONLY.
• No hormones- This means that animal received no hormones over its lifetime.
• No antibiotics- This means that the animal received no antibiotics over its lifetime. Antibiotic usage on farm animals is linked to antibiotic resistance and has increasingly become a health issue.
• Grass fed- This means that the animals primary source of food comes from grass and not grains or corn. However, there are no government standards for this label
• Pasture raised- This generally means animals spent time outdoors on pasture. This is a traditional farming method on smaller farms compared to factory-farmed animals. Again, there are no government standards for this label.
• Natural- Certain items listed as natural are not USDA regulated. However, the government defines natural as products cannot contain artificial flavors, preservatives or other artificial ingredients. Also, there is no information on how the animal is raised, what they are fed, including antibiotic and/or hormone usage.
• Seafood labels- There is no USDA standard for organic sea food certification.
• Fresh- When an item is labeled fresh, it only indicates it was not frozen until it reaches zero. It does not describe if there has been a processed or preservative added. The USDA does not regulate this label.
• NON-GMO vs non-GMO Project verified- GMO is genetically modified organisms used to alter the genetic material in plants and meats for the purpose of food. Many countries require GMO labeling on foods. The United states and Canada do not require labeling. However, the United states has started the process toward mandating GMO labeling on food items. Non–GMO Project Verified is a standard set fourth to require testing and traceability to verify the claim. A generic non-GMO claim is not reliable because there is no standard of testing to verify the claim.
• Whole Grains: Many bread and pasta products claim to be “whole wheat”, but the first ingredient in the ingredient list is often wheat flour (AKA refined flour).

2) Serving Size, Total Calories, Percent Daily Values

• Serving size- The number of servings in the package. The serving size is calculated by using the Recommended Amount Customarily Consumed (RACC) that the FDA created.
• Total Calories- This provides a measurement of how much energy you get from a serving of food
• Percent daily values- The percentage of the daily value for each nutrient in a serving of food. This helps you determine if the food is high or low in nutrients

Example-Goldfish crackers

Serving size- 55 pieces; Calories-140, DV%- Calcium 4%

So for every 55 pieces consumed, you will have obtained 140 calories. The daily value of calcium in your diet from the 55 goldfish is 4%. If you consumed 110 pieces (doubled) then you would double the calories to 280. A 4% daily value of calcium is low in nutrients of calcium.

3) The nutrients facts

A Nutrition Facts table. This gives you information about:

• Fat- Might also be listed as beef fat, butter, shortening, coconut, palm oil, cream, lard, vegetable oils, hydrogenated oils, or partially hydrogenated fats and oils. Total fat includes saturated and unsaturated. Foods high in unsaturated fat are generally vegetable oils, nuts, and fish. Unsaturated fats are often called “good fats” because they don’t raise cholesterol levels. Saturated fat generally comes from animal products like butter, cheese, whole milk, ice cream, meats and processed foods.
• Cholesterol- A fatty wax substance found in your cells from foods such as fatty meat and full fat dairy.
• Sodium- Might be listed as baking powder, garlic salt, onion salt, monosodium glutamate (MSG), brine, rock salt, sea salt, sodium bisulfate, or soy sauce.
• Carbohydrates- There are three types of carbohydrates: sugars, starches and fiber.
• Sugar- Might be called brown sugar, cane and beet sugar, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, maltose, sucrose, fruit juice concentrates, honey, molasses, maltodextrin, agave syrup, malt syrup, maple syrup, and syrup. Simple carbohydrates, or sugars, occur naturally in foods such as fruit (fructose) and milk (lactose) or come from refined sources such as table sugar (sucrose) or corn syrup.
• Protein
• Vitamins and Minerals- Includes vitamin A, Bs, C, D and minerals such as potassium, calcium, sodium and zinc just to name a few. Some are no longer required to be on the label.

Other nutritional facts:

• Calorie free: Less than five calories per serving.
• Low-calorie: Less than 40 calories
• Low cholesterol: 20 milligrams or less and 2 grams or less of saturated fat per serving.
• Fat free/sugar free: Less than ½ gram of fat or sugar per serving.
• Low sodium: 140 milligrams or less of sodium per serving.
• Low-fat: 3 grams or less of fat
• Lean: Meat, poultry, or seafood that has not been ground and contains 10% or less fat
• High in/Excellent source of: Provides 20 percent or more of the Daily Value of a specified nutrient per serving.
• Good source of: Provides at least 10 to 19 percent of the Daily Value of a particular vitamin or nutrient per serving.

4) ADDITIVES

 20 ingredients to stay away from…..

• BHA and BHT
• Propyl Gallate
• Sucralose
• Potassium sorbate
• Artificial flavors and coloring
• High fructose syrup
• Acesulfame-K
• Sugar
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• Enriched wheat
• Corn
• Canola oil
• Soy
• Propyl gallate
• Sodium chloride
• Aspartame
• Polysorbate 80
• Potassium and sodium benzoate
• Hydrogenated or fractionated oils

What other labels am I missing that you find concerning? Please share your thoughts on labeling here in the US?