LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
CAMP Fitness |
by Rick Moore |
How Sweet It Is
In the last issue of Letters from CAMP Rehoboth, I discussed salthow it's in our food, and affecting our health. Here's part two of "What's in our food, and will it do me any harm?" From the salty we go to the sweet. To be specific, high fructose corn syrup. Better known as HFCS, this stuff is everywhere. If you thought that salt in your food was out of control, well then, hold on to your seats. It is estimated that the average American consumes about 41.5 pounds of high fructose corn syrup in a year. It is cheaper to use as a sweetener then good old natural sugar. This stuff is in everythingreally! Read the ingredient label on any food item or product, and you will see high fructose corn syrup listed somewhere. It's in cereal, juice drinks, soft drinks, cakes, candies, even spaghetti sauce. I had to break the news to my partner, Nick, that his favorite workout drink, Gatorade, has HFCS as the second ingredient (after water). Wow! So, we should be warned about the dangers of high fructose corn syrup, because there are some issues with the product. Drinks containing HFCS have high levels of reactive carbonyls, which are linked with cell and tissue damage. This damage could lead to diabetes. I bet you didn't know that the corn used to make HFCS is genetically modified. Consuming too many products that contain HFCS can lead to obesity. This is where educating our kids about nutrition comes in. Surveys show that our kids are consuming more and more HFCS items than ever before (could it be that it seems to be in everything?) Teens would rather consume a soda than water or milk. They are bombarded each day by advertisers and fast food joints that push foods loaded with HFCS. There have been TV commercials hailing the wonderful benefits of HFCS: it's cheap, it's corn! It's sweet, delicious, and natural. Don't fall for it. It is cheap, sweet, and loaded with calories. Why, my dentist even warned me about it recently. This stuff is even found in bread and meat items. Wow, is there anything they don't put it in? Well, in order to find that out, it's best to read the label before purchasing the item. Many times HFCS is listed as either the first, second, or third ingredient. That is a pretty high concentration. If you are drinking a bottled or canned beverage, you most likely are consuming HFCS. That iced tea you're drinking, that Gatorade, or the Coke, Pepsi, or Dr Pepper all contain HFCS. Don't get me started on ketchup, BBQ sauce, and dressings. The list goes on and on. It wasn't until the 1990s that the use of sugar was eclipsed by HFCS. Today, for sure, Americans consume more HFCS than sugar. Some manufacturers are heeding the call of consumers and are putting real, natural sugar back in their soft drinks. Even though sugar isn't good for you, at least you have a choice. I didn't know, for instance, that Coke offers a sugar version of it's product around Passover. Passover Coke can be identified by the yellow plastic cap on the bottle. Regular Coke has a red cap, and contains HFCS. Yellow cap Coke has sugarno HFCS. I didn't know. The USDA says we should be consuming the equivalent of eight teaspoons of added sugar per day in a 2000 calorie adult diet. Less is better. So, if you partake in that large McDonald's shake you just purchased, be aware that you have met your daily sweet quota by 120%; and a 12 oz canned Pepsi is 103% of your daily limit. Gatorade? Don't get me started. An interesting tidbit is that even though HFCS is used in many products aimed at kids (hey, just watch Saturday morning TV commercials), it is not used in baby formula or baby food. Very interesting. Do they know something we don't? Anyway, as you are reading this on the beach and have consumed your third iced tea, be aware of all those unnecessary calories you are ingesting, and how these products are out to sabotage all your hard work at the gym.Rick Moore is a personal trainer certified by the American Fitness Professionals &Associates. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 19 No. 05 May 22, 2009 |