High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) Promotes Obesity and Poor Health

Fructose has been implicated as a driving force behind a number of chronic illnesses including metabolic syndrome, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Scientists have theorized that the fruit-based sweetener derived most commonly from corn is a primary mechanism that has fueled the obesity epidemic.

Fructose and its evil twin high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) are used as inexpensive sweeteners in many processed foods, condiments, baked goods and snacks. Researchers at the Oregon Health & Science University publishing in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism demonstrate that fructose reacts differently than glucose in the brain causing chemical alterations that lead to increased body weight and obesity.

Brain Response to Fructose is Different Than Glucose

Researchers working with animal models know that the brain responds differently to a variety of different foods consumed, and that these responses have a strong influence on total calories eaten at each meal. Using new functional MRI technologies, scientists are able to examine electrical and chemical brain patterns that occur in response to consumption of different food groups (macronutrients such as fats, carbohydrates and proteins) and nutrients (from vitamins, minerals and antioxidant-rich polyphenol compounds).

The study involved pre and post meal MRI scans of nine individuals receiving an infusion of fructose, glucose or a saline solution. Researchers found no difference in brain activity in the hypothalamus, an area known to regulate food intake. Activity in the cortical brain control areas showed the opposite response from the sugar infusions. Activity was inhibited with the fructose solution and activated in the presence of glucose.

Fructose Does Not Cause Satiety Similar to Other Macronutrients

The cortical areas activated are important to determine how we respond to food taste and smell. The study showed that when glucose is consumed, a normal satiety response is triggered in the brain so we register caloric intake and can react with a satiety response. Fructose has virtually no effect on this automated feedback system we rely on to provide the `full` signal so we stop eating before over consuming.

The study authors found this to be conclusive evidence that fructose and its derivatives are a significant causative agent responsible for the rampant obesity plague affecting people around the world. In conclusion they write "For consumers, our findings support current recommendations that people be conscious of sweeteners added to their drinks and meals and not overindulge on high-fructose, processed foods."

HFCS has been slowly creeping into the processed food supply over the past 40 years. Health-minded consumers and scientists have theorized that it should be blamed for a contributing role in overweight, morbidity and chronic disease. The best way to avoid high fructose corn syrup is to avoid all processed foods in favor of a raw, natural diet focused on vegetables, lean protein and healthy monounsaturated fats. Your reward will be a healthy, sustainable weight and dramatically lower risk of metabolic disease.

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Posted in: Diet and Nutrition,High Fructose Corn Syrup,Obesity

Food Additives You Must Avoid

(Article first published as Top Food Additives You Really Need to Avoid on Technorati.)

When was the last time you closely looked at the ingredients inside of your favorite packaged food? The vast majority of foods bought at your local grocery store are the creation of food chemists, not Mother Nature. Most include a long list of synthetic chemicals and modified food components that are designed to enhance shelf life and provide flavorings that appeal to your sense of taste for sweetness, salt and fat.

The vast majorities of processed foods are packed with calories and have been stripped of any nutrients that we require to maintain optimal health. Over the course of years and decades, the lack of vitamins and minerals from natural foods slowly leads to chronic disease conditions such as diabetes, cancer, dementia and heart disease. The artificial chemical compounds in processed foods (all those items in the ingredients lists with names you can’t pronounce) become packed away in your fat tissue and lead to systemic inflammation and depleted antioxidant resources.

Food Additives Lead to Chronic Illness

There are more than 3,000 food additives approved for use in the US and considered ‘Generally Regarded as Safe’ (GRAS) by the FDA. More than 90% of the typical diet is composed of processed foods, meaning that very little food is eaten in its natural form providing nutrients that are properly absorbed by the body.

Food additives include preservatives, sweeteners, artificial colors and flavors as well as flavor enhancers, all designed to provide maximum calories with very little nutrition. The publication Food Matters lists the top food additives you must avoid to preserve your health.

Artificial Sweeteners: Most commonly found in diet or sugar-free drinks, gum, baked goods and even toothpaste, foods that contain aspartame have been shown to contribute to brain aging. Aspartame is neurotoxic and causes loss of memory and difficulty learning new tasks. Researchers believe it may be linked to increased incidence of brain tumors and diseases like lymphoma, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

High Fructose Corn Syrup: High Fructose Corn Syrup has been infused into most processed foods since its inception in the early 1970’s. Extensive scientific research has linked the sweetener to increased levels of obesity due to the way fructose is metabolized in the body and lipid abnormalities that cause diabetes and increased risk of heart disease.

Monosodium Glutamate: MSG is used in many processed foods as a flavor enhancer. It is known to cause neural excitation as it overloads neurons through increased electrical stimulation. The most common side effects are depression, disorientation, eye damage, fatigue and headache. MSG is rarely listed by its common name, and frequently hides as a ‘natural flavoring’. It is far from being natural and should be avoided.

Trans and Hydrogenated Fats: Trans fats have been chemically altered through hydrogenation or cooking at high heat. These synthetic fat molecules are unnatural and cause problems at the cellular level when being used as a component for cell wall synthesis. The most common foods are deep fried, processed and commercially baked products. They are known to increase the risk of death from a heart attack by 25%.

Health minded individuals are experts at deciphering food nutrition labels. The best way to avoid these dangerous additives is to eat nothing that has more than one ingredient on the label, or has no label at all (fruits, vegetables and minimally cooked meats). Reading nutrition labels to avoid a wide array of unnatural food additives will lower your risk of chronic illness and extend your natural lifespan.

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Posted in: Artificial Sweeteners,High Fructose Corn Syrup,Nutrition Labels

Limiting Fructose is Key to Weight Loss, Cancer Prevention

The link between fructose consumption and many forms of cancer are quite evident, as this form of sugar derived from fruit provides fuel to cancer cells, causing them to divide and proliferate. Fructose is an inexpensive sweetener used in many processed foods and drinks, and is most frequently found in its super-charged form, high fructose corn syrup. You can dramatically lower your risk for developing many of the most deadly types of cancer as you naturally lose weight by diligently reading nutrition labels to eliminate fructose from your diet.

Fructose Promotes Cancer Proliferation

For some time, medical researchers have known that sugar in the form of glucose is the main energy source which cancer cells use to initiate. Information published in the journal Cancer Research shows that cancer cells use glucose and fructose in different ways to fuel growth, and fructose specifically provides the mechanism which leads to cellular accelerated proliferation and metastasis. They conclude that restricting both glucose and especially fructose are essential to cancer prevention and controlling existing disease.

Metabolic Syndrome and Excess Weight Blamed on High Fructose Diet

It's no secret that waistlines have been expanding at disproportionate rates over the past half century, and volumes of scientific evidence now point to the primary suspect in this epidemic, fructose. Our body metabolizes fructose differently than glucose, and doesn't trigger the same insulin response compared with sugar or simple carbohydrates.

Our appetite hormones, leptin and ghrelin are thrown off balance and don't register fructose calories as energy consumed, meaning we're much more inclined to keep eating. As this process continues over the course of many years, it leads to insulin resistance, metabolic disorder and contributes to the rising rates of obesity experienced by many unsuspecting people.

Fructose Consumption Increased Five-Fold over the Past 100 Years

A century ago, the average daily consumption of fructose was around 15 grams, a far cry from the typical 73 gram dose we receive today. More importantly, the small amount eaten by our ancestors was largely from fruit, where the fructose is bound to fiber and isn’t released to the bloodstream as quickly. By contrast, today we consume mostly high fructose corn syrup which has been artificially produced in a laboratory, and exerts a much higher degree of metabolic dysfunction in this ultra concentrated form.

Reduce Fructose to Avoid Cancer, Assist Weight Loss

Food manufacturers have been using high fructose corn syrup in ever increasing quantities as an inexpensive sweetener for the past 40 years, with obesity levels and fructose sensitive cancers increasing in linear proportion. The only way to purge this unnatural poison from your food supply is to carefully read every nutrition label for the presence of corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup and the newly coined marketing term, corn sugar. Avoid any sweetened soft drinks and especially fruit juices, as well as all processed or prepared foods. You’ll find fructose in one of its many forms in virtually every type of food which has been manufactured for mass consumption.

Excess dietary fructose has been shown to contribute to metabolic dysfunction, increased abdominal fat storage and the proliferation of many forms of deadly cancers. Individuals who know they are insulin resistant, pre-diabetic or have been diagnosed with cancer should drastically limit fruit intake and eliminate high fructose corn syrup entirely. Health conscious individuals will want to carefully monitor the amount of fructose they eat to avoid the significant health concerns attributable to this simple fruit sugar.

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Posted in: Cancer,Diet and Nutrition,High Fructose Corn Syrup,weight loss

Follow a Paleo Diet for Natural Weight Loss

(Article first published as Top Reasons You Can’t Lose Weight, Part II on Technorati.)

It’s no secret that American waistlines continue to expand, despite regular headlines about the dire health consequences of excess body fat. We eat too much sugar, refined carbohydrates, junk food, fast food and hydrogenated trans fats. Compare our modern diet to that of our evolutionary ancestors and you’ll quickly see why we’re putting our lives in peril every time we eat.

Cave Men Set Our Dietary Genes in Stone     

The food we eat every day sends powerful chemical messages throughout our body which directly influence our genes. This happens with every meal, as we switch our genes either toward health or disease with every bite of food. We were never intended to eat massive quantities of processed foods laced with sugar, salt and fat that many people consume throughout the day.

Like it or not, we are a product of evolution and our genes are switched toward health and natural weight loss when we eat a diet similar to our Paleolithic brethren. Information reported in the Chicago Tribune reveals the importance of eating closer to the way nature intended to significantly reduce the risk of disease and drop the excess weight which packs on as a consequence of our poor culinary habits.

It’s important to understand the reasons behind the obesity epidemic which keep us from losing weight. Once we understand the powerful genetic influence our diet exerts over fat storage and mobilization in our body, we can make simple dietary changes to achieve our healthy weight loss goal.

Reason 1 – Too Much Sugar and Fructose

As the genes we carry today were being coded thousands of generations ago, sugar was virtually nonexistent, and fructose from fruit was a rare treat which bore little resemblance to the highly cultivated sweet fruit we buy on store shelves today. From a metabolic perspective, our body has difficulty processing the great amounts of sugar we consume, and most is converted into triglycerides (blood fat) and then stored as fat.

Research demonstrates that fructose, and especially high fructose corn syrup used in so many sweetened beverages, has an even more disruptive effect on fat metabolism. Reading nutritional labels is the best way to avoid added sugar. Cut out desserts, sugary soft drinks and sweet snacks, and be mindful of condiments like ketchup which are loaded with sugar.

Reason 2 – Refined Carbohydrates and Wheat

In between meal snacks and junk food can account for up to 40% of our daily calories, and these are typically high calorie foods with no nutritional value. Chips, fries and breads are immediately broken down by our efficient digestive system into glucose which hits our blood stream hard, and ultimately leads to metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and diabetes. Wheat has only been in our food supply for the last 5,000 years, and genetically we haven’t yet evolved to eat wheat based foods.

Wheat is foreign to the body, and causes our immune system to spring into action every time we dine on breads or pasta, resulting in systemic inflammation which leads to heart disease and certain forms of cancer. Replace wheat with fresh vegetables, nuts and healthy monounsaturated fats which promote health and natural weight loss.

Reason 3 – Hydrogenated and Trans Fats

Hydrogenated and trans fats are artificially produced substances designed to boost the shelf life of many foods and appeal to our natural taste for fat. Fat is essential to our health, and one of the biggest mistakes many people make is trying to eliminate it from their diet. Our cells use fat to construct membranes which allow nutrients and oxygen to pass freely. Fake fats don’t have the same properties, and encourage disease and weight gain.

Avoid synthesized fats by reading all ingredient labels carefully, and don’t fry anything, as this cooking method produces trans fats from overheated oil. Use healthy fats from extra virgin olive oil and flax seed sources, adding them onto your food after cooking to preserve their natural qualities.

Following our evolutionary counterparts may provide an important insight into how we have evolved to eat, and why our present day diet is largely responsible for our declining health and excess weight gain. Our food has a significant impact on our genes, and by cutting unhealthy dietary options we can regain control of our health destiny and lose weight as a natural consequence.

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Posted in: Blood Sugar,Diet and Nutrition,High Fructose Corn Syrup,Obesity,Paleo Diet,Sugar,weight loss

Bad Fats Damage Brain Leading to Obesity

(Article first published as Bad Fat Diets Lead to Obesity on Technorati.)
Diet and exercise are the physical cues which allow our body to function, and the human brain is especially vulnerable to excessive, poor quality calories and lack of physical activity. While the brain remains protected through the blood-brain barrier, it’s still susceptible to damage by the type of foods we eat, environment and level of physical fitness.

The Brain Requires Good Fats

Our brain functions optimally when we eat a properly balanced diet of healthy Omega-3 fats. The modern diet consists of high amounts of synthetically formed trans fats, created by overheating oils for cooking and through hydrogenation to extend the shelf life of foods. When insufficient levels of Omega-3 fats are available for new cell replication, the body is forced to use damaging trans fats and metabolic damage ensues.

Bad Fats Linked to Obesity
Decades of dietary abuse is linked with metabolic dysfunction in the brain. Diets rich in artificial fats and sugars (trans fats and high fructose corn syrup) can actually alter the architecture of brain cells leading to poor circulation, lowered metabolism and damage to areas of the brain which control appetite regulation.

Research completed by the Yale Program in Integrative Cell Signaling and Neurobiology of Metabolism demonstrate that there is a predisposed genetic link in certain individuals which make them more vulnerable to altered brain function due to years of dietary abuse.

Medical researchers agree that while reversing obesity caused by metabolic brain damage can be a daunting task, weight loss is possible by reconditioning the brain through proper nutrition, aerobic exercise and targeted supplementation.

Step 1: Proper Nutrition Controls Appetite Regulation

Diet has a significant impact on brain circulation and function. Eating excessive amounts of calories manufactured in a food laboratory restricts brain circulation, leading to physical alterations in the brain which control appetite. When the brain is no longer able to read the chemical signals to stop eating, significant weight gain ensues.

The important point is that the process can be reversed by slowly transitioning to a natural diet which eliminates synthetic fats in favor of a properly balanced Omega-6 to Omega-3 fat ratio no higher than 4:1. This will allow the brain to begin the healing process as it preferentially incorporates healthy Omega-3 fats and restores metabolic balance.

Step 2: Take Your Brain Out for a Walk

Exercise is required to keep muscles toned and for insulin regulation, but regular physical activity is especially important to brain health. Exercise not only promotes healthy circulation in the brain, but also triggers the release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, positively impacting spirit, and lowering risk of depression. Physical activity improves mood and provides the motivation to lose weight.

Step 3: Targeted Brain Nutrition
The brain has very specific nutritional requirements for optimal health, and specially targeted supplemental support can ensure that those needs are satisfied. At the top of the list are EPA and DHA Omega-3 fats from fish oil.

The brain prefers to use DHA for cellular construction, but will resort to inferior fats when DHA is not present. Information from the Yale research indicates that brain structure can be remodeled, assisting in weight loss, and DHA could be a critical link in the healing process.

Research shows that while obesity rates continue to escalate, our diet, fitness level and brain health are all contributors to the epidemic. Although some individuals may be genetically prone to obesity, the problem is largely caused by decades of poor diet, resulting in altered brain circulation and metabolism.

Fortunately the brain has an amazing capacity to heal, providing a solution to a problem which threatens the health of millions, and leads to natural weight loss.

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Posted in: Diet and Nutrition,Exercise Benefits,Genes,High Fructose Corn Syrup,Omega-3 Fats,weight loss

Steps to Cancer Prevention

(Article first published as Best Cancer Prevention Steps on Technorati.)

Cancer is the second leading cause of death among Americans, yet many people are unaware of the cause of this devastating disease, and that they can control the risk factors which lead to cancer initiation and development. Cancer is a disease caused largely by poor lifestyle choices and external factors. While genetics can play a role by influencing a predisposition toward cancer, disease prevention is within our control.

Sugar and Fructose Feed Cancer Cells

Doctors and medical researchers have known for years that cancer cells thrive on simple table sugar, or glucose, but information published in the journal Cancer Research indicates that fructose (fruit sugar) not only helps cancer cells to survive, but allows them to proliferate and multiply at a much higher rate.

High fructose corn syrup is a supercharged form of fructose used in virtually all sweetened soft drinks and processed foods which fuels cancer growth, particularly pancreatic cancer, a lethal form of the disease. Fructose is just one of the many lifestyle choices and environmental factors we’re exposed to which lead to toxic overload and the development of cancer.

Immune System Overload Leads to Cancer

Our immune system is quite effective at detecting and snuffing out rogue cancer cells which are present in our bodies every day. As we age, and tax our natural defenses with a never ending assault of chemical food additives and nutrient-poor diet, our immunity breaks down, allowing cancer cells to develop. Many people have adopted a strategy to clean up their diet and environment in an effort to lower the risk of cancer by following these steps.

Step 1: Sweep out the Sugar

Information from this study makes it clear that eliminating sugar, and specifically fructose, can dramatically lower your cancer risk by limiting the cancer cells preferred energy source. It’s important to note that many processed carbohydrates quickly turn to glucose after eating, and provide a ready source of glucose to fuel cancer growth. It’s necessary to severely limit or eliminate sugars and refined carbs in all their different forms to lower cancer risk.

Step 2: Make it Organic, Cut the Chemicals

When purchasing fruits and vegetables, you should choose organic whenever possible. Many types of produce are laced with pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and other toxins which must be filtered by your body when eaten. The body stores these poisons in fat cells where they remain for decades Eventually, your immune system is no longer able to fight off a lifetime of toxic assaults and cancer is allowed to progress.

Step 3: Live Clean, Breathe Clean, Drink Clean

Tap water in many communities is a significant source of contamination. EPA levels for heavy metal and chlorine allow a continual source of poisons to filter through our cells. Install a reverse osmosis filter system for all drinking water and use a carbon-based shower head filter to lower the effect of breathing evaporated chemicals found in most public water systems.

We’re continually exposed to a barrage of potentially harmful chemicals from household cleaning products to personal care items and vehicle emissions in the air we breathe. While a small amount of exposure is inevitable, it’s possible to reduce the amount of contaminant exposure by choosing naturally produced cleaners and cosmetics, and be sure to read labels carefully. Chances are if you can’t pronounce an ingredient, it’s a cause for concern.

The amount of sugar in our diet is a controllable risk factor for the development of cancer. Identifying and eliminating sugar and other environmental and chemical risk factors is not an easy task, yet the health benefits are enormous. Cancer takes the lives of hundreds of thousands of people much too early each year. Every person can feel assured by the knowledge that cancer risk is within their control, and that it’s never too late start a campaign toward a clean and healthy cancer-free lifestyle.

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Posted in: Cancer,Diet and Nutrition,Genes,High Fructose Corn Syrup,Refined Carbs,Sugar

Eliminate Sugar, Reduce Fat and Lose Weight

(Article first published as Tips to Help Eliminate Sugar From Your Diet on Technorati.)

Infants, children and adults alike have evolved to desire the taste of sugar. Natural sugar from fruits provides a healthy source of calories which was an advantage during our evolution, and fruit is packed with antioxidants that help fight disease and cellular damage. There’s even some evidence that sugar can be addictive, as it stimulates dopamine receptors in the brain.

Excess Sugar Converts to Stored Body Fat

The results of a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association show that people who eat the most sugar, regardless of the source, have the highest blood triglycerides combined with the lowest protective HDL cholesterol levels. This is bad news because triglycerides (a dangerous form of fat in the blood) can significantly increase the risk of heart disease. Further, excess triglycerides cause metabolic imbalance, leading to diabetes and triggering the dangerous conversion of sugar to body fat.

People trying to lose weight and improve their health need to make a concentrated effort to drastically limit sugar in their diet. While this may seem a daunting task, there are useful tips you can follow to purge sugar consumption, while improving blood lipids and the release of fat from storage in the body.

Sugar Busting Tip 1: Dump Sweetened Beverages
Sugar from sweetened drinks and fruit juices accounts for nearly half the sugar consumed each day for many people. Of primary concern is the fact that much of this sugar is from high fructose corn syrup, a super-charged synthetic form of sugar linked to increased risk of diabetes and pancreatic cancer. Opt instead for water or tea, and sweeten with stevia which is a natural sugar alternative.

Sugar Busting Tip 2: Drop Refined Carbs
Sugar comes in many forms, including the obvious – candy, baked goods, ice cream and cakes, to the hidden sugars tucked away in breads, pastas, potatoes and most grains. All have the same blood sugar disturbing effect on your metabolism, pushing your body toward fat storage, weight gain and disease.
Learn to read nutritional labels, paying close attention to total carbohydrates and sugars. Always fill yourself up first with fresh vegetable and meat sources so you’re less likely to splurge on those sugary treats which pack on the pounds.

Sugar Busting Tip 3: Look for Hidden Sugar

Most people know how to identify the most common high sugar culprits, but sugar can be hiding in places you’d never think to look. Be careful with gum, cough syrup, mints, ketchup, tomato sauce, baked beans and lunch meats, as these all pack a sugar punch. Be mindful that sugar can slide through under many different aliases such as sucrose, dextrose, corn syrup, cane juice, glucose and honey. All will derail your weight loss journey.

Extensive research points to the incontrovertible fact that sugar should not be part of your diet. Glucose feeds cancer cells, and a high sugar intake can promote tumor growth. Sugar disrupts your metabolism causing blood sugar swings and ultimately metabolic disorder and excess body fat, and this process starts in our children from a young age. Bust sugar from your life and benefit from lowered disease risk, improved health and naturally mediated weight loss.

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Posted in: Diet and Nutrition,High Fructose Corn Syrup,Refined Carbs,Sugar,weight loss

Avoid These Foods After Exercise to Burn More Fat

(Article first published as Foods to Avoid after Exercise on Technorati.)

People understand the importance of combining proper diet, psychological motivation and regular physical activity in their quest to lose weight. Most are shocked to find out that certain food combinations eaten after exercise may actually sabotage any weight loss benefit by disrupting the way fat is metabolized after a training session.

Professional athletes know the importance of eating plenty of fast burning carbohydrates before training or competing to provide an immediate supply of energy. According to a study in the Journal of Applied Physiology, you should eat low carb after an aerobic workout to enhance insulin sensitivity and optimize the storage and release of body fat.

No Carbs for 2 Hours after Exercise

Further information from HGH Magazine underscores the importance of avoiding sugary drinks, especially fruit juices containing fructose after exercise. Physiologists measuring the levels of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) for the 2 hour period after exercise note that a significant decline is observed when sweetened drinks are consumed during this time.

Increased HGH production is an important benefit of aerobic activity, as it enhances fat metabolism for hours after training. To receive the most benefit from your fitness routine, it’s important to limit calories from high glycemic and quick release carbs. Avoid these foods, and you’ll find you’re able to hit your weight loss goal much faster, as you improve the efficiency of your fat burning metabolism.

Sweetened Drinks and Fruit Juices

Drinking sugary drinks after a vigorous workout is one of the worst mistakes made by most people exercising to stay healthy and lose weight. One of the important effects of exercise is to dip into your fat reserves to release energy for use during and after training. This benefit is lost when a ready supply of sugar is flooded into the body from drink.

Sugar from soft drinks and fructose from fruit juice have the same dampening effect on your metabolism. Many of the sports drinks available also contain sugar, so it’s important to read the label before consuming. Experts suggest that water is your best bet to rehydrate after exercise, and another smart choice would be unsweetened iced tea.

Researchers have discovered that the fat burning process usually begins after the session ends. Work to preserve your natural HGH levels which are heightened after physical activity, and avoid insulin resistance. Don’t miss out on this essential exercise benefit, and reduce your risk of metabolic disorders such as diabetes at the same time.

Pasta, Breads, Candy and Junk Foods
After a strenuous exercise session, people instinctively want to eat. The body sends a special signal to the brain for food, and many people head for a quick snack, typically something high in sugar and carbs. While this type of eating is unhealthy for anyone concerned about their health and losing weight, it‘s especially detrimental post workout, as it will negate many of the positive benefits from your efforts.

All refined carbs, including breads, pasta, snacks and candy instantly turn to sugar when eaten and have the same effect as sweetened drinks. Stick with protein, fat and high fiber foods such as nuts, seeds, meats and vegetables. While these may require a little more time to prepare, they’ll fill you up fast and allow you to maximize the benefits of your training.

You can avoid the pitfalls made by so many people who rely on exercise to stay healthy and lose weight. Avoid all sweetened drinks and processed carbs which have a devastating effect on your fat burning metabolism and HGH level. Substitute water and naturally low carb foods in the 2 hour post workout period to optimize the weight loss and health benefits from your exercise sessions.

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Posted in: Blood Sugar,Diet and Nutrition,Exercise Benefits,High Fructose Corn Syrup,weight loss

Top Foods That Halt Weight Loss

(Article first published as Top Foods to Kick for Weight Loss Success on Technorati.)

The rampant marketing of health destroying foods is responsible for the vast majority of overweight and obese Americans. Junk foods laced with high fructose corn syrup, trans fats and refined carbohydrates have become the core of the American diet, causing metabolic imbalance and excess fat storage around the abdomen.

The New York Times reports the results of a study from the International Journal of Obesity, indicating that obese people have rapidly declining health after the age of 40. This is based on the fact that 60% of those who were found to be obese were receiving prescription medications for a variety of conditions related to their weight.

These finding are certainly not surprising considering that obesity is directly linked to increased risk of heart disease, heart attack, diabetes, stroke, dementia, certain cancers, elevated triglycerides and oxidized LDL cholesterol. While obesity threatens the health and lives of millions, there’s reason for hope.

Losing as little as 5 to 10% of total weight can reverse many of the detrimental effects of obesity and restore good health. There are a number of foods lurking in every kitchen which will derail the best weight loss efforts – avoid these foods and you’ll be well on the road to reaching your weight loss goal.

Soda and Sweetened Beverages
The number one source of excess calories, soft drinks and fruit juices are packed with nutritionless calories and high fructose corn syrup. These calories are particularly evil as they’ve been shown to encourage fat storage around the abdomen.

Alcoholic Beverages

Alcoholic beverages contain no nutrients and are high in calories. Alcohol is broken down in the liver to fatty acids which are then available for storage in the liver leading to fatty liver disease and eventually to cirrhosis.

Mayonnaise and Margarine Spreads
Spreads are another weight loss buster, loaded with trans fats created during the manufacturing process. Don’t fall for the latest marketing efforts of some manufacturers indicating their product is made with healthy Omega-3 fats. These fats are unstable once processed and of no benefit to you.

Processed Deli Meats

Deli meats are as far from a natural meat source as you can find. Aside from the fact you have no idea what ingredients are in each slice, they’re loaded with excessive amounts of sodium and cancer causing nitrites.

Sausage and Hot Dogs
Hot dogs may be an American staple, but they’re loaded with calories and along with sausage and other processed meats have been implicated with a 40% increased risk of digestive cancers. They’re inexpensive and taste great, but these meats will derail your quest for weight loss.

Salad Dressings
Most salad dressings are filled with sugar (from HFCS) and trans-fats. They’ll quickly turn a healthy salad into a caloric time bomb. Make your own salad dressing using olive oil, lemon, vinegar and spices which will enhance the natural flavor of the vegetables, rather than overpower your greens with a veil of artificial flavors.

Many people understand the importance of losing weight, evidenced by the fact that 70% are dieting at any given time. Studies confirm that obesity sharply increases disease risk and requires the use of medications in an attempt to manage pending illness. Eliminate critical ‘danger foods’ from your kitchen, and you’ll be on the path to healthy weight loss and improved quality of life.

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Posted in: Child Obesity,Diabetes,Diet and Nutrition,Heart Disease,High Fructose Corn Syrup,weight loss

Cut High Fructose Corn Syrup to Lose Weight

(Article first published as Is High Fructose Corn Syrup Linked to Diabetes and Abdominal Fat? on Technorati.)

As Americans continue to fight a losing battle in the war against abdominal fat, newly emerging information from the Endocrine Society implicates high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) with the metabolic disorder which leads to diabetes and storage of fat around the waist. HFCS is found in virtually every processed food and drink available on grocery store shelves because it’s inexpensive to produce, and readily available due to government subsidies.

Extensive research reveals that HFCS is metabolized much differently than regular sugar by the body. Although HFCS contains about the same amount of calories as sugar, the calories don’t register as being consumed by the brain, causing you to eat more before you feel full. Additionally, HFCS consumed from an early age affects the immature fat cells, forcing higher numbers to become mature abdominal fat cells in adult life.

HFCS promotes belly fat from early childhood, a problem with significant health implications considering the massive amounts of sweetened, processed foods and soft drinks consumed by children and teens. This research underlines the critical importance of eliminating HFCS from our diet at an early age, allowing our metabolism to release stored fat and lose weight naturally. Follow these steps to flush HFCS from your diet.

Step 1: Eliminate Soft Drinks and Fruit Juices

Americans consume nearly 45 pounds of HFCS every year, and one of the primary sources is sweetened beverages. Soft drinks and fruit juices contain between 150 and 200 calories per serving, and those calories don’t register as part of the total caloric intake for the day. This means that calories from HFCS sweetened drinks are much more likely to be stored directly as abdominal fat, making it very difficult to lose weight. Substitute water and tea which can be sweetened with the natural sweetener stevia, if necessary.

Step 2: Avoid Fast Foods and Processed Foods
Fast food is notorious for providing little nutritional value, and it’s loaded with HFCS in items you may not even suspect. In an effort to make their offerings more appealing to the taste buds, fast food makers pump high fructose corn syrup into shakes, salad dressings, chocolate milk, condiments, hamburger buns and even certain meats have been injected with the sweetener.

Virtually all processed and refined foods are laced with high amounts of the obesity sweetener. Read nutritional labels on all processed food items with a special eye on ketchup, pancake and cake mixes, luncheon meats and hot dogs. Substitute foods in their natural form which haven’t been created in a food manufacturing lab. Choose not to be a test subject in this very dangerous experiment.

Step 3: Choose 100% Organic Foods
Choose foods that remain in their most natural form which are typically found in the outer aisles in most food markets. When reading labels, look for ‘100% organic’, as this is your only guarantee no HFCS or other chemical contaminants have been added. Fill up on plenty of raw, leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds and unprocessed meats to avoid the temptation from HFCS laced foods. Be careful to limit fruit consumption, as fructose is fruit sugar, and in excess can cause many of the same problems as its processed twin.

High fructose corn syrup is a metabolically active, unnatural sweetener which has been shown to alter the normal distribution of fat in the body. Humans didn’t evolve to process calories from HFCS, as it has only been in the food supply for the last 40 years. Help children and your family develop a healthy diet which is free of HFCS by reading all food labels and avoiding fast and processed foods, sugary drinks and fruit juices. Weight loss will be a welcome side effect as belly fat is naturally released and health is rapidly restored.

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Posted in: Diabetes,Diet and Nutrition,High Fructose Corn Syrup,weight loss