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Health & Fitness

Foodie In Florence: High Fructose Corn Syrup Ain't So Sweet

High Fructose corn syrup is a key player in our health epidemic and works against a sustainable food system. Learn how to shop without it!

In the nutritional world high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is equivalent to the climate change debate to environmentalist. As it should be! It's in literally almost everything we eat and is a key player in the obesity and diabetes epidemic. From sauces and salad dressings, to juice and granola bars we are chowing down on HFCS.

As consumers we really need to be thinking about HFCS in our food. It doesn't occur in nature and has to be manipulated by humans. A study by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy found that one-third of all HFCS-containing foods tested positive for mercury. EW! This is because a compound known as caustic soda used to make HFCS can be tainted with mercury, and there's no way for you to know. 

It has also been a huge player in the obesity and diabetes epidemic. Although HFCS and sugar contain the same amount of calories gram for gram they are digested completely differently. HFCS limits our body’s ability to produce insulin and leptin, making it difficult to metabolize food and regulate appetite. This is great for food manufacturers and bad for our waists.

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If you remember my genetically modified organism (GMO) post you know that corn is one of the number one GM products. So when you see HFCS in the ingredient list, run! You'll be doing a doozy on your health, and supporting the string of GM products which, we know is a no no. It's one of the most unsustainable ingredients on the nutrition label.

Yes, it seems like another daunting task to go searching out food products without HFCS, but we shouldn't be eating those "food stuff" products anyways. They almost always have no nutritional benefit, are filled with preservatives and usually a lot of sodium. However, the solution is simple! Here's some ideas:

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1. Stick to the farmers markets

2. Don't buy anything your grandmother wouldn't recognize (Poptarts anyone?)

3. Stick to the periphery of supermarkets where the fresh produce and "whole foods" are (fish, meat, cheeses, breads)

4. Learn to read nutrition labels

5. Stay away from bottles beverages.

There are so many foods that contain HFCS that it's easier to list the products that don't contain them. Click below and take notes. Happy shopping!

http://stophfcs.com/list.html

 

 

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