I don’t know how many of you have seen this yet but there are commercials for High Fructose Corn Syrup(HFCS). Check it out on YouTube…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE5aSUcU3YA
I cannot express how absolutely ridiculous this is! HFCS should not be encouraged in our diet, not even in moderation. Here is the history behind it. In 1971 Japanese food scientists found a way to economically produce a cheaper sweetener called HFCS which was six times sweeter than sugar and made from corn. Food manufacturers were thrilled because they could significantly reduce their production costs of all processed foods. In addition, HFCS has additional chemical attributes: It protects frozen foods from freezer burn, increases shelf life of processed foods and keeps bakery products looking natural and fresh. In the 1970’s their was a food crisis and the government needed to come up with a solution to lower food prices without making farmers bankrupt. They created subsidies for farmers to grow corn and created a guaranteed buyer with food manufacturers who now wanted HFCS in all their products. In the 1970’s food companies changed all their recipes to replace sugar with HFCS to increase their profit margin and now HFCS is in salad dressings, cereals, breads and condiments. No one even knew it had happened. All the consumer noticed was their portions got larger and food was cheaper–more bang for their buck. It was a win win for the farmer, food companies and the consumer! The problem is that caused a huge dependency on corn crops, the increase and trend of farm subsidies to corn farmers and the increase in Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). In addition, the sugar content in foods significantly increased, portion sizes got larger and everyone now could afford the luxury of processed foods.
While there is no proof that HFCS has caused our obesity crisis, there is a direct positive correlation between in the increased amount of products that contain HFCS and the increasing rates of heart disease, diabetes and obesity. It may be that HFCS is actually safe, but because of its cheap price due to its chemical structure and farm subsidies, portion sizes have tripled in size since the seventies and there are billions of different types of processed foods on the market.
The goal is to eat WHOLE and BE AWARE. Before you put something in your mouth, take the time to read the ingredients and understand what you are putting in your body. Take the time to get informed and don’t be a victim of smart politics and marketing. Make a list of 10 foods you everyday and read the label and see if you are satisfied with what you read. If not, take the time to discover a healthier alternative.