Foodie Friday- High Fructose Corn Syrup

I’ve known for awhile that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is bad for you, despite what the corn industry says, but I didn’t know how to explain it.  It is hard for me to tell my family why they can’t have certain treats anymore, or to convince my husband to read a label to check for HFCS.  Why is it important to chose sugar over HFCS if you are going to consume something with sweetener?  Sugar is sugar, right?  Wrong!

According to Mercola.com, “(fructose and grains) affect the hormone insulin, which is a very potent fat regulator. Fats and proteins affect insulin to a far lesser degree.”  Furthermore, Dr. Mercola says, “research by Dr. Richard Johnson, chief of the Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension at the University of Colorado and author of The Sugar Fix and The Fat Switch, demonstrates that large portions of food and too little exercise are NOT solely responsible for why you are gaining weight. Rather it’s fructose-containing sugars that cause obesity – not by calories, but by turning on your “fat switch,” a powerful biological adaptation that causes cells to accumulate fat in anticipation of scarcity (or hibernation).”

Not only does HFCS affect insulin, but it is largely produced from genetically modified corn.  This corn is created to be “Round Up Ready”, meaning it is genetically built to have pesticide as a part of its DNA.  In other words, no amount of vinegar or fruit and veggie cleanser will rinse away the pesticides on GMO produce.  It is in its DNA.  Gross, not something I want to consume.  Further more, if GMO produce isn’t produced for human consumption, it is produced for animal feed.  Either way, it ends up in our food supply.   The high price of organic grass fed beef doesn’t sound so bad, anymore.

Have you really read your food labels, lately?  It is pretty scary.  Almost all baby food, from yogurt to the little finger foods, to cereal, to fruit bars all contain HFCS.   And, this ingredient is usually one of the top three, meaning it is the biggest ingredient in the product.  Food producers have to list their ingredients most to least.  If HFCS is the first thing listed, it is what the product is mostly made of.

So I can be a big eater if I just watch my gains and sugars?  Yes!  And so can my kids.  In January I did an experiment.  I cut out wheat to see if cutting out the grain would make a difference.  I haven’t had any HFCS in months, except when I had some Blue Bell ice cream, and I haven’t had anything artificially flavored in more than four months.  I didn’t count calories, but I did limit my processed food consumption.  I lost eight pounds doing nothing.  This month, I am going to continue, but add sugar to my list of no-nos.  Once a week I will eat like poo, but six days a week I will eat only whole foods and limit my grains and sugars.  I am excited!  I have so much more energy simply from cutting down on my grains and artificial/processed food consumption.

So what pantry items don’t have HFCS?  My baby loves graham crackers.  But it is hard finding any without going to the super expensive organic food section.  I know I should shop there, exclusively, but my budget only goes so far.  I found that Nabisco Graham Crackers don’t have HFCS or anything artificial.  Please read the labels yourself, because I have missed crucial ingredients, getting distracted by my three year old knocking down displays or the baby having a blow out in the middle of my shopping trip.  And, products’ formulas change.  But, you have to read labels on even “healthy” foods.  For example, so called healthy yogurts for babies are filled with sugars and HFCS.  Yikes!  Is anything safe?  Is there anything you don’t have to slave away and make yourself?  Yes, but you do have to read labels.  And it is a pain when you are a busy mom or dad.

It is totally worth it, though.  Watch your children’s behavior change.  Watch attention spans improve.  It is not a quick fix.  It takes a lot of work preparing foods, reading labels and spending money on a higher quality diet.  The hardest part is getting the whole family on board.  Older children complain when you don’t allow them to have soda, sports drinks or certain juices made with artificial colors, flavors and HFCS.    They will cry when you no longer buy certain chips or let them eat certain fast food.  It isn’t fair.  Husbands buy what they want, like and what’s on sale.  But when you go the whole food route, attitudes get better, grades go up, and dispositions improve.  Seriously.  That is the magic formula, all natural ingredients.  🙂

My Daily Prayer:  Thank you God for second chances.  I pray that you continue to walk with me and help me to keep my eyes on You.  AMEN!

Daily Thanksgiving:  I am thankful for Easton who thinks he spells his name “EON”.  I am thankful for Baby Q who barks at my wiener dog slippers.  I am thankful for Syd who wishes her family was normal.  I am thankful that one day she will see that normal isn’t all that it is cracked up to be.

Kardashian Kash:  I would try laser body sculpting just ’cause.

Happiness Project Update:  I am working on my stand up routine and pumped to try an open mic night in March.  Despite an over the top set back the last few weeks, I am back and back on track.

Making Whoopie Flavor of the Day:  All of our products are all natural, with no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives.  http://www.makingwhoopieplano.com

 

Foodie Friday- Wheat. Miles and Miles of Wheat.

So I’m not a doctor, and I’m not a student of nutrition, officially.  But I do read several nutrition newsletters a day and read quite a bit about diet and exercise.  Everything I have read lately has encouraged me to give up the grain.  I do not have celiac disease, but I do suspect an allergy.  I am SOOO wiped out whenever I eat bread.  The wheat we eat today is genetically modified and has twice the gluten than the wheat of our parent’s generation.  The genetically modifications are enough on their own to keep me from my beloved.

I recently gave up artificial everything, as much as possible.  I am a crazy label reader and try to only eat whole foods that I prepare myself.  I know it will happen from time to time, but 98% of what I eat is all natural.  And just knowing the consequences of consuming fake anything was easy for me to quit cold turkey.  I even gave up anything that contains high fructose corn syrup because the corn used to make the corn syrup is genetically modified.  I haven’t had a soda with HFCS in months.  I do occasionally have a real soda with real sugar, but mostly drink water, coffee in the morning and a glass of wine with dinner.  So why is wheat so hard to give up?

Wheat is in everything.  Gluten is used in chewing gum to keep it from sticking.  Flour is used in gravies, soups, cheese sauces, and of course baked goods and breads.  It is even in corn bread.  Crackers, some beers, and even meatloaf all have wheat in them.  Think about all the stuff that you add breadcrumbs to.  And pasta.  Have your tried gluten free pasta?  I have and it is MEH.  I even made gluten free pancakes and was less than impressed.  Wheat is delish and there is hardly a worthy substitute.  And, wheat is the foundation of our diet.  I couldn’t imagine going a day not being able to hand Baby Q a cracker or Gold Fish while I make dinner.  No Cheerios?  But, that is what I need to do, based on my convictions.

This is not for everyone.  Not every nutritional expert believes that genetically modified crops are harmful.  It took God a long, long time to perfect his creations.  When a scientist tweaks this and changes something in one season, I tend to be a little leery of the ramifications.  Besides, the whole point of genetic modifications is to create pest resistant crops.  What does this mean?  For GM corn it means Round Up in its DNA!  I am not up on my GM wheat research, but imagine the whole point of the genetic modifications is to make it pest resistant, like corn.  I like my wheat plain.  The same way the bugs like it.  Besides, if nothing in nature likes the GM wheat, then why should I?  If it kills or bugs are resistant to it, what is it doing to us?

One of my goals this year is to read Wheat Belly to get the whole picture.  The doctor who wrote the book was on Dr. Oz and explained that giving up wheat products will cause a person to lose at least fifteen pounds because of a chemical reaction in the brain that makes a person crave more calories than a person not consuming wheat.  There is a heroine like reaction in the brain, but instead of feeling euphoric, it causes the person to eat 300-500 more calories a day.  When it comes to bread, wheat is my heroine.  I can eat and eat and eat bread, waffles, baked goods, and not get full.  But, when I don’t eat bread, man, I fill up fast on good food and not empty calories.

I have been wheat free since the 2nd (I made corn bread to go with my blackeyed peas on the 1st).  I can’t wait to see if that makes a difference in my diet.  I am not going out of my way to count calories or eat perfectly.  Just cutting out wheat cuts out most sweets, gravies, cheese sauces, anything with breadcrumbs, fried foods and generally anything I shouldn’t be eating.  We’ll see!  I’ll keep reading, both from anti-GM sources and pro-genetically modified foods.  Until I have my mind changed, I will continue to eat my organic produce from the veggie co-op and search for lean, grass-fed animal proteins.  Yes, I am a hippie in training.  But, I do still shower daily.

Tomorrow- Saturday Happiness Project Update.

Daily Prayer:  God, I pray for guidance as to where to go.  I put one foot in front of the other and thank you for strengthening my faith that you will guide me down the path you have chosen for me.  I pray that I am who you want me to be and that you continue to help me grow.  AMEN!

Daily Thanksgiving:  I am thankful Jeff is such a neat freak.  It is very obnoxious that it takes him forever to get through his routine of putting everything up before joining us for the dinner I slaved to get on the table as he got home from work, but I am thankful that if someone dropped by, my house would be presentable.

Kardashian Kash:  Hair extensions sound like a really good idea right now.  I can not get my hair to grow much longer than it is.  I would love LONG hair, and that sounds like my solutions.  But, I want good ones.  Not cheap ones.  And, I want to keep them up.

Happiness Project:  I have made my two eggs, sriracha and avocado for breakfast all work week.  I’ve had my stuff ready to go by the door for the mornings.  I have worn full hair and makeup.  A coworker told me today that I looked rested.  Yep, that has changed me forever and I will never leave the house without full hair and makeup.  Mascara only apparently isn’t enough.  🙂

Making Whoopie Flavor of the Day:  Peanut “Bud”er.  Chocolate whoopies with a peanut butter creme filling.  http://www.makingwhoopieplano.com