All too often our outcome falls far from our intentions, especially when it comes to healthy eating habits and an active lifestyle. There are two types of consumers out there, one who reads the labels, and one who reads the headlines.

Although I would like to consider myself a smart consumer, I sometimes fall into the headline trap. Sometimes in the morning I’ll find myself in such a hurry when grabbing a quick breakfast shake that I don’t actually read the labels. More often than not I read the “promises” on the front stating “pure”, “organic” or even “made with real juice”. Within the first taste your body can tell whether these “promises” are true, and most the time the drinks are so full of sugars and additivities and have little to no nutrition.

As I sit there in my car contemplating whether to drink this shake or throw it away, I ponder on one simple question. Why would companies make these drinks with empty promises on the label? Are companies really just out to sell more product and make more profit, or do they truly care about their consumer?

We all need to stop looking at the headlines of these products and start reading the label first. Sounds hard, but try not to look at those fabrications on the front, no matter how good they write it, it still may not something you want to put in your body. Count the ingredients, understand the makeup of the product, is it backed by a reputable name? Typically the first 3 ingredients make up the bulk of the product. In a world with high population of obese individuals, you would think companies would be on board trying to help consumers ease into a healthy lifestyle. Not making cheap products full of processed garbage that they can pass off as healthy.

I encourage you to become a label detective.

What was the most mysterious label you’ve ever seen?