Food For Thought: 3 Simple Steps to Avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup

Dear Friends,
In the past, we’ve talked about good oils vs. bad oils, we’ve dished on transfats, and we’ve discussed artificial colorings, flavorings, and sugar substitutes. And if you’ve listened to my Blog Talk Radio Show (Wednesdays, at noon EST on FlyLady’s channel) you have no doubt heard me rail on high fructose corn syrup.
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is scary stuff and something to be avoided. I know it’s in the news all the time now about how bad it is, but I want you to know why.

The consumption of HFCS has been indicted for the growing obesity problem in America and in the world. One reason is the increase in the use of HFCS—it’s cheap. Not only is it a concentrated sugar, but it is also a preservative! And if that isn’t enough, HFCS is thought to be more readily converted to fat by your liver than straight sugar. YIKES!
Your body processes HFCS differently than straight sugar. HFCS blocks leptin, a naturally secreted chemical in your body, which regulates appetite. If your leptin ain’t working, your appetite can veer out of control. There is a definite link between the consumption of HFCS, high cholesterol, and diabetes when animal studies were conducted. The jury is still out on how it affects humans, but in my humble opinion, I think it’s a smart bet to avoid HFCS anyway.
The biggest culprits of HFCS are soft drinks, fruity flavored beverages, and processed foods—all high in calories, and low on nutrients. The second ingredient in a soda pop after carbonated water is HFCS. So let’s say you fill up your gas tank at the local 7-11 and while you’re paying, you get yourself a little something to put in your own tank–a Super Gulp thing (64 ounces of cola). After it’s all gone and you’re chewing on the ice, you find you’re hungry. You may have had enough calories to guzzle (that’ll be 840 calories to be exact), but you sure didn’t get one nutrient. Your body is starving for REAL food, the kind that will help it function, think, and perform for you. You can’t do that on empty soda calories.
How do you avoid HFCS? Glad you asked—here you go, 1, 2, 3 easy things to do:
*Read food labels…HFCS will be clearly marked on the ingredient list. The closer to the top of the list of ingredients, the more that’s in there.
*Eat cleaner. I promise you, you will not find HFCS in fresh fruits and vegetables!
*Replace the soda with water. Again, I repeat: REPLACE THE SODA WITH WATER. Not only is the HFCS horrible, but you also don’t want artificial sugars and the bone-eating effects of the phosphates in soda, either.
Let’s fling the junk that’s holding us down. You ready to FLY? Grab your water bottle and let’s GO!
Love,
Leanne Ely, Your Dinner Diva
Saving Your Dinner for 11 Years!

PS–You can receive delicious Paleo menus (complete with shopping lists!) like this delivered right to your email inbox by subscribing to Dinner Answers today!

0 Responses

  1. I have been trying to cut out HFCS for almost two years.  It is amazing how many things actually contain it.  It is a struggle though.  I have found a diet soda that does not have it and drink one 12 oz a day.  The rest of the time is water.  A lot of products at ALDI do not contain it either.  Just read the package.
    Thanks for the information on HFCS!  I will be passing this on to family members.

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