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July 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment

HFCS: The Not-So-Sweet Surprise

2008_10_21-HFCS

High-Fructose

You may have seen the high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) commercials that have come out in recent years.

If you haven’t, it goes something like this:

A lovely couple is sitting outside on the grass having a picnic. The woman pulls out a popsicle and offers it to the man.

He looks at it and says, “Don’t you love me?”

And she says, “Of course. Why?”

And he says, “Well, you know what they say about high fructose corn syrup, don’t you?”

Confidently, she replies, “No, what?”

And then he stammers, “Well, umm, uh,” and can’t come up with any facts about why high fructose corn syrup is bad for you.

The woman then says, “What? That it’s a natural sweetener made from corn, has the same calories as sugar and is fine in moderation?”

The man then smiles, takes the popsicle and says, “And you only brought one?”

Great commercial, right?

This commercial was put out by the Corn Refiners Association under the cute little name, Sweet Surprise. They have a Website too. It’s SweetSurprise.com, because as the truth about the dangers of sugar and high fructose corn syrup in our diet have been coming out, the HFCS industry saw major dips in their sales.

High fructose corn syrup is big business. Corn is subsidized by the U.S. government making it very cheap to produce. Processing it into a cheap sweetener turns in really big profits.

Because it’s so cheap, high fructose corn syrup is literally found in everything. It’s found in sodas, breakfast cereals, breads. It’s in ketchup, fake pancake syrup, a ton of desserts and even power bars.

pepsi & mountain dew throwback

So, let’s ask the question, “what is so bad about high fructose corn syrup?”

The man in the commercial should have responded to this question with a litany of reasons, amongst which are that it contributes to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, it confuses the body’s natural sense of satiation and is a huge contributor to the obesity epidemic in America.

Another big problem with high fructose corn syrup, is that it’s anything but natural.

What’s it made of?

The basic makeup of high fructose corn syrup is actually similar to sugar. On the glycemic index, it’s basically the same as sugar. It has the same impact on your body- they’re both equally bad.

But high fructose corn syrup takes it one step further; it’s highly processed with the use of chemicals, so it becomes a foreign substance, parts of which our body doesn’t know how to handle or break down- it acts like a toxin. And, because it’s so cheap to produce, we as Americans eat it in anything other than moderation.

An average American currently consumes up to about 140 pounds of sugar per year, almost half of which is high fructose corn syrup. These shocking numbers, which have risen along with rates of diabetes and obesity, have caused a backlash against HFCS.

In addition to the Sweet Surprise commercials, the Corn Refiners Association launched a legal battle to try and re-brand high fructose corn syrup under a different name. They wanted to call it ‘corn sugar’ so that people would stop avoiding their product. Just recently, the FDA turned them down. This is truly something to celebrate!

♥  So, what can you do as a consumer?

  1. Arm yourself with knowledge, and READ THE INGREDIENTS.
  2. Empower yourself. Don’t fall into the hands of marketing campaigns.
  3. Ignore the front of packages that may claim things like ‘All Natural.’ Turn the package over and cut straight to the chase – find out what is actually in what you’re eating.

And if you’re looking for a real sweet surprise this summer,

I suggest you take advantage of the cherries, grapes, watermelon, and berries that are currently in season. Enjoy!

Feel free to post your questions or thoughts about HFCS in the comments below. We’d be happy to answer them.

 

Filed Under: Bellyfat, Childhood Obesity, Diabetes and Belly Fat, Guest Authors, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Jaime Saginor Articles, Mindful Eating, Obesity, Sweeteners Tagged With: , , ,
January 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Stevia snippets

Why Stevia shows promise in fighting hypertension, obesity, and diabetes epidemics.

  • For centuries, the Guaraní tribes of Paraguay, Bolivia and Brazil used stevia, which they called ka’a he’ê (“sweet herb”), as a sweetener in yerba mate and medicinal teas for treating heartburn and other ailments
  • Stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, even enhancing glucose tolerance; therefore, it is attractive as a natural sweetener to diabetics and others on carbohydrate-controlled diets
  • Possible treatment of osteoporosis has been suggested by the patent application claim that eggshell breakage can be reduced by 75% by adding a small percentage of stevia leaf powder to chicken feed
  • Medical research has found that Stevia shows promise in treating obesity and hypertension, even having an enhancing glucose tolerance.
  • 1970s, Japan began cultivating Stevia as an alternative to artificial sweeteners such as saccharin, which were suspected carcinogens.
  • It has also been suggested that pigs fed stevia extract had twice as much calcium content in their meat, but these claims have been unverified.

Source:   Wikipedia   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia

PS  Have you also heard that Stevia is dangerous and toxic?  Here’s a report from the WHO.

In 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) performed a thorough evaluation of recent experimental studies of stevioside and steviols conducted on animals and humans, and concluded “stevioside and rebaudioside A are not genotoxic in vitro or in vivo and that the genotoxicity of steviol and some of its oxidative derivatives in vitro is not expressed in vivo.”

The report also found no evidence ofcarcinogenic activity. Furthermore, the report noted “stevioside has shown some evidence of pharmacological effects in patients with hypertension or with type-2 diabetes”, but concluded further study was required to determine proper dosage.

The WHO’s Joint Experts Committee on Food Additives has approved, based on long-term studies, an acceptable daily intake of steviol glycoside of up to 4 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.

Filed Under: Diabetes and Belly Fat, Good Foods, Stevia, Sweeteners Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,
August 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Are you concerned about the amount of sugar in milk? Here’s a great milk alternative

Kitty with Milk Bottle - old pc - Photochrom Co - Tunbridge Wells, KentI’m looking at a container of 2% milk right now and the Nutrition Facts say that there are 12 grams of sugar in one cup of milk.  That is equivalent to almost 2 1/2 teaspoons of sugar.  Can you see yourself pouring a glass of milk and then putting 2 1/2 teaspoons of sugar in it before you drink it? I sure can’t, and when I realized this I started looking for alternatives. (if you have read The Belly Fat Cure by Jorge Cruise or watched THIS VIDEO CLICK HERE then you already know that a high SUGAR diet is really a HIGH FAT diet).

One of the many alternatives I personally use is Coconut Milk.  The brand I am looking at right now is called So Delicious and it is unsweetened (very important). It’s also USDA Organic and Certified Gluten Free if that is an issue for you.

So what are the benefits of using a cup (8 oz) of Coconut Milk over a cup of milk?

  • Milk: 130 calories vs Coconut Milk at 50 calories
  • Total fat in milk: 8% or 5 grams and total fat in Coconut Milk 8% or 5 grams
  • Both contain about the same Percent Daily Values of vitamins and minerals
  • Coconut Milk is both Soy and Dairy Free

But more than that, I don’t tolerate milk products very well. But I have no problem with Coconut Milk at all. And it is really like a treat — rich, thick, and creamy.  Since the container of Coconut Milk I’ve purchased isn’t sweetened, I can control the sweetness. I sweeten the whole container (32 fluid ounces) with one packet of STEVIA

The side panel on the container adds that “Consumption of good fats is an important part of a balanced diet”. This is a very true statement. Remember that low fat products will always have sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, or Artificial Sweeteners in them and they are all very detrimental to our health.

To read more about the So Delicious product line, CLICK HERE

Which alternatives to milk do you use? Leave a comment below.

Filed Under: Good Foods, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Stevia Tagged With: , , , , , ,
August 2, 2010 By 1 Comment

Using Stevia for Sweetening Everything

Stevia Plant

Stevia Plant

Since deciding to get off of artificial sweeteners and refusing to consume anything with High Fructose Corn Syrup, I have discovered Stevia.  Personally, I love the taste, although I don’t get the same response from everyone. It seems to be an acquired taste for some…

What is Stevia?

Well Stevia is a herb. It’s really delicious and sweet. And a really good substitute for any kind of sugar.

But to see what the real definition of Stevia is, I tapped into Wikipedia.

Wikipedia says:

Stevia is a genus of about 240 species of herbs and shrubs in the sunflower family (Asteraceae), native to subtropical and tropical regions from western North America to South America. The species Stevia rebaudiana, commonly known as sweetleaf, sweet leaf, sugarleaf, or simply stevia, is widely grown for its sweet leaves. As a sweetener and sugar substitute, stevia’s taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar, although some of its extracts may have a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste at high concentrations.

So basically what they are saying is that Stevia is a herb, used for centuries for naturally sweetening foods and drinks.  There are no apparent side effects from using it. It is not a sugar so does not pack on bellyfat, and won’t overexcite your brain cells (whew, what a relief that is).

Wikipedia continues with this:

With its extracts having up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar, stevia has garnered attention with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives. Medical research has also shown possible benefits of stevia in treating obesity and high blood pressure. Because stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, it is attractive as a natural sweetener to people on carbohydrate-controlled diets.

So it even helps us lose weight, but more than that, it is used medicinally in some populations.

For medicinal use, Wikipedia says:

For centuries, the Guaraní tribes of Paraguay, Bolivia and Brazil used stevia, which they called ka’a he’ê (“sweet herb”), as a sweetener in yerba mate and medicinal teas for treating heartburn and other ailments.[11] More recent medical research has shown promise in treating obesity[12] and hypertension.[13][14] Stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, even enhancing glucose tolerance;[15] therefore, it is attractive as a natural sweetener to diabetics and others on carbohydrate-controlled diets.

Look who’s has been using Stevia for decades. Again from Wikipedia:

In the early 1970s, Japan began cultivating stevia as an alternative to artificial sweeteners such as cyclamate and saccharin, which were suspected carcinogens. The plant’s leaves, the aqueous extract of the leaves, and purified steviosides are used as sweeteners. Since the Japanese firm Morita Kagaku Kogyo Co., Ltd. produced the first commercial stevia sweetener in Japan in 1971,[8] the Japanese have been using stevia in food products, soft drinks (including Coca Cola),[9] and for table use. Japan currently consumes more stevia than any other country, with stevia accounting for 40% of the sweetener market.[10]

Today, stevia is cultivated and used in food elsewhere in east Asia, including in China (since 1984), Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Malaysia. It can also be found in Saint Kitts and Nevis, in parts of South America (Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Paraguay, and Uruguay) and in Israel. China is the world’s largest exporter of stevioside.[10]

Where to buy Stevia:

I have found that Walmart has the best deal on Stevia. Look for it in the pharmacy/supplements area. You can purchase a box of 100 packets for $6.  I paid that for 50 packets in a health food store!

 

Check out the Cuisipro Herb Keeper

Storing herbs seems simple but unless you properly store your herbs they will only last a few days. Herbs are sold in bundles and for most recipes a bundle is too much. What happens to the leftovers? If they are not used right away most of what was bought is thrown out.

Cuisipro Herb Keeper’s unique suspended tray system makes it easy to store and access herbs. Other herb keepers tend to be overcomplicated to use or drip water all over the place when gathering herbs.

The Cuisipro Herb Keeper comes in 2 convenient sizes so you can choose the one right for you; large one that handles multiple bunches of herbs and compact size for a single herb bundle.

Click the image to learn more about this product. 



Filed Under: Good Foods, Stevia, Sugar, Sweeteners Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,