High-Fructose Corn Syrup, What is it?

I think in my first blog post, I made it clear that I am not particularly fond of corn. I feel like that ever since the government started subsidizing corn, the entire food industry was handed over to corn. One of the results of that came from that is High-Fructose Corn Syrup. High-Fructose Corn Syrup is 50 percent fructose, and 50 percent glucose. The result, a liquid cheaper than cane sugar and just as sweet. High-Fructose Corn Syrup is now used to sweeten almost all our foods, and can be found almost everywhere.

Now, High-Fructose Corn Syrup is being criticized in the media right now, and so to defend their right to use it, corporations have formed the Corn Refiners Association. Their argument is that High-Fructose Corn Syrup is being unfairly criticized, and that is in no way worse for us than

cane sugar. They are running ads on television and in magazines supporting this view.

However, their argument is only one side of the coin. Foods that contain High-Fructose Corn Syrup may also contain other products that are worse for us than High-Fructose Corn Syrup.

High-Fructose Corn Syrup is also found in much more foods than it needs to be in, foods that never were sweetened in the past! If High-Fructose Corn Syrup isn't bad for us, then how come it isn't for sale? Why cant we buy it from the local grocery store? How come we can only get cane sugar?

My recommendation is to stay away from High-Fructose Corn Syrup if possible. Doing so you will immediately avoid some of the worst processed foods. The corporations can try to deny it, but you just shouldn't eat High-Fructose Corn Syrup.

Ecology 101

You might have heard the term ecology. You also might have heard the words green and

eco-friendly. But do you actually know they mean?

The general definition of ecology is the study of methods to benefit the earth. This includes limiting the use of toxic chemicals, lessening carbon emissions, and using natural products instead of synthetic products. One reason why ecology is relevant is because you can lead a healthier life. Plus, earth-friendly methods keep the ecosystem in balance, preserving nature.

Now, you might be thinking, "wait I thought this was a food related blog, why are you talking about ecology?" Well, ecology actually does relate to food. Crops are commonly sprayed with chemical pesticides that are harmful to both humans and nature. If you follow eco-friendly lifestyles, you wont eat those chemical-laden vegetables. Also, many foods are shipped all over the world. If we bought locally-grown food, we could cut down of carbon emissions. Even the methods of how you grow vegetables can help the planet. For example, farmers commonly use many nitrogen fertilizers. However, farmers only need one-hundred pounds per acre, but feed their plants more to play it safe. What happens to those extra pounds of fertilizer? Some evaporate into the air to form acid rain. Some of it turns into nitrous oxide, a chemical that increases global warming. Other fertilizer seep down the earth into underground pockets of water. But if we use other methods, such as natural fertilizers or crop rotation, we could greatly reduce those factors.

I hope you have realized how being green extends to your food not just your lifestyle. We can all be a part of the solution to a healthy planet.

The Meat Eater's Dilemma

Meat. Upon hearing that word, some people think about that delicious steak, while others cringe, thinking about how many animals die to supply the meal. The question of whether we should eat meat or not is an age old dilemma.

As I mentioned in the last post, most animals are fed corn and drugged with antibiotics and hormones before they die, which doesn't make that meat very healthy. Also, some methods of killing the animal may be considered cruel. Now, I'm not really an animal activist, but even I wouldn't accept all the things people do to animals. For example, did you know when a chicken is killed, the organs are turned into a "protein meal", which is fed to cows, pigs, and even other chickens. Gross huh? I don't think it takes a genius to realize that chickens are not supposed to eat the organs of other chickens, but moreover, cows and pigs are not made to eat any sort of protein, or any sort of meat. That means we're forcing our animals to eat food that harms instead of helps. When we do that we also compromise our own diet in the food chain.

There are people who think about how they treat their animals and how they kill them. For example, there is this farm in Virginia called Polyface. They treat their animals kindly by giving them access to the outdoors, nice grass to eat, no antibiotics or growth hormones, and overall a comfortable life. And when it comes time to kill them, their death is quick and painless.

That farm shows it is possible to humanely kill an animal. I believe that if an animal was cleanly and humanely processed, then eating meat is alright. Treating an animal well both in raising and killing is an important part of protecting the health and safety of our food. If you like your food clean and healthy, then it is in your best interest to support treating animals humanely. As consumers, we shouldn't support companies that kill animals inhumanely for the sake of our health and for the moral standards of our society.

An Introduction

Wow. I cannot believe what we eat. The food industry certainly is in ruins.

First of all, corn. People view corn to be eaten on the cob on a nice summer day. It's that perfect image. But in reality, corn is in almost every food. Now you might be thinking, "What? How can that be?" Well, corn likes to take on many different forms to get in our food. High-Fructose Corn Syrup is used to sweeten many of our foods, such as soda. That burger meat came from a cow that was fed corn. What about those words in the ingredients, such as maltodextrin, or monosodium glutamate? All corn. Corn now reigns supreme in the food industry. If you look at it, that huge variety of food in the supermarket turns out to be mostly corn.

Also, fast food is a serious problem. People just love to dig into that burger, fries, and 32 oz. Cola, all for a ridiculously low price. Now, as consumers, we think about price as a determining factor in making our dietary choices, but we also must consider quality. Fast food may be cheap, but that burger came from a cow fed with corn that was drugged with unnecessary antibiotics and hormones. Those fries came from potatoes that were continuously sprayed with pesticides and are mostly processed. Plus, that soda has freaking 310 calories! That's 16 percent of the average person's daily recommended amount of calories! Even for a cheap price, you are not getting what you paid for.

The words "natural" and "organic" have become great marketing tools. A lot of foods now claim to be organic. However, the term "organic" is extremely loose, as I've learned. For one thing, the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) does not limit the use of "no growth hormones used" or "Free Range Meat". Also, they usually ship their foods all across the country, burning up fossil fuels. If you really want organic foods, you should try looking at the ingredients of your food or shop from local farmers' markets.

After finding out what truly is in our food, I was shocked. Now, I'm working to inform the people, on blog post at a time. Keep on reading!