HFCS

I have been wanting to write this post for a while now, so here it goes.
I've always been a fairly health conscious person. I care about what I eat and I eat for nutrition (well I splurge sometimes, but who doesn't?). As you can imagine, since becoming a mother I'm even more careful about what I buy and feed to Dallas. I'm not a chemist or a biologist, but I have read and learned enough that a lot of food in stores these days is not good for your body. Not sure how or really when I became so concerned about this issue, but thankfully I've learned about it, and I want to pass on the knowledge to you. Most of the American diet is rich in highly refined sugars, nutritionally barren flours, transfats, high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils and other processed ingredients.
Please take some time to read the following links:

http://www.foodfacts.info/high-fructose-corn-syrup.shtml
hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/index.html
healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/sugar.htm
diabeteshealth.com/read/2007/09/11/5430.html
eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-08/acs-swn081007.php
healthyeatingadvisor.com/food-labels.html
time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1711763,00.html?cnn=yes
medicinenet.com/artificial_sweeteners/article.htm
accidentalhedonist.com/index.php/2005/06/09/foods_and_products_containing_high_fruct
foodfacts.info/high-fructose-corn-syrup.shtml

HFCS is in almost EVERYTHING!!!! CHECK OUT THE NUTRITION LABELS! There are obvious food products you might suspect that contain HFCS: ice cream, cokes, candy bars, etc. But what about in the products you DON'T suspect like: ketchup, bread, chips, applesauce, juice, yogurt, practically every pre-sweetened drink, high fat AND fat free dripping sauces, Gatorade/sport drinks, teas, nutrigrain bars, most jelly, syrup, mayonnaise, soup, lunch meats, cereals, and healthy choice products. You just thought you were eating food that was "good" for you?!

So you ask, what can I do about it?!

Check out this link for list of HFCS free foods: http://www.stophfcs.com/list.html

I mostly buy organic foods/especially for Dallas. Some of our staples: Juicy Juice, Yoplait Kids Yogurt Drink, Mott's Healthy Harvest(No sugar added), Organic Ketchup/mayo, Organic cereal bars, Ezekiel bread, Honey, fruit leather, natural Cheetos, Oroweat Bread products, lots of fresh veggies and fruits. Not necessarily a staple, but I like Amy's Organic brand/you can actually pronounce ALL the ingredients. When Dallas asks for something at the store he has started asking me, "Mommy, does this have the bad sugar?" :) Please don't think I'm depriving my child! He gets candy and lemonade at the movies, we love to eat out, and we go for donuts and the occasional ice cream cone, but it's important to me to start him out on a healthy and balanced diet that hopefully he'll stick to as he grows up.

Wrapping up, "Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God" I Cor 10:31

I appreciate you taking the time to read my thoughts on this. Any of your thoughts and/or comments are welcome. Thanks!