Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts

Thursday, September 18, 2008

High-Fructose Corn Syrup

The evils of trans fats are well known, but what is wrong with high-fructose corn syrup? "It is bad for you," said Mackin, an office manager, insisted, "really unhealthy." But when a journalist pressed for further explanation, she failed. "It is - finally, I'm not sure, but I know that this is not good, "she finally said.

"You sound like those advertisements," laughed her husband Doug.

These advertisements are two points that are the focus of an 18-month campaign, launched this month by the Association of corn refiners (ARC) in an effort to give high fructose, corn syrup -- Public enemy no. 1 to many advocates healthy eating - an image of beauty. In an announcement, a mother pays a glass of red punch in another, a woman offered him a boyfriend colored cherry Popsicle. Both are confronted on the health effects of high fructose corn syrup, but each loan has this response: High-fructose syrup is made from corn, has no artificial ingredients, has the same calories as sugar and is acceptable to eat in moderation.

This is certainly contrary to public perception popular. In our post-World Fast Food Nation, high-fructose corn syrup is to contribute to any reviled by the epidemic of obesity to higher rates of diabetes in children. So, which side is correct: Does the devil or sweets perfectly a wonder of nature?

The answer is somewhere in between, but high-fructose corn syrup is to find defenders of unusual corners. The American Medical Association recently announced its annual report to policy-making meeting in Chicago that high glucose syrup fructose does not contribute to obesity more than sugar or other caloric sweeteners. Even Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, has come to an agreement. He criticized early versions of the ARC advertising campaign for its claims that high fructose corn syrup is a "natural" product. "High-fructose corn syrup begins with cornstarch, which is chemically degraded or enzyme glucose and short-term glucose polymers. Another enzyme is then used to convert the different fractions of glucose to fructose," said Jacobson . "High-fructose corn syrup can not exist in nature." But he admits that the sweetener is a bum rap. "The panel of the harmfulness of high-fructose corn syrup has become one of those urban myths that sounds right, but it is fundamentally wrong. Nutritional, high-fructose corn syrup and sucrose May be identical. "

Even the scientists who first floated the idea of a link between high-fructose corn syrup American and rising rates of obesity are not so sure. Barry Popkin, professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina, and Dr. George Bray of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge issued a very read and cited the paper in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2004 noting that rising high - syrup fructose corn consumption parallel the rising rate of obesity in the USA and have hypothesized that the way fructose is metabolized could only be fattening. But the authors say they are immediately put a theory. It was designed to inspire further study, not a definitive statement.

Nutritionist, author and Food Policy Dean Marion Nestle blog and has written numerous books on the issue and said in response to advertising, "Many people think high fructose corn syrup is the new trans fat. It is not. ... Biochemical, it is roughly the same as table sugar (the two have roughly the same amount of calories and fructose), but it is in everything and Americans eat a lot of it - nearly 60 lb. Per capita in 2006, just under pounds of table sugar. High fructose corn syrup is not a poison, but eat less of any type of sugar is a good idea these days and anything that promotes eating more is not. "

And therein lies the problem. The advertisements say that just as sugar, high fructose corn syrup is not unhealthy when consumed in moderation. But it is difficult to know exactly how much of it we are consuming because it appears that many foods unexpected. "It's in my children vitamins!" Elise said Mackin. Because high-fructose corn syrup extends the shelf life of food, agricultural subsidies and make it less expensive than sugar, it adds to a staggering range of issues, including fruity yogurts, cereals, crackers, ketchup and bread - and in most foods marketed for children. So, unless you make a concerted effort to avoid it, it is quite difficult to consume high fructose corn syrup in moderation. "We did a survey on consumers," said Doug Radi Boulder, Colorado, on the basis of Rudi organic breads, and less than 25% of them realized that high-fructose syrup Corn is commonly used in bread. "

Rudi's has launched its own advertising campaign during the summer, Colorado encourage consumers to read the ingredients and nutritional labels before buying staple foods such as bread. The company aims to get people to choose Rudi, since its breads are free of high fructose corn syrup. "Bread is one of those food products which has a halo of health - water, flour, yeast and salt. All Natural," Radi said, "but today there are often 15 unpronounceable, unnecessary ingredients. "

But where does that leave the average consumer? "I hate advertising," says Doug Mackin, "but they make you think. I am still not convinced. And I prefer to eat all natural products, but I am a little less likely to Freak Out if my child drinks fruit punch at a party. "

Tips To Prevent Diabetes

Diabetes is a metabolic syndrome, an abnormality resulting high level of sugar in the blood. It is generally due to a combination of hereditary and environmental causes. This anomaly May lead to other health problems and this is another reason why you should take steps to manage and treat.

The conventional treatment is focused on fixing the symptom of high blood sugar, rather than treating the underlying disease and is doomed to failure in most cases. Treatments that focus only on reducing sugar in the blood while increasing levels of insulin may in fact exacerbate rather than solve the real problem of poor metabolic which is the origin of diabetes. It just trades one evil for another.

And according to Dr. Mercola natural health article, the solution to diabetes has been available since and remarkably simple. Here are some tips to cure or prevent diabetes:

1. Very limiting or eliminating sugar and grains in your diet.

2. Eat a diet that suits your nutritional type. Although almost all type 2 diabetics need to exchange their grain for other foods, some people will benefit from the use of alternative proteins, while others will use more vegetables that hydrates carbon. Hence, with the reduction of grain and sugar, to determine your nutritional will give you an overview of what foods you should use to replace grains and sugars.

3. Exercise regularly and intensity. It increases the sensitivity of insulin receptors, causing insulin already present to work much more effectively, so that your body does not need to produce as much. I discussed how to use the exercise to your best advantage in the latter article.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Water To Weight Loss And Detoxing

Every day we hear reports that the U.S. population is becoming more and more overweight, and just as often we are faced with a confusing array of diets, pills and other products, all purporting to help us lose weight. Most of these products are not based on sound nutrition. Recently, the benefits of weight loss in water fasting have been touted by some conscious of health, but research does not support this assertion.

Before starting any type of regime, it is a reasonable thing to determine if excessive weight is really. It is easy to recognize overweight, but it is a distinction between overweight and being obese. Excess weight is a person who has a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 29.9, while a person is obese with a BMI of 30 or more.

Some people become overweight because of compulsive eating or food dependency. Drinking ample amounts of water will not help a person lose weight if he / she continues to eat many fried foods and soft things. During water fast a person drinks only water when thirsty. Water fasting is undertaken for spiritual reasons among several religions. Traditionally, Roman Catholics make a swift water before receiving Holy Communion. Muslims and Jews all fast at certain times of the year during special celebrations, while Christians fast whenever they wish.

Some people engaged in water fasting as a means of detoxification of the body, with a weight loss that his ultimate goal. It is believed that water fasting helps the body heal more quickly and that decontamination of juice quickly. The underlying idea is that less energy is used in food digestion, releasing energy for the release of toxins. However, doctors and dieticians warn against this practice, saying that the human body is capable of losing toxins through the skin, liver, colon and kidney. They say that water prolonged fasting are detrimental that the body loses essential nutrients, but also slow down the metabolism.

Proponents of water fasting attribute several health benefits to this type of fast. Among them are:
A. More energy
B. Healthier skin
C. Improved sleep
D. Elimination of headaches
E. Elimination of toxins and stored
F. Weight loss

Another reason given for water that fasting is more fat is burned during a water more quickly the body to tap into its stored fat for energy after the first day of fasting. Finally, it is recommended that water fasting is more effective when accompanied by physical and emotional rest. If this is not possible, a juice fast is recommended