"You need to lose ten pounds. Cut out the high fructose corn syrup." When my annual physical ended with these words from my doctor, I was intrigued. First because I knew I needed to lose a lot more than ten pounds (he's always been a very kind man) and second because I had always associated high fructose corn syrup with regular sodas, something I didn't indulge in very often. I walked away from that appointment with his words resounding in my head, but, fortunately, I have an undisputed talent for putting off things I really need to do, so I mostly forgot about it.
Then one day not too long after that, my husband sent me a link to a video. A pediatric endocrinologist was lecturing on high fructose corn syrup and what it does in the human body and its role in the ever-expanding waistlines of our society. Being in the medical field myself, I watched the video and listened intently to his presentation, fascinated by the science and the physiology of digestion. I carried away the vague impression that the stuff wasn't really good for you, but I was willing to, once again, file that bit of information in the far recesses of my brain from where it would probably never surface again.
Lucky for me, my husband was a lot more health conscious than I was at the time, and he decided to stop eating the stuff. "Great", I thought, sure that this new health fad of his wouldn't last long. I was really confident that he would find out for himself that this doctor was just another health nut who derived some sort of perverse pleasure out of worrying people into drinking diet soda. But I was nothing if not supportive, and we began the arduous task of examining the contents of our refrigerator and kitchen cupboards.
I was shocked. I could not believe just how many of the foods we ate on a regular basis contained high fructose corn syrup. Some things were kind of obvious - sodas, pancake syrup, ice cream, and other sweet treats. But some things weren't obvious at all. As we continued to forage and read labels, we found the sweetener in breakfast cereal, soda crackers, spaghetti sauce, bread, bagels, coffee creamer, juice, jelly, jams - the list goes on and on. I was absolutely stunned at how prevalent it was in nearly everything we ate, and I decided right then that I would heed my doctor's instructions and cut the stuff out of my diet.
Which was easier said than done. We found it was very difficult to find things that fit our new dietary standards. Bread was a big challenge, and finding hamburger buns without high fructose corn syrup was so hard that I finally started making them at home. We had to start buying some things from the organic section of the store, and, because our grocery budget can be a little unforgiving at times, some things we just do without.
And the benefits? Incredible! But before I list those, I want to emphasize that I have not stopped eating sweets. I love them. I just choose things now that are sweetened with regular sugar. I know it sounds like it wouldn't make a difference - after all, the corn growers are constantly telling us that sugar is sugar. But I have personally seen major differences in my health simply by changing my sweetener to all natural sugar, and here are some of them.
1) I have lost weight. In the past three months I have dropped nearly fifteen pounds. Granted, I have consciously been trying to lose weight. But I eat ice cream nearly every night, eat no artificial sweeteners, and have not cut sweets out of my diet. And I am successfully losing weight in a way that I feel is realistic and sustainable. My husband has lost almost twenty-five pounds.
2) My craving for sweets has drastically diminished. I used to be able to sit down and eat an entire package of cookies, candy, cake - fill in the blank. Now, when I do have something sweet to eat, I find that I am more easily satisfied, there's no weird aftertaste in my mouth, and I don't have that insatiable craving for more.
3) My grocery bill has decreased. As I peruse the isles of the store reading labels and searching for products that do not contain high fructose corn syrup, I find that I don't buy a lot of things I used to buy. Yes, I've had to sacrifice a little time and make things from scratch at home if I can't find a store-bought product that meets our standards, but we don't make as many impulse purchases as we used to which, in turn, keeps our grocery bill down.
4) I have more energy. My blood sugar levels stay more stable and I no longer have those spikes of energy followed by the crash that ultimately led me to eat more sweets to try to keep the energy flowing. It was a vicious cycle I thought I would never be able to break, but I have.
5) For the first time in nearly ten years, my liver function tests are normal. I have a chronic condition that requires me to be on strong medication that effects my liver. For all those years, I thought it was the medication that was making my liver work too hard. But, just six months since I stopped consuming high fructose corn syrup, my liver is functioning normally. I can't explain all the science behind the results, and I can't guarantee it will happen to everyone, but it happened for me.
So, there it is. One simple dietary change has made a huge difference in my life, and I am convinced that others can reap the same benefits. It does take a little extra effort, especially at the beginning, but this change has become second nature to us now. High fructose corn syrup is no longer a part of our diet, and I know we are much better off because of it. So why not give it a try? All you have to lose is a few pounds and maybe a couple of unwanted inches.
