The Truth About High Fructose Corn Syrup

Our bodies can break down various types of sugars by utilizing enzymes that break the chemical bonds between them.

In sucrose, a naturally occurring sugar, the ratio of glucose to fructose is 1:1. This balance occurs in foods like fruit and honey. When these sources of sugar are eaten in moderate amounts, our bodies will have sufficient enzymes to break down these sugars.

On the contrary, when the ratio of fructose is higher than normal like in high fructose corn syrup, there are limited enzymes available to break the sugar down appropriately. When the enzymes are used up, the excess sugar is chemically altered in the body in a manner to be saved as reserve energy for use later. Although this is actually a brilliant use of the extra calories, the extra fructose is altered in a manner that can be stored in your body as fat. Yikes!

With this in mind, be more conscious about what you’re eating. Make note of the basic connection…most people without underlying obstacles to cure that give up most processed foods containing HFCS, naturally experience weight loss. Now you know the truth!

Biochemical Explanation: Excess fructose is phosphorylated by an enzyme called hexokinase. In its phosphorylated form it becomes Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate which can be used in the synthesis of fats. In high amounts, high fructose corn syrup contributes to increased adipose tissue.

$hop $mart for Veggies & Fruits!

Hi Everyone!

Someone needs to let you know that...

Your mother was right! 

We should eat vegetables as often as possible!

Fruits are also good choices for most people.

(*Some people who are sensitive to high amounts of sugar should limit fruit.)

There are a few things to consider though when selecting your veggie and fruit arsenal for exceptional health and vitality. Since most of us don't have our own gardens equipped with a variety of vegetables and luscious fruit trees, we must consider how to go about selecting organic fruits and vegetables to get the best bang for our buck$. The following website was established to help consumers know which produce is heavily treated with pesticides in comparison to those that are less exposed to toxic compounds as they grow. The list is updated regularly so keep checking it out.

http://www.foodnews.org/fulllist.php

Use this list as a guide when you shop for vegetables and fruits. It's wise to purchase organic varieties of foods that are treated heavily with pesticides. On the website, these will be items closer to the bottom of the list (e.g. Spinach, Apples and Stawberries). On the other hand, it's generally safer to buy the non-organic varieties of Pineapples, Onions and Avocados which are listed a the to of the list.

Happy $mart $hopping!

Five Fabulous Steps for Weight Loss!

Here are 5 fabulous keys to weight loss!  When used in combination, you're likely to lose a few pounds easily and start the new year off right. 

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1. Eat a healthy, protein rich breakfast every day. By eating a good source of protein with a bit of healthy fat like what's found naturally in free range eggs, you will help your body start the day off right with the basic building blocks necessary to help your brain and body function better.  With a rich, satisfying breakfast, you'll be less likely to get ravenously hungry so you'll be more likely NOT overeat during lunch. As an added bonus, you won't rapidly increase your blood sugar as you would normally by consuming a traditional breakfast with a lot of grain-based foods (e.g. cereal, pancakes or toast).  

2. As with breakfast, you should focus on a good source of protein (free range beef, Wild Alaskan Salmon, or fermented tempeh) for lunch and dinner as well. In addition, be sure to have 2-3 servings of vegetables (1/2 cup) with lunch and dinner. (I actually make it a habit to eat veggies with all meals when possible - yep even breakfast!) A few carbohydrates mixed in with lunch or dinner should be okay - just try to include only one carbohydrate rich food with each of the afternoon meals. If you tend to get sleepy after lunch, try avoiding the carbs all together to assess if this helps.

3. Eat dinner by 7:00 pm then go for a walk outside, on a treadmill or around your home for at least 30 minutes. A bit of light stretching with deep breathing before or afterwards would also be beneficial. If you want to step it up a notch, try doing some simple weight bearing exercises to build more muscle in conjunction with your walk because muscle burns fat more efficiently when you're just sitting around.

4. Replace all beverages with electrolyte enhanced or mineral water. It's that simple. Doing this alone can easily lead to losing a few pounds. You should try to drink about half of your weight in ounces. For example, if you weigh 140 lbs, try to drink at least 70 ounces of water daily.

5. Get enough sleep! Usually, most adults need 6-8 hours of sleep to function maximally. This varies per person so try to figure out what works best for you. By sleeping sufficiently, you actually will help your body create ample serotonin (a neurotransmitter) to help improve your mood. When we are sleep deprived, we crave carbohydrates because they cause serotonin release in the gut. So as an effect of being well rested, you won't be as likely to crave crunchy or carbohydrate rich foods. Additionally, sleeping helps reboot all body processes.  It's especially helpful for the immune system!   

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These suggestions used in combination are likely to produce the weight loss effects you want to have a good start to 2011!

Drink Up!

Hello Everyone!  Now it's about time to get started sharing 

some health tips I've found tremendously useful.  

To begin, I wanted to start out with something extremely SIMPLE, yet so challenging!  Okay, think back within the past couple of hours...how much pure water did you drink?  Hopefully, you answered an amount greater than none!  In general, there are many reputable sources that say we should drink half of our body weight in ounces. This is definitely a good place to begin - especially if you aren't even close.  Once you reach this level of hydration, consider if you potentially need more based on your environment or lifestyle.

Here are some useful ideas to help you increase hydration in your body:
1) Drink some of your required daily water in-take as soon as you get up in the morning.  It will help arouse your digestive system.
2) Rehydrate each time after you use the restroom.  Since we lead such hectic lives, it's easy to forget to drink water (especially if you're engrossed in certain tasks).  Just drink more of your daily water requirement each time you use the restroom so essentially your bladder and bowels will help you remember.
3) Finally, try to drink about 1-2 cups of water 15-30 minutes before you eat each meal.  Not only does this strategy aid digestion, but it also helps most people eat less food!  What an easy & affordable weight loss strategy!

There are oodles of benefits to drinking sufficient water.  For example, water aids in toxin excretion, digestion, hydration of skin & mucus membranes, clarity of thought, & many chemical reactions throughout the body.  The roles and benefits of water in the body are quite numerous so let's drink up!

*Please avoid drinking salt water...just a pretty picture I took this summer... :o)

Find an ND near you!

Tip: To find a licensed naturopathic doctor in your area, go to the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians page (www.naturopathic.org) and click on the "Find a Doctor" link!