Over the next series of posts, I am going to share the main culprits contributing to our being the least healthy industrialized nation on the planet. Once we've tackled things to try to avoid, I'll get into things that we should try to incorporate more into our diets. When it comes to truly becoming healthy by removing all of the unwanted ingredients from our diet, it will take a strong determination for most people. While it hasn't been easy for me, I can honestly say that doing so has made an enormous difference to how I and my family members feel. The saying, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" sums it up best. You should look to remove these things from your diet a step at a time, and I guarantee you will begin to feel a noticeable difference!
First, I want to apologize in advance for sharing the first of my top 10 ingredients to remove from your diet, high fructose corn syrup. It is by far the most prevalent ingredient that should be avoided, and one of our favorites as a nation. I think that most of us know that high fructose corn syrup is a bad thing, but many of us don't really know why or what it actually causes. I want to break that down so that you can make an educated decision about whether to avoid it all together (when possible) or choose to gradually try to lessen your intake of it (ie: soda once in a while instead of daily).
The first thing you need to know is just how many types of food have this in it. The most widely known is soda, but you'll also find it as a main ingredient in things such as nearly all types of candy, cereals, ketchup, barbeque sauce, crackers, jelly, bread, peanut butter, juice boxes, breakfast bars, yogurt, energy drinks and the list goes on and on. I have to say that I was overwhelmed when I started inspecting labels of the products that we typically buy that carried this unwanted ingredient!
What is high fructose corn syrup? Invented by research duo Marshall and Kooi in 1957, High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) comprises any of a group of corn syrups that has undergone enzymatic processing to convert some of its glucose (sugar) into fructose to produce a desired sweetness. HFCS is less expensive for the food industry to use which is one of its primary reasons for doing so. Factors for this include governmental production quotas of domestic sugar, subsidies of U.S. corn, and an import tariff on foreign sugar, all of which combine to raise the price of sucrose to levels above those of the rest of the world, making HFCS cheaper for many sweetener applications. The food industry also prefers HFCS because it is easier to blend and transport.
Something that I found interesting is that in Europe, you will not find High Fructose Corn Syrup in the products that carry it here. The wonderful folks at the FDA can be thanked for that! European scientists have deemed the side effects of HFCS to be too detrimental to ones health. If you were to order the same soda that you buy here in Europe, you would find sugar (sucrose) on the ingredient label instead of HFCS.
And just what are the symptoms of HFCS? Here is a list of the top 10:
1. Obesity
HFCS limits your body’s ability to produce insulin and leptin, making it difficult to metabolize food and regulate appetite. The pancreas remains insulin resistance to all types of fructose, including HFCS, severely hindering appetite control.
2. Diabetes
Due to obesity and an irregular fluctuation of insulin, HFCS leads to diabetes in many people. Continual pancreatic damage remains the main cause of diabetes.
3. Tooth Infections and Decay
Foods rich in sugars and sweeteners like HFCS rot teeth by decaying the enamel coating.
4. LDL Cholesterol and Triglycerides Increase
Sugars metabolize into fat, therefore increasing your unhealthy cholesterol levels along with the fat storages in your body. Since high fructose corn syrup does not cause the secretion of insulin or leptin, foods with high levels of the sweetener become nearly fully absorbed and metabolized into fat and cholesterol.
5. Increased Risk of Heart Attack and Heart Disease
High amounts of HFCS often result in higher cholesterol, which in turn blocks arteries and the flow of blood to and from the heart. This process weakens the heart muscles and the ability for new oxygen to circulate throughout the body. The increase in fat storages also harms heart health.
6. Anemia
In order for your body to digest HFCS and other sugars that contain no vitamins or minerals, you must use other storages of the valuable nutrients, depleting your body of its natural amounts.
7. Poor Immunity
HFCS interfere with the creation of hormones and enzymes in your body that normally defend major diseases.
8. Lack of Calories
Even though foods that contain high levels of HFCS provide a ton of calories, those calories have no nutritional value at all. This often gets labeled as the empty calorie phenomenon.
9. Fatigue
High levels of sugar cause your body to release greater amounts of hormones and endorphins that slow the body down. Ever wonder why products like 5 hour energy are becoming so popular? Can you say sugar (HFCS) crash?
10. Mood Swings and Withdrawal
Too much sugar and HFCS will cause your body to crave more, and when trying to cut back, the desire and cravings only increase. I saw this first hand when I removed HFCS from my son Kyle's diet recently. It was like watching a smoker or heroin addict try to quit cold turkey. Luckily there were replacements that I found that I will share later.
Now I sympathize with many of you that eat and drink a large number of products that have this unwanted ingredient in it. I know that my family did! The good news is, there are a number of products out there that can be substituted for the products that carry HFCS. Here's some examples:
Products with HFCS Substitutes
Most loaves of bread Buy organic bread (or look for no HFCS on label)
Most soda brands Hansen's brand soda (and many others)
M & M's "Unreal" coated candy chocolates
Popular granola bars Trader Joe's granola bars
Popular jellies 365 Brand organic jelly
Popular syrups Archer Farms organic syrup
Nearly all barbecue sauce Annie's barbeque sauce
These are just a few examples. It seemed like an overwhelming task at first to replace all of the products that we ate and drank with ones that didn't have it, but once I committed to the process after reading the symptoms involved, it was well worth the effort. My ability to focus was better, no more headaches, my energy improved, and my waistline started to shrink.
The best results were seen in my son Kyle. Since removing HFCS from his diet and having him take an "Attentive Child" supplement daily, his grades have improved due to being much more calm and focused. Having him admit that to me was music to my ears! He went through withdrawals at first, but we compensated with soda that doesn't carry HFCS (Hansen's), chocolate candies that are free of it (Unreal line), and organic gummy worms, suckers, etc. that have pure cane sugar.
What saddens me is seeing so many children that are considered "hyper", diagnosed with ADD or ADHD and prescribed Ritalin or some other medication. These symptoms can most often times be addressed by simply removing HFCS and dyes (which we will cover later).
Please consider avoiding High Fructose Corn Syrup whenever possible, and watch the positive health benefits that it will have on you and your family!
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