Tuesday, January 26, 2010

This Messes Up Your Metabolism (plus a scary fact I learned)

HFCS: high-fructose corn syrup

I've done reading about it on my own the past 2 summers, but I just learned a few more things that were disgusting to find out.

Most disgusting?
" many infant formulas are more than 50 percent sugar -- 43 percent being corn syrup solids. You might as well be giving your baby a bottle of Coke or Pepsi."


Seriously?!
I never knew that.
I've breastfed my kids, but it wasn't because I thought formula was so bad. I thought breastmilk was superior, but never knew what all was included in the making of formula.
**Don't get me wrong here. I'm not preaching that everyone should breastfeed, and I know we're blessed to live where we have this formula to offer, compared to some countries**
It's scary & sad to know this crap is right there in infant formula, being fed to babies from the very start. 
WOW. Makes me glad I'm able to breastfeed, and determined to do it with each baby I have from here on out.


For some time I've made a point to buy products free of HFCS. Aunt Millie's brand bread, for one, has right on their label "NO HFCS". Fortunately it's on sale enough where I can buy it, too. 

I stopped buying the fruit snacks for Aidan due to the HFCS (as well as red dye). Besides, I don't see how they are much different from gummy bears. (we've found an awesome replacement fruit snack, Archer Farms Organic Fruit Strips, available at Target).


Dr. Mercola's article also taught me that HFCS has only been around for one generation, which shows that the long-term [harmful] effects are just recently being learned.

I would love to see it mandated that this item be removed from products.

I won't drag on much longer, but there's just one last thing:
"Corn syrup is now found in every type of processed, pre-packaged food you can think of. In fact, the use of HFCS in the U.S. diet increased by a whopping 10,673 percent between 1970 and 2005, according to a report by the USDA"
&
"Processed foods account for more than 90 percent of the money Americans spend on meals."


ICK. Processed foods account for more than NINETY percent?! Does that really make it cheaper in the long run when it could mean spending more at doctors' visits in the future?! 


It was just an awe-causing article for me. 
I'm not perfect, we do eat some processed foods, etc. But when I can learn & strive to do better, I will. 






9 comments:

Hyperactive Lu said...

Wonderful post!!! I agree with everything you said! Great job!

Paula said...

I was on a kick about it for a while (not buying HFCS) but somehow got away from it. I'll be better about it again. (It's hard because almost EVERYTHING has it in it. It's ridiculous!)

Unknown said...

great post, Sharon! Totally true too. Jason and I were just talking about this the other day and how many other bad, not tested, etc. things are in food and how we need to start paying more attention to what we feed our kids and put in our own bodies...

Andrea said...

I didn't know that - we're not that great about buying things that don't have stuff in them. I don't know much about any of that. Is it okay if you eat it in moderation? Like we eat processed food, but not constantly. I try to make it homemade but.. well I'm me. Thanks.

the JOHNSON family said...

Sharon, have you seen the movie, "Food, Inc."? You have to see it! It's really eye opening as to how our food in the U.S. is made and processed. It totally re-affirms why I feel it's necessary to spend extra money on quality grass fed meat, milk, and eggs from pastured chickens. Check out a couple of books by the author Dr. Ron Schmid. "The Untold Story of Milk" and "Traditional Foods are your Best Medicine".

Sharon said...

Amanda (or Mike;),
thanks for the suggestions. I have not seen the movie nor was I familiar w/ the author. I will for sure check these out.
Thanks!

Unknown said...

Oh another good book you could check out, it's a cookbook but has TONS of facts too, I'm sorting through it right now, I could let you borrow it, it's called Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. Had it for a while but kinda coming back to it to get more into it. also she quotes some books in there that I'm thinking of checking out.

Nell said...

The part about the formula greatly disturbs me since my baby is on it. Though, thankfully, he'll be easing off it here in the next 6 months. UGH - SOOOOO many reasons why breastfeeding is so friggin' important.

Nell

Shelley said...

Eeeeeeyuck!!!!

When I don't bake my own bread, I always buy Aunt Millie's brand, just because I think it tastes better. Now I think I know why!