le ibe€ ne vi : ‘his sndue l I one “i estar ie esd nm Anes Nes, Ww! ih andy iy ah fe von tr cg Wh. u “UL ap I ane is | led! It Paysito Read Food Labels (NAPSA)—Research shows that shoppers who read food labels cut about twice the amount of fat from their diet as those who don’t read labels. The reason: theyre simply more aware of what they are eating. Among the reasons cited for not reading the labels are that labels are confusing, and that the act of reading them takes too much time. Yet cutting saturated fat and cholesterol is an important way to fight heart disease, the number one killer of men and womenin the United States. The American Heart Associa- tion has developed a label-reading shortcut that identifies lowfat, low-cholesterol foods quickly and reliably. The Association’s Food Certification Program and its highly visible red and white heart-check markis on the labels of hundreds of food products. Products bearing the mark are low in saturated fat and cholesterol and can be part of a heart- healthy diet for healthy people over the ageof 2. All products bearing the heart- check mark meet the organization’s nutrition criteria (per serving): e Fat is less than or equal to 3 crams Saturated fat is less than or equal to 1 gram Cholesterol value is less than or equal to 20 milligrams Sodium value is less than or equal to 480 milligrams for indi- vidual foods e 10 percent of one or more of these nutrients: protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron or dietary fiber. Dietary changes based on selecting foods low in saturated Look for the American Heart Association’s red and white heart-check mark to quickly identify heart-healthy foods. fat and cholesterol can lower blood cholesterol by 10 to 15 percent. That, in turn, can reduce the risk for heart disease by 20 to 30 percent. The American Heart Association recommends eating a nutritionally balanced diet consisting of a variety of foods, including lean meat, fish or poultry, whole grain cereals and breads, three servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy foods and seven to nine servings of fruit and vegetables a day. To learn more about reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke, visit the American Heart Associa- tion’s Web site at www.american heart.org or call 1-800-AHA-USA1 (800-242-8721) for your free copy of the “Shop Smart” brochure. The American Heart Associa- tion’s Food Certification Program is for healthy people over age two. If you have a special medical con- dition, contact your physician or registered dietitian about your diet. ~-------- +--+ +--+ +--+ Ore ------- +--+ Note to Editors: Although March has been designated as nutrition month, the advice in this article can help your readers any timeof the year.
