Friday, February 24, 2012

Label Reader (in the making)

On my quest to detoxify my home and body, I am becoming more and more aware of what I'm feeding my self and my kids.  And WOW, am I learning a ton.  (None of which I'm loving, by the way).  One ingredient that I'm becoming obsessed with is high fructose corn syrup.  It's everywhere! 


The little bit of research that I've done has taught me that this sweetner has the same effects on your body as sugar does.  I originally thought that it was made purely of chemicals, but I was wrong.  HFCS is actually made from real corn, but it goes through very extensive processing.  (And we all know that we are supposed to be staying away from processed foods).  Truthfully, though, sugar is also very highly processed, and that's almost as common and ingredient as HFCS.  So here we go... they're both bad!!!

I've always been very aware of the amount of sugar my kids consume (ok, I admit it, I'm borderline crazy here).  And I have always thought that I've been making good choices for them.  But just 2 weeks of label reading is opening my eyes to a whole new level of understanding.  And now I'm going even more crazy than ever.  What in this world is possibly good enough to feed those growing bodies?!?! 

The 100% whole wheat sandwich bread they've been eating since birth: HFCS! (What?!?)
The Rice Crispies cereal that only has 3 g of sugar per serving: HFCS!
The jelly that was being spread on said sandwich bread: HFCS!

So, ok, now I know.  Sugar intake is inevitable, but the amount they take in is completely in my control. I've got a lot of label reading in my future, and a lot more research to do.  But it's never too late to start. (Right?!?!)  And my kids' minds and bodies will thank me in the long run. 


Have a healthy day,

J

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