Sugar is the culprit for so many of our health issues. It is so hard to get away from eating sugar with it hidden in so many foods and used to decorate foods so they look delicious. We always want to disguise the food to make it look fun and appealing for kids and that means adding sugar, coloring and lots of other preservatives and chemicals. Once the children are used to having it all the time they want more and more of it and lose the sweet taste of the whole foods that Mother Nature has created for us. So as adults we continue to eat the foods loaded with sugar completely blind to the fact that it is what is destroying our health and wellness.
Really if all the food that was loaded with sugar was pure sugar cane we would not be in so much trouble but because so much of our processed food it filled with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and other artificial sugars that is where the real problem lies.
Mary Glenda of No Weight Cookbooks tells us this about HFCS. "High-fructose corn syrup" is highly valued by food manufacturers. It's easy to transport in tanker trucks. It isn't susceptible to freezer burn, as is sugar. It has a long shelf life and keeps foods from becoming dry. It gives bread and baked products a wonderful color. It's also cheaper than white sugar, partly because of generous federal subsidies and trade policies that encourage farmers to grow more corn. Fast food chains add it to their products because it is cheaper. It's in the sauces, in the condiments, in the breadings, in the buns and in the drinks. It is the commercially preferred artificial sweetener, which goes directly to the liver, releasing enzymes that instruct the body to store fat.
So how is it that we think we have a health crisis when really what we have is a food crisis with the government subsidizing the production of HFCS which in turn causes sugar addiction which leads to sickness and disease. If we could make the small change of avoiding foods with HFCS and only eat foods with pure cane sugar or other natural sugars we would be so much healthier overall. We would not be so bloated and overweight nor would we continue to have the excessive cravings for more sweet foods.
So for now look at the labels, read the ingredients and become aware of what is on the packaged foods you buy, if you see HFCS put the package back and find something else to eat that is more nutrient dense without all that sugar. You will feel better and your body will thank you!
