You’ve got to be kidding!

I’m not much of a TV watcher. Besides nightly re-runs of “King of Queens” and an occasional ever-perplexing episode of “Lost”, I really have no idea what’s going on out there in TV land. Truthfully, I’m really not interested. I want to experience my own life, not get caught up in someone else’s drama.

Last week however, the TV really did catch my attention. I was making my bed between Boot Camps (you know, as neat as my hubby is, in our 25 years of marriage, I think he’s made it twice) and turned on the TV to try to catch up on the news.

While putting my favorite terry-covered body pillow on the bed, I heard the most blatant deception I have ever experienced in a commercial:

“There is nothing wrong with High Fructose Corn Syrup. It comes from corn and can actually be good for you.”

I nearly tripped on a slipper and passed out.

No wonder we are all confused in America! We’re getting
bombarded on every side with conflicting information.

How about these claims:

1. “Cheerios can help lower your cholesterol”

You’ve got to be kidding. Eating processed grains can actually make your cholesterol rise! Cheerios only has 1 gram of soluble fiber per serving. Ditch the box! Eat the oatmeal, not the highy processed cereal made from oats. Yes, oatmeal is GREAT for you…but the kind God would recognize.

2. “Milk does a body good”

You’ve got to be kidding. Check this link out for some very interesting ideas on milk consumption.

The Milk Letter

Our bodies are not equipped to digest conventional milk. Many of us are intolerant and have no idea that many of our health issues are tied in with pasteurized milk consumption. Did you know that a calf will die after 30 days of drinking pasteurized milk?

If you have to drink milk, organic is a must and raw is a much better choice. My suggestion is to try Lite Almond Milk that has no sugar added.

Commercials are responsible for one thing: Selling us their product. Deception that is duping the public into believing that they’re living a healthy lifestyle is rampant. Sharpen your Baloney detector! Be an informed consumer.

Now, about that High Fructose Corn Syrup.

“There is nothing wrong with High Fructose Corn Syrup. It comes from corn and can actually be good for you.”

You’ve got to be kidding!

The latest stats say that new cases of diabetes have increased by 90% in the last 10 years. That means that diabetes or pre-diabetes will now strike 1 in every 4 Americans!

Scientists have clearly linked, time and time again, the use of HFCS to the epidemics (yes, epidemics) of obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome in America.

But despite all of the hard scientific evidence, the industry persists in claiming these findings are untrue. They feel that HFCS is the same as sugar.

Am I the only one, or does this remind you a bit of the tobacco companies fervent denial of the link between lung cancer and smoking?

Here’s a great video for you to put in your arsenal:

High Fructose Corn Syrup Deception

So, how much High Fructose Corn Syrup is in YOUR diet?
Start reading the labels of the products you have in your home right now. You’ll be shocked to see that it can be found in every type of processed, pre-packaged food that you can think of.

Trying to lose body fat? Check out this research done by Dr. Elizabeth Parks from the UT Southwestern Medical Center.

“Our study shows for the first time the surprising speed with which humans make body fat from fructose. Once you start the process of fat synthesis from fructose, it’s hard to slow it down. The bottom line of this study is that fructose very quickly gets made into fat in your body.”

Trying to improve your overall health? It’s really quite simple. To lose weight and decrease the risk of developing cancer, diabetes, heart disease and many other life-altering illnesses, drink pure water, (distilled is best….but not from the plastic jug), stop drinking soda and processed fruit juices and eat whole foods.

And by all means, refine your baloney detector!

Now, go shut the TV off, will ya?

Enjoying the journey,

Whitney Cabrera BSN, RN