Fructose & Other Ingredients in Our Food

Bran Flakes Cereal comes with fructose.

Ingredients for bran flakes cereal.

I have been trying to get healthy.  It is a deep struggle, muddling through the information that is out in the world.  There are so many choices of foods in the supermarket.  I have been praying for God to point me to the truth.  Slowly, I have been digesting the information that is out there.

I had posted about using bran cereal, specifically the one shown above.  I had heard that bran cereal is good for you.  That has not changed.  What has changed is that the particular one above has high fructose in it.  I did not catch that when I bought it; I threw it out immediately, after seeing a lengthy video about fructose.

You can see the video in www.youtube.com.  

Just click on 

Sugar: The Bitter Truth

"Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, explores the damage caused by sugary foods. He argues that fructose (too much) and fiber (not enough) appear to be cornerstones of the obesity epidemic through their effects on insulin. Series: UCSF Mini Medical School for the Public [7/2009] [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 16717]"

The doctor claims that fructose acts like a fat and an alcohol, which hurt your body in countless ways.  He said that there is an epidemic of 6 month old babies, yes, babies, with obesity.  Why?  He claims, with research, that the cereal and juices given through WIC, the program Woman, Infant, and Children, is giving those babies highly sweetened foods.  Further, he shows the chemical reactions that the fructose does to the body, with diagrams, to show how the liver tries to process this terrible ingredient.

That was a full load to learn in one sitting. I saw that hour and a half video. I'll admit that I got lost on the chemistry of the doctor's explanation. I also had a whole load of emotions.  I recommend that everyone see this video; you will then understand my frustration.

I am trying to get healthy.  I am trying to keep my children healthy.  It angers me that I can't get healthy because of the food and their additives. I think I am also saddened that greedy companies don't care about our health, just their money. What do I do with this anger?

 

12 teaspoons of sugar.

12 teaspoons equals almost 1/4 of cup of sugar

 

Anyone who knows my husband, has seen him with his usual can of Pepsi. I had heard that each can of regular Pepsi uses about 10 teaspoons of sugar. I might be wrong; I might be right. I just found a table online that says Pepsi has about 10 teaspoons of sugar. I use about 1-2 teaspoons of sugar for a cup of tea or coffee, but my husband heaps a lot of sugar; I think he might be addicted to sugar.

 

Here is the table I found, which lists other soft drinks as well:

Amount of Sugar in Various Kinds of Soft Drinks

Goober grape that my youngest son loves to eat.

My husband also likes and introduced Goober, which is peanut butter swirled with grape jelly, to my kids. Guess what Goober has? Yes. High fructose corn syrup is one of the ingredients.  I need to wean my son of off that poison.

Opening my Facebook this morning brought me another piece of information. Supposedly, other "good" ingredients, like added vitamins and minerals are not good for you. In fact, they are considered dangerous. They have been banned in other countries. I'll let you read the article so you can see for yourself:

Breakfast Cereals and Junk Foods - Poison for Our Children

"Andreas Moritz is a writer and practitioner in the field of Integrative Medicine. He is the author of 13 books on various subjects pertaining to holistic health, including The Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush, Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation and Cancer Is Not a Disease. His most recent book is titled 'Vaccine-Nation: Poisoning the Population, One Shot at a Time'."

What is one to think?  What is one to do?  I am putting this information together to inform.  I'm not here to scare anyone.  I am simply using my anger in a positive manner.  

After seeing all of this information, we can do one of two things.  We can pretend that this information is wrong.  We can act on this information.  We can vote for what we really want--fresh food in the form of fruits and vegetables.  We can vote with our dollars by buying the fresh food and growing it ourselves.

How about you, my readers?  What foods are you buying and/or growing?  Are you trying to buy the right snacks?  I know that the information about foods can be quite frustrating.  I pray that you seek out the best foods for the sake of your health.  The children in your life are also depending on you to choose the best foods for them, too.

May God bless you all with His wisdom and peace.  

This is an entry for Medical Mondays.  For past entries, click here.

Disclaimer: The viewpoints that I discussed here are just my opinions.  Please consult your physician before altering anything relating to your health.  I am only suggesting here to take charge of your health.  Don't just leave your health in the hands of your doctors; become your own advocate.  You know best how your body is doing.

 

Healthy Snack Alternatives

Hubby bought me this cake for Mother's Day.

Before I start on today's blog entry, I want to say a little bit about my health condition.  When I am struck with inflammation, I become limited in my mobility.  That leads me to not be able to exercise as I would like.  That's why I am having to discontinue my exercising for the duration that my pain exists.  I will pick up the exercising again as soon as my heath gets better.

The cake I love so much is processed food--not good.

Now that my update has been given, I want to tell you about some plans.  I will start a fast of sorts beginning this Wednesday.  I am hoping to stay away from soda and salty snacks like potato chips.  I am wanting to detox from all the chemicals of processed foods.  I am also wanting to sacrifice the cravings to draw closer to God.

To that end, I present a few healthier snacks that have worked for me.  I hope to keep incorporating these kind of healthy snacks into my life.  My children need me to eat healthier.  I want to be around for them for as long as possible.  They also need these better alternatives.

These cereals can be put into snack bags and eaten without guilt.

I am a big fan of snack bags.  I measure a cup of healthy cereal, like Kashi Cinnamon Harvest and/or plain Cheerios.  I pour the cup into the baggie.  The amount is just right as a single serving.  Once I've eaten all of the cereal in the bag, I am full and do not overeat.

This is a great combo of fruit and cereal.

Here's a wonderful alternative.  I should have included the milk in this picture.  Anyway, you can eat bran cereal and real strawberries with milk.  You can also use bananas.  Bran cereal is a healthier alternative to the sugar-laden cereals and adding the fruit can give you the sweetness you still crave.

A healthy snack to take along in a trip.

Finally, here is a pre-packaged alternative to the sugary snacks-Mott's fruit sauces.  I personally like the Granny Smith apple variety.  My children like the blueberry-flavored sauce.  It says on the label that no sugar has been added to these.  I like that these are individually wrapped and that I can reuse the cups for other projects like seed planting.

Well, I hope that you will continue to pray for me as I work on my health.  I remain optimistic that I can regain my good health.  I will keep praying to God.  I am trusting Him to help me with my health.  I will keep you all updated as to what can be done to squelch the inflammation because I know that many suffer with it, often unknowingly.

How about you, my readers?  Do you snack?  Are you selecting the right snacks?  I hope so.  I pray that you seek out the best snacks for the sake of your health.  The children in your life are also depending on you to choose the best snacks for them, too.

May God bless you all with His wisdom and peace.  

This is an entry for Medical Mondays.  For past entries, click here.

Disclaimer: The viewpoints that I discussed here are just my opinions.  Please consult your physician before altering anything relating to your health.  I am only suggesting here to take charge of your health.  Don't just leave your health in the hands of your doctors; become your own advocate.  You know best how your body is doing.