Liberty Thought of the Week

Liberty Thought of the Week

PAUL HAMBY

Daily Poison Hidden in your Food

Today, the typical American adult is overweight with 35% considered obese. In 1970, about 15% of Americans were considered obese.

Why are Americans less healthy? #1 is what we eat and #2 is not enough exercise.

One of the biggest issues with our food supply in America is the addition of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). Regular corn syrup is simply glucose, but HFCS is a processed version of corn syrup that creates a sweetener that is highly addictive, unhealthy and our bodies metabolize differently than traditional sweeteners like cane sugar.

Hilary Parker reports: “A Princeton University research team has demonstrated that all sweeteners are not equal when it comes to weight gain: Rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those with access to table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same.“

“Some people have claimed that high-fructose corn syrup is no different than other sweeteners when it comes to weight gain and obesity, but our results make it clear that this just isn’t true, at least under the conditions of our tests,” said psychology professor Bart Hoebel, who specializes in the neuroscience of appetite, weight and sugar addiction. “When rats are drinking high-fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they’re becoming obese -- every single one, across the board. Even when rats are fed a high-fat diet, you don’t see this; they don’t all gain extra weight.” (Princeton University)

Dr. Eric Berg is a nutritionist specializing in weight loss. His warning about HFCS: “Consuming high fructose corn syrup can contribute to weight gain, increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).”

Dr Berg continues: “Due to the way HFCS is processed by the body, regular consumption can overwork your pancreas, leading to a spike in blood sugar levels. The pancreas is the organ that produces insulin. Prolonged high blood sugar levels can cause your cells to become resistant to insulin, leading to insulin resistance, a stepping stone toward developing type 2 diabetes.”

An alarming number of foods now have HFCS as an added ingredient: Pepsi, Coke and other flavors of soda, whip cream in a spray can, cereal, pancake syrup, sausage, cookies, candy, ketchup, dipping sauces, packaged cupcakes, applesauce, juice boxes, jelly, ice cream, ice cream syrup toppings, flavored yogurt, canned fruit, salad dressing, peanut butter, BBQ sauce, Miracle Whip and tomato soup. Not all brands of the above food types contain HFCS, so if you read the labels and do your research, you can still eat the foods you like without the added ingredient of HFCS. For example, Campbell’s tomato soup includes HFCS. Best Choice store brand tomato soup does not.

On average, Americans consume 60 pounds of refined sweeteners per year. 40 pounds of that is HFCS.

Check your cabinet and fridge: Read the labels. You may be surprised how many foods contain this dangerous sweetener.

In 2018, I was diagnosed diabetic - discovered in a health checkup though I was unaware I was in trouble. My A1C was over 11 (twice normal) and blood sugar was 353 (should be less than 100). I was offered diabetes medication by medical doctors, but instead, after doing research on alternatives, I made 3 changes. 1st was a radical change in my diet to a low carb keto style diet along with the elimination of HFCS. 2nd was increased exercise, walking 4-5 miles per day. 3rd, breakfast was eliminated, creating a daily fasting. Today, my blood sugar readings are normal 80 - 100 and A1C is under 6. Our family has a history of diabetes. Someday I may require medication, but for this part of the journey, a change in lifestyle matches the reduced insulin output of this 64-year-old pancreas.

I am not a doctor. I am sharing my story in hopes of inspiring you to make changes in your diet and exercise to live a healthier life and to do your own research on healthier foods.

Individual liberty requires personal responsibility. This is a good time to get an annual checkup including a blood test for A1C. Take control of what you eat, beginning with eliminating HFCS today.