High Fructose Corn Syrup

Most of us have heard of High Fructose Corn Syrup or have seen it on the packaging of almost everything on the store shelves, or so it seems, but most of us don’t have any idea of what it truly is. So, let’s start at the beginning; High Fructose Corn Syrup did not even exist before 1957. In 1957 two researchers developed an enzyme that could change the molecular composition of glucose and turn it into fructose. This is important because “When natural glucose in corn syrup is converted to fructose, the syrup becomes sweeter.”

Regular, unaltered corn syrup is glucose, which measures 70-80 on the sweetness scale with pure sugar providing the baseline measurement of 100 which is what all other sweeteners are compared to. After the molecular changes are made to corn syrup which measures at 70-80 it becomes High Fructose Corn Syrup with a sweetness measurement of 120-140. This allows the manufacturer to make their foods sweeter, and more tempting, at less cost than when they used sugar which now generates more profit. Remember, HFCS is no longer a natural substance. It is molecularly altered and is no longer handled by our bodies like sucrose, glucose, and unaltered fructose. We should ask ourselves the question: “Why did the High Fructose Corn Syrup manufacturers have to create commercials to tell us that it was ok to eat?”

Being molecularly altered High Fructose Corn Syrup is not handled by our bodies like other carbohydrates are. It does not cause your body to release insulin so it does not signal your brain that you are full. These molecular changes also mean that it is not digested normally by our bodies the way other carbohydrates are. “High Fructose Corn Syrup goes straight to your liver where it is then treated like a chemical and turned to fat.”

In review:

1)    High Fructose Corn Syrup wasn’t created until 1957.

2)    High Fructose Corn Syrup is 20-40% sweeter than sugar.

3)    High Fructose Corn Syrup is not digested normally by our body.

4)    High Fructose Corn Syrup encourages you to eat more.

5)    High Fructose Corn Syrup is stored as fat right away.

We must realize that we are eating less fat than we use to and we are still getting fatter and unhealthier every year. The thing we are eating more of is sugar and not spoons of sugar alone but also the non-nourishing foods that sweeteners make more appealing. The average American consumes 150-170 pounds of sugar per year. We not only need to get away from the molecularly altered sweetener enhanced pre-packaged foods, we need to move away from all sugar enhanced foods and get back to the basics of whole foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats.

(Much of this info is from an article by Dr. Claudia Anrig, DC)

Water Isn't Just Water

There were a lot of questions about water the other day so I thought these definitions might be beneficial for all of us. This water terminology is from Cornell University’s Environmental Education Program.

Drinking water
Bottled water that is obtained from an approved source, meets all applicable federal and state standards, and has undergone a minimal treatment process, consisting of filtration and some type of disinfection.

Mineral water
Water that is collected and bottled directly at the point of emergence from a protected underground source without any treatment to alter its natural mineral composition (i.e., minerals cannot be added to this product). Mineral water contains at least 250 milligrams per liter (mg/L) of natural dissolved substances and is distinguished from other types of bottled water by its constant level and relative proportions of natural minerals and trace elements in the source water.

Well water
Water that is pumped or collected using some other mechanical means from a bored or drilled well that taps into a groundwater aquifer (a water-bearing rock or soil formation located underground).

Artesian water
Water that is collected from a bored or drilled well that taps into an aquifer trapped beneath a confining layer of impermeable clay or bedrock, which pressurizes the ground water and allows it to rise up through the well to an elevation above the water table without mechanical pumping.

Spring water
Water that is collected directly from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the ground surface or from a bored hole that taps the source of the spring. Although spring water requires minimal treatment before it is bottled, it must retain the same physical properties and composition as the natural spring water.

Purified water
Water than has been produced by a suitable treatment process such as distillation, deionization, or reverse osmosis and meets the most recent definition of purified water in the United States Pharmacopeia

Distilled water
Water than has been produced by vaporizing and then condensing the water during the process of distillation. Distilled water must also meet the definition of purified water in the United States Pharmacopeia.

Sparkling water
Water that contains natural or added carbon dioxide in the same amount that it had at the point of emergence from its source. Sparkling water does not include soft drinks, such as carbonated, soda, seltzer, and tonic waters, which are regulated differently and may contain sugar and calories.

Diet and Essential Fatty Acids

Essential Fatty Acids

  As dietary changes bring us global obesity, nutritional scientists are able to view the changes that come with a shift from a healthy traditional diet to a modern unhealthy one. Modern dietary changes, as demonstrated by the SAD (Standard American Diet) have included an overabundance of saturated fats and simple carbohydrates/sugars. With an increase of these food sources and a decrease in fresh whole foods, our nutrient intake has largely become unbalanced.

  But what does this mean for us everyday eaters? To find out, Dr. Elaine Paterson, manager of clinical research at Standard Process, put together sample diets.

  First, “I put together an example of a classical, ancient Greek diet,” said Dr. Paterson. “This diet is based on the era so the Greeks wouldn’t have worried much about calories, they didn’t have the problem of mercury in fish that we do, and they were much more active on average than we are today.”

  The classic Greek diet was heavy on vegetables, olive oil, and fish. And even though ancient Greeks didn’t worry about calories, this diet clocks in at 1,584, well within a reasonable limit for the average person.

  The modern SAD diet looks quite different. At a startling 3,200 calories, this modern diet is high in fat and sugar but not much else.

  “This modern diet reflects the way a lot of people eat,” said Dr. Paterson. “It’s heavy on sugar and fat; and low in fruits and vegetables. The caloric difference between the two diets alone would suggest that the modern person would carry more weight than the early Classical Greeks, and when activity is taken into account, that outcome is virtually assured.”

  One example of this dietary imbalance is evident in the shift from an equal amount of omega-3 and -6 fatty acids, to an overabundance of omega-6 fatty acids in our diet. Omega-3s can be found in seeds and nuts and in some vegetables. They are converted in the body where they serve a variety of functions. Omega-6s are found in things like safflower oil and corn oils. Both of these Essential Fatty Acids are important in the inflammatory response of the human body.

  The problem stems from the imbalance found in today’s Standard American Diet of omega-6s to omega-3s. This diet high in omega-6 appears to cause the body to over-react when an inflammatory reaction is required. This imbalance also causes the body to stay in a chronic inflammatory state. Overtime this contributes to cardiovascular changes and damage.

  Countries like Japan, Italy, and Spain have higher omega-3 fatty acid levels in their diet, and lower death rates from coronary heart disease than the United States.

  We may not choose to spend a great deal of time nourishing ourselves, but we can make every food choice count. Fresh, whole foods are the best. Snacks, meals out, and frozen foods can all be healthy if we are conscientious consumers. If this is still too daunting a task consult with your health care practitioner and ask about Whole Food Supplements that they recommend to make up for our SAD (Standard American Diet) diet.

 

Classic Greek Meal Plan

Breakfast: Olive oil to dip

whole wheat pita bread and goat’s milk feta cheese, cucumber slices and tomato wedges, green olives

Lunch: Salad greens with orange slices, grilled, fresh sardines, whole grain, freshly baked bread, flaxseed oil for dipping

Evening meal: Grilled tuna steak, with asparagus, and a green salad with walnuts, cucumber slices with tomato wedges, figs, whole grain, freshly baked bread, olive oil for dipping.

  

 Standard American Diet

Breakfast: Bagel with cream cheese, espresso

Mid-morning: Sweets, ex. cookies, donuts, and large coffee or soft drink

Lunch: Sandwich, flavored potato chips, and a large soda

Evening meal: Red meat, broiled, mashed potatoes with gravy, peas, and ice cream or other sweets

Summarized from SPNews 10/2010

The 4 Necessary Parts to any Great Detox and Cleansing Program

It will be nearly impossible to share everything that we talked about last night. It was a great time with a huge amount of exchange and more than an hour of questions and answers that covered a wide range of subjects around cleansing. What I will do here is keep it simple and share with you 4 key areas that need to be addressed when choosing a detoxification and cleansing program.

1) A good detoxification program obviously needs to be developed around the cleansing of the whole body and in particular the main detoxification systems and organs. These systems and organs include the hepatic (liver), lymph, skin, kidneys and blood.

2) A whole food product containing our daily requirement of vegetables is important to a good detoxification program. A green food product will provide the nutritional needs that are necessary on a daily basis and most green foods are natural detoxifiers so they will support the above cleansing and detoxification.

3) A good whole food fiber will be very beneficial to your cleansing and weight loss program. It will help move the bowels for elimination and maintain a toned and healthy lining of the gastrointestinal tract.

4) Last but not least is the much needed whole food supplement. It should offer a balance of essential nutrients in a highly bio-available form supplying the body with the needed vitamins and minerals.

The emphasis is on whole food products. This means, made from things you should be eating anyway. A recent study published in the British Medical Journal revealed an interesting pattern: subjects who consumed a higher amount of leafy green vegetables had a 14% reduced risk of developing Type II Diabetes. Remember good foods nourish your body and most of us are overfed and undernourished.

The $ Cost of Being Overweight or Obese

Tomorrow I will be giving a short talk entitled "Cleansing the Temple and Detoxification" in Windermere. I summarized the following article which was a major reason for putting together the information we will be sharing tomorrow. If you can make it tomorrow please come but if not enjoy the information that follows and share it with others, hopefully it motivates you as much as it motivated me.

“A Heavy Burden: The Individual Costs of Being Overweight and Obese in the United States”

That is the title of a report published by the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services from which I am paraphrasing: It costs the health care system which includes you, your employer, your health care insurer, etc. almost $5,000 per year for a woman and more than $2,500 per year if you’re a man every year if you’re obese.

This report estimated the average per-person cost of being overweight and obese, including lost wages, direct medical costs, short term disability, pension insurance, absenteeism/sick days used, productivity losses, and gas costs to and from the Doctor’s office which is more frequent than healthy weight people. Costs attributed to lower wages due to the higher costs for obese employees were also included.

These are scary numbers especially during this time of economic difficulty in most countries. This is another reason why we should all eat healthy and stay active.

How do we do that? 

1)We should start with the one that many of us may find the most challenging; stop eating all of that nutrient deficient fast food chain junk. Eat at home more often and make the meal yourself and if you are the one that always makes the meals invite other family members to help and or make suggestions. I can’t do much in the kitchen but I do enjoy watching my children help their mother and Grandmother.

2)The next step is to cure ourselves of “couch potato syndrome”. Here in America the recommendation is to cut the TV watching down to 5-7 hrs/week. That is not an issue for our home because we don’t watch TV. But, the message for all of us whether we have a TV or not is to be more physically active. This means less TV, computer, radio, sitting, etc. and more, activity and moving around.

3)Finally, mix it up. Change the way you go to work. Walk, ride, or drive a different route and park a little further from the building. Take the stairs instead of an elevator, remember, every little step counts. Whether it is a new recipe, a new way to work or a new activity after work it all helps. Stagnation leads to bad habits and habits are hard to change so commit to moving beyond your normal routine, variety is the spice of life.

The Ice Breaker

Hello everyone. I am Dr. Daniel McBride and I have recently joined Yeomans Chiropractic here in Winter Park, Florida. I have been practicing for 15 years now and have had the opportunity to practice in the Bahamas, South Africa and here in Florida. Prior to becoming a Chiropractor I was a Health and Physical Education teacher in both Virginia and New York. While practicing in South Florida I had the honor and pleasure to also work as a Firefighter until moving to the Orlando area.

This blog is intended to share information that will help you make great decisions regarding your personal health choices but remember it is not intended to replace a regular office visit or to help in the self diagnosing of any conditions it is intended for informational purposes only. I did not have any information on this site approved by the FDA.

I look forward to our healthier future.