High Fructose Corn Syrup Vs. Sugar

By Cliff Walsh

Healthy eating has had a sizable enemy for quite some time, according to a variety of news sources and public advocacy groups. It's called High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). The onslaught against it has been so great that its producers have been attempting to rebrand it, corn sugar, in an attempt to avoid the bad reputation and increase profitability. Researchers at Princeton University released a paper indicating that Americans consume about sixty pounds per year, per person, of HFCS. They also highlight the concurrent rise in usage of HFCS and the rise in obesity rates. I have studied a wide variety of research from both sides of the argument. I will attempt to answer the question, is HFCS worse than sugar?

High Fructose Corn Syrup usage is rampant. The FDA does not restrict its usage at all. HFCS's usage is typically in highly-processed junk food. Common ingredients that are often used with it are fat and salt, as well as a host of other chemicals. Sodas and other flavored/sweetened drinks often contain HFCS. It is also found in sauces, dressings, and breakfast bars and cereals.

HFCS does not differ significantly from sucrose (table sugar) from a chemical standpoint. It has about 5% more fructose and 5% less glucose. It's sweetness level is about the same as honey, while its glycemic index is a fair amount higher than table sugar (75 vs. 60). In order to make HFCS, it must undergo significant processing as all of the fructose contained within the syrup is artificially added. Fructose does not naturally occur in corn starch.

A study done a few years ago, attempted to determine the impact of HFCS relative to glucose. They gave participants 25% of their calories in liquid form: glucose, fructose, or High Fructose Corn Syrup. The results were notable. Those receiving fructose or HFCS were determined to be at greater risk of cardiovascular disease, due to an increase in bad cholesterol. The change was visible within just two weeks of the study.

Research indicates that both sucrose and HFCS are digested quickly, meaning a similar impact on blood sugar levels, despite moderate differences in GI. That being said, we digest these two ingredients in different manners. There is one less step needed to absorb HFCS because the fructose does not need to be separated from the glucose as is necessary with table sugar. This causes what is called lipogenesis, which can lead to diabetes. Research also indicates that HFCS is linked to overindulging because it does not trigger the production and release of insulin.

Overall, research seems to suggest that HFCS is worse than sugar by a sizable degree, but it is important to note that sugar is not a health food. While it is the lesser of two evils in this case, it still carries a host of risks if used in moderate to high levels. Both can be very damaging to our bodies, causing obesity, liver damage, and heart disease, among other dangerous health conditions.

It is important not to take this research and condemn all sugars. Some people avoid fruit, because sugar carries such a bad rap. Research indicates that naturally-occurring sugars are digested differently than unnaturally-added sugar. Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. It is added sugar that needs to be avoided.

About the Author:

Please see my website for additional information at dangers of food additives or my blog at what's bad about processed foods

Save your life - How to Cut Sugar from Your Diet

By Micheal Parkes

Sugar is ever prevalent in our diets - ranging from high sugar content in processed food to fast foods. It can be a challenge to cut sugar from your diet, but the health benefits itself is worth the effort. When blood sugar levels are constantly high, the chance of getting diabetes is increased. Diabetes has its own complications which in turn affects our general health. Hence, this article will explore the age old question of how to cut sugar from your diet?

It is important to take note of the various healthy food groups. Being aware of the healthy food groups help to make better food choices, even helping to draw up your own healthy snack menu. It is far better to snack on low-sugar, low-fat foods such as fruits or vegetables.

Sugar substitutes can present as an excellent alternative to using sugar. Viable substitutes include using naturally available spices to sweeten your food. There are various spices that can be used for this function; they include ginger, cinnamon, vanilla, cloves and so on. In addition to being able to sweeten up food, they also give it a unique flavor. For a more refreshing taste, you may even consider using a combination of those spices.

A tried and tested method of cutting down on sugar is to use artificial sweeteners. The use of artificial sweeteners has helped in the food and beverage industries, as they are marketed as no-sugar drinks. An interesting fact is that artificial sweeteners can even be used for relishes and pickles, but this is provided you have the right recipe to make it.

Furthermore, snacking is a habit that unknowingly increases your daily sugar intake as well. Substituting regular chips and dips with toast and sugar-free jam can help to lower sugar intake. Fresh fruits are also good methods of snacking as they are refreshing and healthy too.

The caloric content in sugar is very high. It may even exceed the amount of sugar one needs in a day. Long term effects from high sugar consumption is inevitably, weight gain. Being overweight increase the chance of getting various medical conditions. In order to maintain a healthy body and lifestyle, cutting sugar from your diet is a wise move.

Sugar reduction in our diets is a necessity as it helps us to maintain our health and emotional well-being. A little bit of sugar is needed in our diets, as the brain relies on glucose as its main source of energy, but too much is a health risk. The risks of getting diabetes, blood pressure problems or health diseases are greatly increased if long term sugar intake is high.

If you do choose to indulge in sugary foods e.g. brownies, cakes or ice cream, try to ensure that the portion size is appropriate. Some brands of these products come in single serves, which are good choices to help limit your consumptions of these foods.

About the Author:

Micheal Parkes is a health conscious food lover. He runs an informational website that provides tips on how to cut sugar from your diet as well as promotes interest in healthy international cuisines. As a bonus to his valued readers, his site provides free low sugar diet information, please visit Micheal's site at http://www.online-food-guide.com.

How To Lose Your Belly By Improving Your Posture

The leg bone's connected to the hip bone... Yes, we all know that kids' song. But how many of us really think about it? Of course we all know how the bones are all connected. The point is this; all the parts of our body are interconnected. All parts of our body are related somehow. Case in point, our back and our stomach muscles are also related as they form some sort of girdle around our lower torso. And these muscles affect one another. Ah ha, did you think about that? So that means that how your tummy looks depends also on how you stand and sit, that is your posture. In addition, this means that the strength of your stomach also affects your posture.

Straight up!

Want to lose that belly? Stand up straight. Sit up straight. See the difference? Standing and sitting up straight will affect you immediately. First thing to remember, slouching does nothing for you except to draw attention to your belly fat. So just by sitting up straight, you will be seen a lot slimmer. Secondly, having proper posture will improve the strength of your back, which in turn makes it a lot easier to maintain this proper posture for longer periods of time. Thirdly, if you have poor posture, you will always experience back pain, and back pain makes stomach exercises all the more difficult for you. Practising good posture will make it a lot easier for you to target that tummy and help you easily eliminate belly fat. And finally, having good posture by standing and sitting up straight enhances your blood circulation. Your blood will flow properly throughout your body, especially to your legs and lower back, both important parts in your body when it comes to stomach exercises.

The back extension

If you have read and practiced the 'crunchless crunch' you will find this somewhat familiar except that it is backwards. First lie on your stomach and place your forehead on the floor. You can use a mat or towel to cushion your head and pelvis. Place your arms by your sides with the palms facing upwards. Now, contract your back muscles and slowly lift your torso off the floor. Hold this contraction for a while and release. Slowly return to starting position with your torso back down on the floor. Now repeat for an entire set.

For this next part, imagine you're a superhero and extend your arms out above your head. While keeping your head and arms in place, lift both your legs simultaneously off the floor. Imagine that your legs are growing longer as you lift them off the floor. Hold them in that position for a while, then lower them slowly back down to the floor.

These two exercises can assist you in strengthen your back and correcting your posture. These are steps that you can take towards losing that unsightly bulge round your middle. You can continue working on your back muscles coupled with other core muscles like the rectus abdominus and the transverse. When you choose stomach exercises that work the core muscles, you can be sure that they will help you to straighten your posture, make sure you lose that belly fat and help you gain defined toned muscles in your back and your tummy. Remember though, be sure you consult with a professional before you begin any exercise and always warm up properly to avoid injury.

Author Resource: Juzaily Ramli and Tommy Lehmann own a blog that provides free stomach exercises for all. Feel like losing some of that stomach fat but don't have the time to do it? Check out stomach exercises for busy people.

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Obesity And Your Health

We all accept that having good health is a number one priority. There are unfortunately times when this priority gets a little mixed up. At these times the health and obesity of people become mixed up. In order to ensure your health obesity should be controlled with certain methods. These methods can be both that of the traditional form and that of weight reduction surgeries.

You will find that there are a number of these possible surgeries which can be done. To find out if you are an individual who needs to have one of these obesity surgeries you can get an opinion from your family doctor. As this person is well aware of your personal health and lifestyle the advice that you get will paint a realistic picture of your health obesity surgery being one possible outcome.

Now before you decide to have one of these many weight reduction surgeries performed you should understand exactly what is done to help you lose weight. You will need to see the advantages and the disadvantages which can be found in these different surgeries. For your health obesity surgery might need to be conducted past a certain weight limit.

This weight limit occurs when a person’s body weight jumps into the morbid obesity range. Now even though there are people who suffer from this complaint there are weight reduction surgeries like bariatric surgery, gastric bypass surgery and others. These surgeries coupled with a healthy lifestyle and healthy yet small intakes of food will help the morbidly obese individual to lose the excess pounds.

While many of today’s technological advances can help us we still need to understand that for our health obesity is not an option to look forward to. The health problems which can occur are ones like difficulty breathing, heart problems, stomach ulcers and more. In order to remove these obstacles to our health obesity concerns should be looked at carefully and dealt with.

The saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” can be seen to be true as it pays to have a healthy lifestyle. To keep this saying true in your life you should see that health obesity problems are far from your life. Keeping this maxim as your mantra for a good life you should see the best options that you have at your disposal.

Even though you can go through with one of the weight reduction surgeries you may want to experience life in the normal way. And keeping fit and healthy means that you will not experience any health obesity related problems.

Author Resource: Author's Sites: http://www.easyhomeremedy.com/pregnancy_weight_loss/index.html , http://www.easyhomeremedy.com/home_remedy_for_vaginal_infections.html



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