I am not a doctor or scientist, nor do I report to be – I’m simply recording my own personal experience with and without HFCS. Any info I’ve put here is either from documentaries I’ve seen or my own experiences.
In January of 2008, I saw a 5-minute Youtube video about high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Since I can’t find the video now, I’ll summarize: it basically covered the fact that it’s sticky, chemical, unnatural, and may have some serious effects on your “normal” digestive system. Diabetes was mentioned, too.
The video really bothered me. We committed as a family to stop eating any foods or drinking drinks with HFCS. We were (and still are) very stringent about it. If I discover anything had HFCS, I would not eat or drink it. I discovered the “usual culprits” at grocery stores and restaurants: sauces, dressings, breads, pre-mixed cocktail mixers, and ice creams – these were more likely to have HFCS. I avoided the items I suspected might contain it. I didn’t eat less food or change my diet any other way, yet.
By that summer of 2008, I had lost 40 pounds and dropped 5 inches off my waist – then my wife and I saw King Corn on PBS. It covered HFCS and the role corn plays in our food supply, especially as it relates to beef. You see, cows like to eat grass, but almost all cows in the US are fed corn, which fattens them quickly, but they cannot digest it, so antibiotics must be introduced to keep them healthy. The guys in King Corn say that if you were born after 1970, it’s likely that you have never even eaten grass-fed beef (they address why this is better beef than corn-fed is, too). I read Fast Food Nation around this time also. We stopped eating beef and pork.
Also around this time I decided to look at balance in my day. If I had toast for breakfast, I tried not to have a sandwich for lunch or rolls with dinner. That’s a lot of bread. I realize that there’s a food pyramid that says to eat a lot of bread/grains, but I see it as a balance thing.
In the 2 years since I lost my initial 40 pounds, I’ve lost another 10, and another inch or so off my waist. In that time as well, Jason’s Deli has removed HFCS from all foods and drinks (except brand-name sodas) in their restaurants, and many others have done so as well, like Pepsi and Mountain Dew Throwback, Jones Soda, Snapple, Heritage Dr. Pepper, Hunt’s Ketchup. Oh, all of this happened after the Corn Refiners Association has launched an ad campaign defending their gooey bastard son. Heh.
Link: Ban HFCS Page on Facebook
