THE FITNESS EXPERT By John DeFendis

Lose Weight Now... Learn To Read The Label!
Fat...Fat...Fat! It accumulates on the waist, hips, buttocks, thighs and on the back of the arms in some cases. Almost everyone of us has struggled with too much bodyfat at one time or another.
We all want and need to know the secrets to ridding our bodies of excess bodyfat. As I have said many times in previous articles, it all boils down to a three point program.
#1- Proper Nutrition.
#2- Proper Nutritional Supplements.
#3- Regular Exercise.
Lets concentrate on the basics of nutrition this week. The key element in a healthy weight loss program is to stay away from Salt and high Sodium Foods, steer clear of high Fat Foods, and also avoid foods that are high in sugar. Often times when I tell someone to stay away from high salt foods they respond with, "I never put salt on my food." Well, although this is a step in the right direction, it is a small step when you look at the big picture. Most foods contain salt and have a high sodium content. You have to take the time to read the nutritional label on everything that you purchase. Concentrate on the sodium, fat, and sugar content. You will easily be able to see which foods are good and which foods to steer clear from. I am listing the breakdown of several foods to give you an example of the nutritional content of these foods.
Sodium Breakdown:
Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice- Sodium Content: 620 mg. per serving.
Seven Seas Fat Free Ranch Dressing- Sodium Content: 330 mg. per serving.
Ultra Slim Fast- Sodium Content: 460 mg. per serving.
Healthy Choice Pasta Sauce- Sodium Content: 390 mg. per serving.
Enrico's No Salt Fat Free Pasta Sauce- Sodium Content: 55 mg. per serving.
Sugar Breakdown:
Ultra Slim Fast- Sugar Content: 37 grams per serving.
Healthy Choice Pasta Sauce- Sugar Content: 8 grams per serving.
Fat Breakdown:
Lean Ground Turkey-Fat Content: 40 grams per pound.
Extra Lean Ground Turkey Breast- Fat Content: 6 grams per pound.
Lean Ground Beef (7% Fat)- Fat Content: 32 grams per pound.

These are just a few examples of certain foods and their sodium, fat, and sugar content. I will leave it up to you to decide by comparison with other foods how each food stacks up. When you take the time to read the labels on the foods that you buy, you will make better choices that will enable you to achieve better results with your fitness program. Always pay careful attention to the sodium, fat, and sugar content. I call these the 3 demons. They will destroy any weight loss and fitness program. Reading the labels and comparing different products and their breakdown will help you to get better results.

NOTE: JOHN DEFENDIS IS A CONTRIBUTING WRITER FOR THE FORUM NEWSPAPER. HE IS A FORMER MR. U.S.A. AND HAS BEEN FEATURED ON "ABC T.V.'S 20/20", "GOOD MORNING AMERICA", AND "THE JOAN RIVERS SHOW". HE HAS BEEN A TRAINER FOR OVER 20 YEARS AND IS THE DIRECTOR OF EXERCISE WITH THE IFPA. HE DEVELOPED THE BURN FAT BUILD MUSCLE PACK AND CAN BE CONTACTED AT (561) 968-6578.