If you watch TV, you've probably seen the ads from the CORN INDUSTRY saying how High Fructose Corn Syrup is just regular sugar and it's not bad for you any more than sugar is. Until some scientists compare the effects. A study was just released from Princeton showing that oh, yes, HFCS does much worse things to your body than sugar does. (yes, this was done in rats, not humans, but startling just the same) I highly recommend taking a couple of minutes to read the synopsis: http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/index.xml?section=topstories
While it seems as though HFCS is in nearly everything, if you eliminate a lot of the processed foods that Americans seem to love so much, it isn't that hard to do. I have managed to virtually eliminate it (except for the nasty sports drinks I still have to consume) in the last couple of years. Also, enough cities now have laws that require chain restaurants to post nutritional information that you can find a lot of it on-line. Another way to educate yourself about what you're eating (basically, stay away from chains!). Restaurants that have rotating menus and advertise fresh ingredients are better bets, usually. A hilarious rule of thumb is that if your great-grandmother (whom we'll assume was a globe-trotting, adventurous eater) wouldn't recognize it, don't eat it. :)
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Shadi just finished reading An Eater's Manual. There is a lot of good information in that book. One of the things the guy said was that eating "lite" food isn't good because it contains more sugar which is worse for you. So eating the regular stuff, just in smaller amounts is good. Also, not eating anything that has more than 5 ingredients (on the label). Very interesting.
ReplyDeleteI just realized that Haggen Daaz has a 5-ingredient collection of ice cream and am curious if the book prompted that. It's just some of their regular flavors (vanilla, chocolate, etc.) that have been repackaged. (In general it's my favorite ice cream precisely because they don't have any additional crap in it. Ben & Jerry's might be hormone-free, but with all the preservatives, I'd rather take my chances elsewhere). If something has had an ingredient taken out or lessened (fat, sugar), then there is usually something worse that took it's place. I think the most disgusting thing is fat-free half and half. WTH???
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