#1 worst carb ever...

And the #1 worst carb ever is...

High Fructose Corn Syrup

Although high fructose corn syrup (called HFCS and “corn sugar”) may sound healthy, it actually is anything but. This dirt cheap, chemically-altered sweetener shuts down leptin, a fat-regulating hormone in your body that is responsible for sending “hunger signals” from your stomach to your brain.

Essentially leptin lets you know when you’re full. And when your brain doesn’t get the message, you keep eating and eating and eating while the manufacturers of high fructose corn syrup, and the products that contain it, keep making more and more and more money.

Here’s an example from a recent study. Test subjects were divided into two groups—one was given a glucose (sugar) beverage to add to their diet, while the other group was given a beverage containing high fructose corn syrup to add to their diets. While both test groups gained weight, the group consuming high fructose corn syrup packed on intra-abdominal fat (or belly fat).

Why is that so startling?

It’s because this particular kind of fat causes diabetes and heart disease. So, not only is high fructose corn syrup causing you to eat more than you should, it is literally putting your health at risk.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average American consumes 42 pounds of HFCS a year. That’s more than 75,000 empty calories that have no nutritional value! What’s more, teenagers are consuming 15 to 20 teaspoons of HFCS a day when they need to be eating nutrient-dense foods for growth and lifelong health.

It’s no wonder that The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition says that HFCS use increased by 4,000% between 1970 and 1990. The manufacturers of HFCS really are cashing in big… just like drug dealers… while America is adding belly fat at a very dangerous rate.

Speaking of a drug, have you ever indulged in a sweet dessert that just wouldn’t fill you up no matter how much you ate? One of those treats that you have no self-control over, like, oh, I don’t know… maybe soft drinks, fruit juices, energy drinks, ice cream, pudding, jellies, most “fat-free” foods, chocolate, crackers, cereals, syrups, candies, or desserts? If that’s the case, you may want to check out the food label. Chances are it contains a large amount of high fructose corn syrup.

And remember, on American food labels ingredients are listed in order of the most abundant to the least. So if, for example, you see HFCS listed anywhere in the first five ingredients, that’s very bad. Instead, you’ll want to choose a version that doesn’t contain HFCS at all.

As an alternative, I recommend using only natural unprocessed sweeteners but be careful here, many healthy alternative sweeteners have also been processed.  Look for the words “RAW”, “Unprocessed”, “Unfiltered”, +”Organic”

 

·         Coconut Sugar

·         Stevia Leaf

·         Honey

·         Agave

It’s important to remember that you should use all sugar alternatives, even “natural/organic” ones, sparingly. Let your body learn that it doesn’t need sweets all the time to be satisfied, and you’ll be on the fast track to better health.

Now, while High Fructose Corn Syrup just may be the #1 worst carb ever, does that mean you should be avoiding ALL carbohydrates? Absolutely not! Carbs aren’t the enemy, just like fat isn’t…these nutrients are a healthy part of any wholesome fat-burning diet.

 

There are many secrets that can be used to help bring out the natural sweetness in foods and drinks without adding any sweeteners at all.  For instance, Cinnamon, when used in the right amounts will actually create a level of sweetness in coffee and oatmeal.  Lemons & limes bring out a hint of sweetness when combined with mint in a bowl of berries or a hot cup of tea.  100% coconut water can be used in a 50/50 portion to ice tea as a sweetener plus it add tons of electrolytes.  I’m not saying that you need to stop using sweeteners all together, but if you are on the road/journey to body transformation then you may want to pay attention how much sweetener you are using and why.