Blog #9          What’s Your Drink?  Diet or Regular?

Pepsi. Sorry, we only have Coke. Dang, how about Sprite? Nope, Sierra Mist, oh alright. No, no, Wrong, all wrong!  I don’t get either. If it is a Regular drink, you are taking in HFCS-High Fructose Corn Syrup. If you chose the Diet drink, you are ingesting Aspartame, a (5) chemical mixture in which one of the chemicals turns (once heated) into a formaldehyde-like substance. You know, embalming fluid.  This will be discussed further in future blogs. It is such time to Wake Up. Pardon the colloquial inference.

I expect some blowback on this topic, but it’s time.  It was Summer 2017; I was giving a talk at a local church. Of course, the word was about health/nutrition. I held up a 20 ounce bottled soda [clear, green bottle] and asked one of the guests to read the amount of sugar and carbs. Charles said, “28 grams Sugar & 28 grams Carbohydrates” in a big voice.  The guests were astonished, wow! OK, next question, what’s a Gram? Some well-heeled folks in the group, many with college degrees, and none could answer what constitutes a Gram equivalent.  It happens to be 1/4 teaspoon is equal to (1) Gram.

I’m a visual learner, not too bright; I needed to see this equivalent to make it make sense to me. So, it turns out that the packets of artificial sweeteners are precisely (1) Gram.  You probably shouldn’t consume these either, but it works for demonstration purposes!  Visualize 28 Packets of any of these, then double that—56 Grams of Sugar. By the way, Carbs are sugars too. They must be broken down and metabolized by the liver. In this portal, anything ingested must be scrutinized before being allowed into the bloodstream.  June 2018, I decided to get another bottle, because frankly, I had no idea what happened to it. I think my husband drank it, but who knows. Well, do tell. The Sugar & Carbs have been increased substantially to 64 grams-Sugar and 64 grams-Carbohydrates in one year! I was so sore; I caught myself swearing in the soda aisle, telling anyone who would listen to me, ‘look at this. I realize now; I could have been escorted out of the store for attempting to incite a riot in the soda aisle. The point is, nothing else had changed—same 20-ounce bottle, same serving size. The manufacturer felt the big difference was that the U.S. public needed 2.5x more sweetness than before.

What the heck are Carbohydrates doing in the soda anyway. Weren’t we told that carbs were; potatoes, pasta, rice, bread? Hold up that bottle. Where are the carbs in this straightforward bottle? Here comes the research. Look closely at the label. The first ingredient is HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup). This corn sweetener is not permitted to call itself sugar. It can and is listed under Carbohydrates, but the amount is not given. Since that was too much trouble, can I assume that 64 grams of carbs are all HFCS? Before I joined the bandwagon demonizing the HFCS, let me say, I know we have always had corn starch, and I can remember the corn syrup. My mother added corn syrup to the baby’s formula in a small amount. This HFCS is the artificial answer for the high cost of sugar and a surplus of the corn crop. It is made through a rigorous chemical and enzymatic process to replicate the glucose and fructose molecules found in sugar. It is two to four times sweeter than sugar and .10¢ on the $1.00 cheaper.  Now. There’s a concept, more precious and more affordable.

Glucose + Fructose = sucrose -Table Sugar

Glucose + Fructose (corn)=HFCS

Fructose=Fruits & Veggies

Fructose from HFCS is not readily available to be used as energy in the body. The liver must break it down and store it. Fructose is found in fruits and vegetables, called ‘Fruit sugar.’ In nature, this fructose has fiber and is recognized by the liver. There is some nutritional value. The liver will break down glucose and fructose and turn them into glycogen=sugar, or it gets stored as Fat. A diet rich in HFCS foods will have many areas where the liver will dispatch that product until it can finally be used as energy. Fructose from HFCS gets stored as fat and is to blame for increasing fatty liver disease. Could this be the reason for the unexplained weight gain? We must become vigilant in LABEL Reading. Unknowingly, imagine having this product [HFCS] in two or more meals per day!  The liver gets no rest, and the storage spaces are expanding. Belly, butt, thighs? Toxins are found hiding in the fatty places of our bodies.

This product is why soft drinks have gone from 8-10 ounce bottles I grew up with that contained only sugar. They have been replaced by larger container sizes and affordable pricing to encourage drinking more.  The 16-ounce size is now tiny, and the large size can exceed 24-32 ounces. But I am sure I’m only rehashing what you already know.

What to do Now

My message is simple. If you are getting more for less, you must ask yourself, why? Next question: How much sugar does the body require daily. Answer-None! The body is quite capable of producing its glucose. Our cells require glucose and will have what it needs. The only cells that can not make glucose are Cancer cells. These cells need an external source [You] to provide the glucose.  According to the FDA, children should consume no more than 3-6 tsp of sugar, women 6tsps, men 9 tsp daily. Really?

Here’s what the medical community is saying regarding the daily consumption of drinks, foods laced with HFCS:  Weight Gain/Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, Insulin resistance, strokes, heart attacks, fatty liver, cancer, and now Type 3 Diabetes-Alzheimer’s disease. What will happen to children whose diet consists almost exclusively of HFCS products? Statistics expect 30% of boys and 40% of girls to develop Type 2 diabetes. News Flash! They found out you know what to look for, so they changed the name to throw you off. Examples include maltodextrin, tapioca syrup, maize syrup, dextrose, corn sweetener, etc. It may not be on the front of the box, but check the back before you put that in your cart. “I’m Just Sayin’ “

The FDA reports that 80% of the over 600 thousand food items we consume contain this product.  If you want to rid yourself via detox, know that it will take several weeks, but not impossible. I will continue to ask if this product is as harmless as the industry would like us to believe, why isn’t it on the store shelf like sugar and other sweeteners. Why is it only available to food manufacturers? If you must, and I know I will, eat cakes, pies, cookies, get them from someone who made them at home. Homemade is the only way to rest assured what ingredients are in your food and drinks.

Before you go, just a suggestion. Make your drinks. If you have access to limes, lemons, ginger, and strawberries, it makes a refreshing lemonade—tea bags for iced tea. Organic fruit juices can be diluted for a less intensive drink. Fresh cranberries can be boiled and pureed in a blender for a red fluid. The concentrated liquid can be added to lemon, orange juices for your all-natural drink. I use liquid Stevia as a sweetener. If you have suggestions for soda consumption alternatives, please leave a comment so I can share them with others.  Blessings to you & your Family.

Go to the Source

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/high-fructose-corn-syrup-vs-sugar https://www.quora.com/If-high-fructose-corn-syrup-is-not-sweeter-than-sugar-but-is-ess… https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/88/6/1716S/4617107 www.cbn.com/health/nutrition/reinke_sweeteners.aspx? https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sugar-high-fructose-corn-syrup-worse-for-your-health/ https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-coke-and-pepsi-should_n_707250 https://www.consumeraffairs.com/high-fructose-corn-syrup-warnings-and-lawsuits www.globalhealingcenter.com/‎