Facts About High Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose corn syrup. It seems to be in everything. There even seems to be comercials that tought it as being good for you. It's in just about every processed pastry, juice, and other foods. What exactly is high fructose corn syrup? What does it do to your body? These and other questions will be answered in this article.

What is High Fructose Corn Syrup?

Regular table sugar is a combination of both fructose and glucose, which are both simple sugars naturally produced by plants. Sucrose is the combination of these two sugars. Corn syrup, on the other hand, is mostly glucose produced from corn starch. This is because corn has no naturally occuring fructose. However, scientists found a way to convert the glucose found in corn into fructose, resulting in a very sweet 90% fructose concoction. The fructose is then mixed with the unsweetened corn syrup (glucose), until a ratio of 45/55 is reached. Fructose having the higher ratio (55). Thus we were introduced to HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup).

Whay is HFCS So Widely Used?

1. It is cheaper than refined sugar. The food industry is all about cutting cost and raising profits. HFCS allows them to do this
2. It is more easily dissolved in water than refined sugar. This is why almost every drink you see on the market today has HFCS as one of its top ingredients.
3. It acts as a preservative, extending the shelf life of the product that contains it.

Why Should You Be Concerned?

According to a study done by the Washington Post, high fructose corn syrup contains mercury. Yes, you read that right. Mercury. Here is an excerpt from that article:

"Mercury is toxic in all its forms. Given how much high-fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply," the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's Dr. David Wallinga, a co-author of both studies, said in a prepared statement." -Washington Post Article on  Wednesday, January 28, 2009; 12:00 AM



HFCS does funny things to your body, too. For instance, it interferes with the body's metabolism, making it difficult for the person to not eat it. Also, it slows down the secretion of leptin in the body, making it hard to control cravings. This is why you always want more. Think that the food industry doesn't know this? By interfering with the hormone liptin, your body has trouble determining when it's full. This is why obesity is so closley related to the consumption of HFCS.

Here are more links to find out how high fructose corn syrup effects your body:


 How High Fructose Corn Syrup Damages Your Body

Princeton University - A sweet problem: Princeton researchers find ...

 

10 Side Effects of High-Fructose Corn Syrup | 3FC

 

Consensus? Eliminate high fructose corn syrup from your diet.

 

 

Click Here for a free weight loss report



Read one of these great books to get more informed.

How To Become A Healthy Eater

Becoming A Healthy Eater

Being a healthy eater requires you to become both educated and smart about what healthy eating actually is. It doesn't mean that all you can eat is grass and soy (as some mistakenly think), but requires that you understand exactly what it is you're putting in your body and the effect it has on you. Additionally, being food smart isn't about learning to calculate grams or fat, nor is it about studying labels and counting calories. We want to eat healthy, not die from boredom. We also want to have fun with our new way of life and enjoy the changes that we implement. It's simple to create a healthy eating menu that you can use as a weekly guide.

So what does it mean to eat healthy? Healthy eating is all about balance and moderation. This includes eating healthy meals at least three times per day with at least two small snacks in between. 

Eating healthy is all about variety. You will  be surprised how many different foods are out there and how many ways they can be prepared. Never limit yourself to one specific food type or food group. Make sure you have a little leeway in your diet.  You don't want to eat too much nor too little of the right or wrong foods. Just because something is good for you doesn't mean you should indulge too much. Ever heard the saying "Too much of anything isn't good for you?" Well, it's true. However, you should always fuel your body and your brain regularly with enough food to keep both your mind and body strong and alert.

What Type of Eater Are You?

Being a healthy eater means being a good problem solver. It also requires discipline, dedication, and a desire to want to live a better lifestyle. Remember, this is a lifestyle, not some fad diet. It requires sound judgment and wise decisions. You should always be aware of what you eat, and know the effect that it will have on your body.

Eating habits say a lot about a person. Someone who is unable to take control of their eating is also likely to get out of control with other aspects of their life as well.  Bad spending habits. Gambling problems. Procrastination. All this and more tend to follow those who have no eating discipline in one way or another. You should always remember that eating healthy is a way of life, something that you can do to enhance your body and your lifestyle.  If you've thought about making your life better, healthy eating is just the place to start.  You'll make life easier for yourself, those around you, and even your family. 

TIPS

• Eat 4 to 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day
• Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day
• Eat whole grain and whole wheat products
• Cut the sugar. Especially corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup
• Try various nuts, beans, and legumes

Click here to get a FREE weight loss report




Your healthy eating lifestyle doesn't have to hurt your pockets. Check out this valuable resource.

A Great Health Drink

The Benefits of Pomegranate as a Health Drink

When it comes to health drinks, among the most popular options are those with extracts of pomegranate fruit. This is because today, there are seemingly countless of studies that show how pomegranate fruit can bring about potential benefits to a person's health.

Pomegranate is considered as one of the "earliest fruits" that have been cultivated by people in ancient civilizations. This came along with fruits as a grapes, figs, and olives which were known to be cultivated somewhere between 4000 B. C. E and 3000 B. C. E. What sets pomegranate fruit apart from others is that it became an emblem of fertility, rebirth, and health. 

For the younger civilizations, pomegranate is considered as a "miracle drug for aging" because it is said to cure neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease as well as prevents the development of certain cancers, coronary diseases, and arthritis.

The "Miracles" of Pomegranate

If there were on fruit that is at the heights of its popularity nowadays, it would be the pomegranate. This fruit has continued to be popular because of its deep and purple-colored juice that is believed to be loaded with lots of antioxidants. The antioxidants—most people believe—would greatly them help in maintaining a smooth and wrinkle free skin and keep their blood platelets together to avoid development of certain diseases.

Today, because of its so–called anti-aging properties, pomegranate is being used not only in health drinks but also in other products. The following are some of the benefits that one can get when she or he used pomegranate juice as a health drink:

•  Reduces risks of coronary and cardiovascular diseases. People who use pomegranate juice as health drinks are expected to have lesser chances of having heart attacks and strokes. This is because experts believed that drinking pomegranate juice everyday could help in the improvement and normal blood flow to the heart. Also, because of its high antioxidant content, pomegranate can help keep bad cholesterol from forming that usually result to blot clots in the arteries.

•  Prevents certain cancers. The very high levels of antioxidant called "flavenoids" in pomegranates are believed to be the major reason why it is effective in counteracting various cancer-causing radicals. Today, many experts are recommending pomegranate juice to their patients—especially to those who have breast cancer, skin cancer, and prostate cancer—because the properties in this fruit's juice can help prevent the proliferation of cancer cells.

•  Lessens the risks for terminal illnesses. People who are prone to diseases such as atherosclerosis, osteoarthritis, and diabetes are advised to use pomegranate juice as a health drink because the medicinal properties found in this fruit can help diminish the possibility of thickening and hardening of arterial walls as well as the damage in cartilage and joints.

•  Rich in various vitamins and nutrients especially to pregnant women. Pomegranate juice is recommended as a good health drink for people of all ages because it is a good and natural source of vitamins A, C and E.  It is also good for pregnant women because it is a natural source of folic acid vital to the brain development of the fetus inside the womb.

Aside from reducing the possibilities of having premature babies, regular consumption of pomegranate juice can also protect the unborn baby from experiencing brain injuries and other neuro-related damages.

So drink up!

Benefits of Coffee

Is Coffee a Health Drink?

For coffee lovers. those of you who love coffee would be surprised to hear that your most beloved drink can also be considered as a health drink nowadays.

Before, coffee was not considered as a health drink because of its high caffeine content. But now, more and more studies show that coffee—in moderation—can be considered as a health drink because of the number of benefits one can enjoy from drinking it.

In most workplace settings, a normal person can consume at least four cups of steaming brewed coffee in a day. This is to keep him or her to stay alert and awake in the next hours. In most countries, coffee is considered as a staple drink. In fact, all over the world, people have their specialty coffee from beans that only grow and found in that part of the globe.

Obesidy

Do You Know the Health Risk of Being Overweight?

 

In today's world, everything is faster passed and it seems like we never have enough time in a day to do everything we want to do. Somewhere in the midst of all this madness we have to find time to eat. With barely enough time to cook, most people turn to the fast food and snack foods. But there's a consequence for this. Obesity. As a nation, we lead the world in the number of obese people and health issues related to being obese. The fast food and processed foods we eat are loaded not only with fat but also a host of chemicals and ingredients that wreak havoc on our bodies. Ask most people who are overweight and they have no idea that the health issues they're dealing with is most likely related to their diet. Information is the key in this situation. People need to be informed about the risk associated with being overweight in a simple and practical way.

The Risk of Being Overweight

What Am I at Risk For?

 

 

Weighing too much may increase your risk for developing many health
problems. If you are overweight or obese, you may be at risk for:

 

•  type 2 diabetes
•  coronary heart disease and stroke
•  metabolic syndrome
•  certain types of cancer
•  sleep apnea
•  osteoarthritis
•  gallbladder disease
•  fatty liver disease
•  pregnancy complications

Don't feel like you're doomed. You may be able to lower your health risks by losing weight,

doing regular physical activity, and eating healthfully. This does require some dedication on your part, but if you're serious about your health and changing your lifestyle, then it should be no problem

 

 

The time to start is now. Raise your quality of life and make that change today.

 

 

 

Lose Weight Like a Celebrity

If Maria Carey can do it, so can you. So many stars are losing weight and it's easy to think that they only can do it because they have the money. However, that is not true. You can do it just like them if you just follow a few of the same eating and exercise plans that they do.

• Drink lots of water
• Eat smaller portions 5 to 6 times a day
• Exercise at least  20 minutes a day three times a week
• Walk. Walking is one of the best exercises you can do and it keeps your motabolism up
• Eat whole wheat and whole grains, not the enriched white versions
• Eat 4 or 5 servings of fruits and vegatables a day

Make this a lifestyle, not a "thing." To be healthy requires a healthy lifestyle, so learn as much as you can but take it one day at a time. And remember, don't overwhelm yourself by trying to do everything at one time. Implement one thing at a time, and when you have become consistent with that then take the next step.

How to understand and use nutrition facts

---