The Handy Foodwatch Guides: Ebook Bundle 1 to 4

By Catherine Saxelby

Get the facts minus the fluff! All four quick-to-read titles from Catherine Saxelby in one ebook.

Here from leading nutritionist Catherine Saxelby, you get four top ebooks which are:
1.Vitamins : Why, what and where
2.Navigating the Numbers : How to translate additive codes
3.Cracking the Code: How to decipher a food label
4.My Nutritionary : The A to Z Jargon Buster

Buy four at once and save.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Foodwatch Pty Ltd
• Release date: Oct 7, 2019
• ISBN: 9780987552129

Catherine Saxelby

Catherine Saxelby B Sc, Grad Dip Nutr Dietetics, APD, AN is Sydney-based culinary nutritionist and award-winning author of 12 books. She has contributed to many magazines such as Healthy Food Guide, Prevention and New Idea, and has appeared on TV programs including Good Morning Australia and Today. She runs an informational website at www.foodwatch.com.au where she shares her discoveries about nutrition, diets and additives. Connect with Catherine on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

Book preview

About The Handy Foodwatch Guide

Get the facts minus the fluff! All four quick-to-read titles from Catherine Saxelby in one ebook.

Here from leading nutritionist Catherine Saxelby, you get four top ebooks which are:

1. Vitamins: Why, what and where

2. Navigating the Numbers: How to translate additive codes

3. Cracking the Code: How to decipher a food label

4. My Nutritionary: The A to Z Jargon Buster

Buy four at once and save.

Contents

About The Handy Foodwatch Guide

Vitamins: What, Why and Where

Epigraph

Dedication

Introduction: Hello from Catherine

Units and measures

Chapter 1: What are vitamins?

Grouping and classification

Where do I find them?

Chapter 2: Vitamins – food or pills?

Ways to maximise the absorption of vitamins

Can I overdose on vitamins?

Vitamin supplements for children

Times you may need extra vitamins

The depleted soil myth

Chapter 3: The 14 vitamins outlined

Vitamin A (retinol)

Pro-vitamin A (beta-carotene)

Vitamin D (cholecalciferol)

Vitamin E (tocopherol)

Vitamin K (phylloquinone)

Vitamin B1 (thiamin)

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

Vitamin B3 (niacin)

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

Vitamin B7 (biotin)

Folate (folic acid)

Vitamin B12 (cyano-cobalamin)

Choline

Vitamin C

References and websites

Free extras

Acknowledgements

NAVIGATING THE NUMBERS: HOW TO TRANSLATE ADDITIVE CODES

Introduction: Hello from Catherine

The attraction of convenience

The positives of food processing

The negatives of food processing

The four main types of processed foods

The Inside Story: Instant noodles

Why are food additives used?

Who’s in charge?

The Inside Story: Coca Cola

What are NOT additives

The 23 main classes of additives and what they do

1. Acidity regulators

2. Anti-caking agents

3. Anti-foaming agents

4. Antioxidants

5. Colours – artificial

6. Colours – natural

7. Colour retention agents

8. Emulsifiers

9. Enzymes

10. Firming agents

11. Flavour enhancers

12. Flour treatment agents

13. Gelling agents

14. Glazing agents

15. Humectants

16. Mineral salts

17. Preservatives

18. Propellants

19. Raising agents

20. Sequestrants

21. Stabilisers

22. Sweeteners

23. Thickeners

What about additives with NO number?

Vitamins used in fortification

The Inside Story: Salad dressing

How are additives shown on the label?

The Inside Story: Dijon mustard

So which additives should I avoid?

The ‘baddies’

The Inside Story: Wholemeal bread

Additives to steer clear of

Colours to avoid

Preservatives to avoid

Flavour enhancers to avoid

Suspicious additives to bookmark

The Inside Story: Chewy apricot muesli bars

Additives you don’t need to worry about

Natural colours

Natural acidity regulators

Natural emulsifiers

Natural gums and gels

Natural mineral salt

Natural enzymes

My 4-step guide to avoiding additives

Step 1. Steer clear of things in packets

Step 2. Cook from scratch

Step 3. Know the numbers

Step 4. Eat the ‘Classics’

The Inside Story: Potato crisps and corn chips

Clean labelling

The Inside Story: Vegemite

How do they do it?

So what are clean labels and what do they mean for you, the consumer?

What’s ‘clean’ and ‘in’ vs what’s ‘old’ and ‘out’

The Inside Story: Jubes

The Inside Story: Vanilla full-fat yoghurt

My conclusions on additives

References and websites (grouped in order)

Acknowledgements

For more info

Disclaimer

CRACKING THE CODE: HOW TO DECIPHER A FOOD LABEL

Introduction: Hello from Catherine

How to get the most from this Book

Chapter 1: Crack the Label – an overview

10 things that MUST be on every label

Which foods are exempt?

The Food Standards Code

Optional extras: Stars and Thumbnails

To sum up

Chapter 2: Crack the Dates

How fresh is that food?

Which foods are exempt from date marks?

To sum up

Chapter 3: Crack the Nutrition Information Panel

The Components

Check the serving size!

Per Serving or Per 100 g?

Example: commercial salad dressing

Nutrients to look for

Using the Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI)

All serving sizes are not created equal! My story.

Which foods are exempt from NIPs?

To sum up

Chapter 4: Crack the Claims

What food claims really mean

To sum up

Chapter 5: Crack the Ingredient List

The order matters

Ten Ingredient Lists in plain English

Help for allergy sufferers

To sum up

Chapter 6: Crack the Additives

Code numbers

The functions of additives

Additives most likely to cause adverse reactions

Additives you don’t need to worry about

To sum up

Conclusion

Websites and references

Free extras

Acknowledgements

About the author

For more info

Copyright notice

Disclaimer

MY NUTRITIONARY: THE A TO Z JARGON BUSTER

Dedication

Epigraph

Introduction: Hello from Catherine

How to get the most from this book

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Z

Appendix 1

Grouping

Appendix 2

Additives classified by their code number

Appendix 3

Measures and conversions

References

About Catherine Saxelby

Check out the other books by Catherine Saxelby

About Catherine Saxelby

Copyright

VITAMINS:

WHY, WHAT AND WHERE

‘Knowledge is power.’ 

Francis Bacon (1561–1626), English philosopher

For our son Guy who’s always been fascinated by vitamins.

Contents

Vitamins: What, Why and Where

Epigraph

Dedication

Introduction: Hello from Catherine

Units and measures

Chapter 1: What are vitamins?

Grouping and classification

Where do I find them?

Chapter 2: Vitamins – food or pills?

Ways to maximise the absorption of vitamins

Can I overdose on vitamins?

Vitamin supplements for children

Times you may need extra vitamins

The depleted soil myth

Chapter 3: The 14 vitamins outlined

Vitamin A (retinol)

Pro-vitamin A (beta-carotene)

Vitamin D (cholecalciferol)

Vitamin E (tocopherol)

Vitamin K (phylloquinone)

Vitamin B1 (thiamin)

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

Vitamin B3 (niacin)

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

Vitamin B7 (biotin)

Folate (folic acid)

Vitamin B12 (cyano-cobalamin)

Choline

Vitamin C

References and websites

Free extras

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Hello from Catherine

Hello and welcome.

Thanks for buying this book. There seems to be so much hype and conflicting information out there on vitamins. My aim is to look beyond the claims and give you the facts you really need in order to make informed decisions. In this book, you’ll discover what vitamins are, how much you need each day and where to find them – as well as delicious ways to get your daily dose.

In the world of nutrition, vitamins remain a perennially popular topic. Their impact on our health – both positive and negative – generates endless discussion and media stories. Remember these headlines?

Can vitamin C really fight off the common cold?

Mushrooms: B12 for vegans?

Folate added to cereals and bread to prevent birth defects in newborn babies.

Vitamin D – the sunshine vitamin – found to be low in many older folk.

As a nutritionist, I am asked about vitamins all the time: How can I tell if I’m deficient in any vitamin? Should I take a supplement as ‘insurance’? What about popping some vitamin C if I feel a cold coming on? I’m vegetarian – do I need extra vitamin B12? Are there downsides to taking extra vitamin E for months and months? And so on.

As vitamin supplements – tablets or capsules, tonics and powders – become increasingly popular, it’s even more important to know the facts. It’s true that some supplements have a positive role in keeping us healthy, like the folate taken pre-conception and during pregnancy or the fish oil that helps the body in myriad ways, from thinning the blood to aiding vision. But many supplements are unnecessary and only serve to fuel the bank balances of pharmacies, health food stores and unscrupulous online hustlers.

I find the whole subject of vitamins fascinating. With new research appearing weekly, it’s an area of nutrition I believe is full of hope and inspiration. It’s such a feel-good topic and one that is a real positive in nutrition – such a contrast to all the controversies surrounding carbs and fats and weight loss … you know what I mean!

How to get the most from this book

This is a book to dip in and out of. You don’t need to read it from cover to cover, although I won’t mind if you do. Use it to:

Look up how much of a particular vitamin you need

Discover the richest food sources of each vitamin

Check out the impact of overdose

Find out the deficiency signs to look for

Convert between micrograms, milligrams and IUs

Read up on interesting issues.

Why me?

I feel I’m the best to write about this whole topic. I’ve been a nutritionist for almost 30 years and keep a watchful eye on the research. I’ve observed many cycles of interest – just think about the hype about vitamin C to prevent colds, carotenoids to help sooth bad sunburn, thiamin being added to bread and possibly beer (never accepted), getting enough vitamin D without sunlight and whether mushrooms actually produce any vitamin B12.

I first started writing about vitamins, both as an overall topic and from a single vitamin focus, way back in the 1990s. For instance, when folate first became a vitamin of note, I worked with a breakfast cereal company who had started adding folic acid to their products and wanted to publicise the fact.

Plus I started writing about more general things like the whole notion of taking tablets compared to the more old-fashioned view of food tonics. And how a hangover drink loaded with B vitamins works compared to a single tablet of B1. That sort of thing.

On a personal note, I’ve brought up two kids and been through the usual paediatric panic about iron for little ones who refuse to eat meat (or much of anything), DHA supplements for brain development, and the whole problem of getting children to take any sort of pills.

Plus I’m big on eating a nutrient-dense diet so you get plenty of vitamins from natural sources such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, lean meats, eggs, fish and whole grains.

Remember

As a guide, the Recommended Dietary Intakes (RDIs) I've quoted in this book come from the Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs) as spelled out by the National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) for Australia and the Ministry of Health (MOH) for New Zealand in 2006. The 2006 figures are the latest available, and are not very different to those in the UK and USA so you can easily cross-check across countries.

Without more ado, let’s start!

Regards

Catherine

Units and measures

Units for measuring vitamin intakes

In this book, you'll see figures for the recommended day's intake of the individual vitamins:

These figures are for all of the life stages for adults as well as for infants and children. Children generally need less than adults due to their lower body weight.

Recommended intakes are taken from the Nutrient Reference Values (NRV) for Australia and New Zealand, NHMRC 2006. Recommended amounts are given in milligrams (milligrams) or micrograms (µg), depending on the nutrient.

The Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) is the amount that is estimated to cover the needs of practically all healthy people in a population, although individuals vary in their true requirements.

The Adequate Intake (AI) figure is used when an RDI cannot be determined.

Upper Limit figures are sourced from the NRVs as listed above. The Upper Limit is the highest quantity you can take from either food or supplements without having to worry about any side-effects.

The food values used to create the easy ways to get your daily intakes were sourced from AUSNUT 2011–13. They are based on the suggested intake for an adult woman.

Chapter 1

What are vitamins?

Vitamins are a group of organic compounds needed by our bodies in minute quantities. They are essential for good health and for growth in children. While they do many jobs, they mostly work as enzymes or catalysts to facilitate and ‘speed up’ biochemical reactions in the body. Think of them as ‘spark plugs’ for your body's internal engine. What’s more, vitamins regulate the body's metabolism, release energy from food, act as antioxidants and form an integral part of the structure of proteins, hormones and blood.

With the exception of vitamin D, which is made by sunlight on the skin, and vitamin K, some of which is synthesised by bacteria living in our intestines, vitamins must be derived from our diet. The body cannot produce them or can’t produce enough at certain times of our life, so they must be supplied by food. For instance, as you get older, your body cannot absorb vitamin B12 or vitamin D as well as when you were younger, so these must be eaten in greater amounts or supplied by supplements. Vitamins are present only in tiny amounts, comprising less than one per cent of food: think milligrams and micrograms, rather than grams as for protein, fat and carbohydrate. 1000 micrograms is equal to 1 milligram (mg).

It was the famous scientist Casimir Funk who discovered a substance that helps growth and maintenance of the body, and it was he who named it a ‘vital amine’, way back in 1912. The word vitamin comes from a combination of the Latin vita (life) plus amine (containing nitrogen). The term does not include other essentials such as minerals, fatty acids, fish oil, glucosamine or amino acids, nor does it encompass the large number of phytonutrients, such as anthocyanins and flavonoids, or probiotics that promote health but are still under research.

Grouping and classification

There are 14 known vitamins essential for health:

Vitamin A (retinol and beta-carotene)

Vitamin B1 (thiamin)

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)

Vitamin B3 (niacin)

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)

Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin)

Folate

Biotin

Choline

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

Vitamin D (ergocalciferol and cholecalciferol)

Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol and tocotrienols)

Vitamin K (phytomenadione).

Nine are grouped together as the B group or B complex vitamins: thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), cyanocobalamin (B12), folate, biotin and choline, a recent addition. Although grouped together, the B vitamins each have different functions, all essential.

Not all of them carry a number designation, as some were discovered and numbered then later found to be other compounds, not true vitamins. For instance:

Vitamin B4, is generally considered to be choline, although at times you’ll see it defined (incorrectly) as adenine, carnitine or pantothenic acid. B4 is no longer considered a true vitamin or part of the B vitamin complex. However, two B vitamins, riboflavin and niacin, bind with adenine to form the essential co-factors flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD). So you can see why it’s related yet confusing. For now, ignore any mention of vitamin B4.

Vitamin B8 was the name given to a substance now better known as inositol or myo-inositol, a form of glucose. An essential component of cell membrane phospholipids, most of it is found in the brain, heart, liver, stomach and kidneys. The body can synthesise small amounts, with the rest derived from food and supplements. Inositol remains an unofficial member of the B complex, as it functions closely with choline and biotin (B7).

Vitamin B9 turned out to be folate or folic acid.

Vitamin F is an obsolete name for essential fatty acids – not a vitamin.

Vitamin H is a former name for biotin (B7).

Vitamin PP is a former name for niacin (B3). It refers to the vitamin’s ability to act as a ‘pellagra preventive’, staving off pellagra, a potentially fatal illness characterised by diarrhoea, dermatitis and dementia.

Fat-soluble or water-soluble

Vitamins are usually classified as fat-soluble or water-soluble. The fat-soluble vitamins are vitamins A, D, E and K. They are stored in the body, so excess of these vitamins can cause unpleasant side-effects. They usually occur in association with food fats and are fairly stable during cooking and processing.

The water-soluble vitamins are the B group vitamins, folate, biotin, choline and vitamin C. They dissolve in body fluids and excess intakes of most are excreted in the urine. They are distributed in many foods – vegetables, grains, meat and milk – and are often sensitive to heat.

Why do I need them?

Vitamins are needed for health, growth and the prevention of vitamin-deficiency diseases such as:

Beri-beri (vitamin B1)

Pellagra (vitamin B2)

Types of anaemia (vitamin B12 and folate)

Scurvy (lack of vitamin C)

Rickets (vitamin D).

Where do I find them?

The best source of vitamins is a healthy, balanced diet that includes a variety of foods. This means:

Lots of plant-based foods – vegetables and fruit; legumes (beans and lentils); wholegrain breads, pasta, noodles and brown rice

Moderate amounts of animal foods – fish, lean meat, poultry and eggs, plus milk, yoghurt, cheese

Lesser amounts of nuts, avocado and healthy oils

Small amounts of sugar, salt and bad fats – limit soft drinks, cakes, desserts, pastries, creamy foods, chips, pies, pasties, sausage rolls, pizzas, lollies and chocolate to special occasions

Small amounts of alcohol.

The best natural sources of vitamins

Many vitamins are sensitive and easily destroyed when exposed to heat, air or water. Over the years, certain foods have traditionally been regarded as good sources of vitamins. These are:

Orange and yellow vegetables, such as pumpkin, carrots and orange sweet potato

Fresh green leafy vegetables such as spinach, silverbeet, Asian greens like bok choy, parsley, basil and other dark-green herbs

Oranges and orange juice

Fish

Eggs

Milk and yoghurt

Nuts, unsalted.

It’s worth making sure you include these foods in your daily diet.

Chapter 2

Vitamins – food or pills?

In Australia, we spend millions of dollars a year on vitamin supplements, but how many of us really need them? I can see many reasons why we should look first to our diet before we reach for the pills. This is why I believe it is best to obtain all your vitamins from food:

Vitamins in food occur in the most biologically available form.

Vitamins in food are found in the right amounts. Except under extraordinary circumstances, there is a low risk of vitamin overdose from food.

The vitamins in food are combined with complementary nutrients, such as vitamin C with folate, iron with zinc, and pro-vitamin A (beta-carotene) with fat.

Vitamins work best together, and too much of one can disturb the balance of others. For example, vitamin C increases the absorption of iron; vitamin E acts together with selenium and vitamin C as antioxidants; and folate supplements can mask the symptoms of B12 deficiency.

Vitamin deficiencies do not occur immediately, even on a totally depleted diet. For example, our liver stores enough vitamin B12 to last 3–5 years, while vitamin C reserves can last for 30 days.

Vitamins in food are nowhere near as expensive as supplements.

In recent years, supplements have become increasingly popular as numerous studies have emerged suggesting they are associated with better health outcomes. However, it pays to be cautious. While there are certain groups who could benefit from a supplement (such as smokers, fussy eaters and the elderly), it’s wise to be wary of the over-enthusiastic promises made by the industry. Often the scientific evidence is not reliable, consisting of unsubstantiated anecdotes from ‘satisfied’ customers or the people treating them. What’s more, if you swallow the hype along with the supplement, you can be given a false sense of security so that you think you don’t need to worry about the junk you’ve eaten.

Don’t forget that not all the claims for supplements have been proven. An often-quoted examination of studies into vitamin C and the common cold showed that it could slightly shorten the duration of colds – but not prevent them entirely.

If you do take supplements, think of them only as a ‘top up’ to your daily diet. Supplements aren’t magic bullets – they won’t provide everything we get from good food (many beneficial phytonutrients are not found in any pill) nor can they counteract a bad diet containing too much fat or salt.

It’s best to take your supplement with food, as this can improve the absorption of the vitamins from pills. Many vitamin supplements are available orally as tablets, capsules or liquids, although some are best given as an injection. Ask your pharmacist or doctor for advice.

Ways to maximise the absorption of vitamins

Eat a rainbow. Choose vegetables and fruit so you eat a ‘rainbow’ of colours – greens, yellows, oranges, purples and reds. This ensures you get a wide mix of different vitamins as well as antioxidants too.

Choose raw and fresh. Eat some of your vegetables raw in a salad or as juice, and eat your fruit fresh. This ensures heat-sensitive vitamins such as vitamin C and folate are at their peak and not minimised by heat.

Cook lightly. Cook vegetables quickly, so they’re still a little firm when pierced with a sharp knife.

Cook briefly. Use as little water as possible or steam, stir-fry or microwave and cook for the shortest time you can. To cut the cooking time, bring the water to the boil, then add your diced vegetables and cover. Cook frozen vegetables without thawing and cook for a shorter time as they are already partially cooked.

Keep veggies in large pieces. Do not cut them up too small or soak them before cooking. This avoids leaching of vitamins or minerals into the surrounding cooking water.

Avoid copper and brass pans. Some vitamins like vitamin Coxidise more readily with these metals.

Eat a little fat. Fat-soluble vitamins – A, D, E and K – need fat in order to be absorbed. So a little oil splashed on your carrots or an oil dressing drizzled over your salad makes good nutrition sense as well as tasting good.

Can I overdose on vitamins?

For some vitamins, there’s the possibility of overdose. Large single doses of certain vitamins and minerals can lead to undesirable side-effects and are even potentially dangerous. At high doses, vitamins act as drugs. They may interact with each other or with medications such as diuretics, anti-inflammatories, antibiotics or the contraceptive pill. Here are some examples of known side-effects from large doses of single vitamins.

Vitamin A (retinol)

Excess is toxic and causes loss of appetite, nausea, liver damage, dry itchy skin, hair loss and headaches. During pregnancy, doses exceeding 3,000 micrograms a day are dangerous — they can interfere with the development of the foetus and even produce birth defects. You’ll see lots of warnings on bottles of vitamin A supplements for this reason.

Pro-Vitamin A (beta-carotene)

Excess can turn the skin and whites of the eyes an orange-yellow (which slowly disappears once you stop taking in excess). It may also produce hair loss, nausea or blurred vision. This doesn’t usually happen by eating too much food although I personally know of people who have turned orange via a daily carrot juice or drinking coffee substitutes made from dried carrots. However, the danger lies with the supplements and the studies show it’s a low 25 milligrams a day over a long time that does the damage.

Too much beta-carotene turns the skin and the whites of the eyes a yellow-orange colour. This rarely happens from food but can occur if you drink too much carrot juice or an excess of dried carrots or other carotene-rich extracts. Or if you overdo the beta-carotene supplements by taking more than 25 milligrams a day.

My father used to tell the story of how his skin turned orange during the privations of World War II in Poland where he overdid a home-made coffee powder substitute made from dried carrots, dried parsnip, chicory and other root vegetables. Obviously regular coffee was unavailable so this was the next best thing but it came at a price! The orange look is unsightly but harmless and will gradually disappear once you cease taking the excess.

Vitamin B3 (niacin)

More than 1000 milligrams of niacin a day (once used as a treatment for high cholesterol) can cause a mild flushing reaction. It can also interfere with liver function, which is why liver tests are routinely undertaken when patients are given high doses.

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)

More than 50 milligrams a day can lead to neuritis, a painful numbness or tingling or loss of sensation in the hands and feet due to damage to the nerves.

Choline

Too much choline has been reported to cause low blood pressure, increased sweating, a fishy body odour and vomiting.

Vitamin C

Although generally not toxic, doses of vitamin C greater than 2000 milligrams a day can cause an upset stomach and diarrhoea. Plus, it increases the risk of iron overload.

Vitamin D

Overdose of vitamin D causes calcium to be deposited in soft tissues like the liver and kidneys where it shouldn’t be. More than 80 micrograms a day can lead to nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, bone pain, liver damage, muscle weakness and lethargy.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin and is stored by the body, so toxicity from supplements is always a potential risk. A maximum dose of 80 micrograms (3200 IU) per day from vitamin D supplements is set as an upper limit to avoid excess. If you take supplements – including calcium supplements for bones or cod liver oil – check you don’t exceed this total figure for vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Remember that vitamin E is fat-soluble and so will accumulate in the body’s tissues. High doses of over 500 milligrams a day of alpha-tocopherol supplements