American Medical Association: "High fructose syrup does not appear to contribute more to obesity than other caloric sweeteners"

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Actually you'd be surprised - a lot of these things are fairly quick to make, but people get hooked on the "convenience" that these products provide. You can watch an extra half hour of TV if you just crack open a bottle, rather than make it yourself. Simply its just a case of being organised and prepared.

Its not hard to make your own soup either (probably the easiest thing to make really) but how many people just crack open a can?

There was a Gordon Ramsay show I saw a week or two ago - and he showed how to make Broccoli soup. Easiest thing in the world - Broccoli, water and salt.

I'm not sure that we could be able to regulate sugar content in food unless maybe by a percentage per serving?

Sadly its either going to have to be a consumer-level boycott unless the government steps in to completely limit the amount (yes... percentage to total amount either by serving or by package) of trash we allow ourselves to consume. Unfortunately right now it rests still at the consumer level since we still have the option to make our own foods nearly from scratch.

Consumer choice can be very effective if in fact consumers had a choice. Unfortunately, companies have conglomerated into a select few - they own you from your cereal to the dressing you use on your salad.

Good luck finding a salad dressing that doesn't contain HFCS. I've only found one brand that doesn't - Paul Newman's, but I only ever get the one dressing so it may well be in their others...

I think the sobering reality is the only really healthy way to go is to move away from processed foods - even dressings and make things from scratch, which isn't always easy nor convenient.

Dude!! Not soooo!!

Vinaigrette is probably one of those things that I don't measure to make...

I keep telling myself I'm going to start making ice tea and get rid of the other drinks (mainly 100% fruit juices and Hansen's cane sugar sodas). It's hard to break out of the rut.

I'm glad to say soda is one thing I had no trouble in giving up entirely. I have it occasionally (rum and coke for example) but for the most part I never touch the stuff...

Coffee is my vice of choice, but at least its natural...

[HAL 9000 96]

I'm not sure that we could be able to regulate sugar content in food unless maybe by a percentage per serving?

Sadly its either going to have to be a consumer-level boycott unless the government steps in to completely limit the amount (yes... percentage to total amount either by serving or by package) of trash we allow ourselves to consume. Unfortunately right now it rests still at the consumer level since we still have the option to make our own foods nearly from scratch.

Consumer choice can be very effective if in fact consumers had a choice. Unfortunately, companies have conglomerated into a select few - they own you from your cereal to the dressing you use on your salad.

Good luck finding a salad dressing that doesn't contain HFCS. I've only found one brand that doesn't - Paul Newman's, but I only ever get the one dressing so it may well be in their others...

I think the sobering reality is the only really healthy way to go is to move away from processed foods - even dressings and make things from scratch, which isn't always easy nor convenient.

Dude!! Not soooo!!

Vinaigrette is probably one of those things that I don't measure to make...

I keep telling myself I'm going to start making ice tea and get rid of the other drinks (mainly 100% fruit juices and Hansen's cane sugar sodas). It's hard to break out of the rut.

A certain power juicer I gots is cleanable in 1 minute.

But hey!! Its hot where you are at. Fill up a sun tea jug, put 3-4 baggies in it and let it go by the window... screw that prefab ####### man.

Coke Zero and Rum, FTW.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Coke Zero... What's in that...

The most disgusting thing I ever saw was a tube of fat-free pringles (I'm not even sure if you can still buy these). The tube had a health warning on it that you can get diarrhea from eating them...

I'm not sure that we could be able to regulate sugar content in food unless maybe by a percentage per serving?

Sadly its either going to have to be a consumer-level boycott unless the government steps in to completely limit the amount (yes... percentage to total amount either by serving or by package) of trash we allow ourselves to consume. Unfortunately right now it rests still at the consumer level since we still have the option to make our own foods nearly from scratch.

Consumer choice can be very effective if in fact consumers had a choice. Unfortunately, companies have conglomerated into a select few - they own you from your cereal to the dressing you use on your salad.

Good luck finding a salad dressing that doesn't contain HFCS. I've only found one brand that doesn't - Paul Newman's, but I only ever get the one dressing so it may well be in their others...

I think the sobering reality is the only really healthy way to go is to move away from processed foods - even dressings and make things from scratch, which isn't always easy nor convenient.

Dude!! Not soooo!!

Vinaigrette is probably one of those things that I don't measure to make...

I keep telling myself I'm going to start making ice tea and get rid of the other drinks (mainly 100% fruit juices and Hansen's cane sugar sodas). It's hard to break out of the rut.

A certain power juicer I gots is cleanable in 1 minute.

But hey!! Its hot where you are at. Fill up a sun tea jug, put 3-4 baggies in it and let it go by the window... screw that prefab ####### man.

Coke Zero and Rum, FTW.

I reccommend Good Earth tea (the original blend). It makes the best iced tea and its naturally (slightly) sweet.

[HAL 9000 96]

Coke Zero... What's in that...

The most disgusting thing I ever saw was a tube of fat-free pringles (I'm not even sure if you can still buy these). The tube had a health warning on it that you can get diarrhea from eating them...

I'm not sure that we could be able to regulate sugar content in food unless maybe by a percentage per serving?

Sadly its either going to have to be a consumer-level boycott unless the government steps in to completely limit the amount (yes... percentage to total amount either by serving or by package) of trash we allow ourselves to consume. Unfortunately right now it rests still at the consumer level since we still have the option to make our own foods nearly from scratch.

Consumer choice can be very effective if in fact consumers had a choice. Unfortunately, companies have conglomerated into a select few - they own you from your cereal to the dressing you use on your salad.

Good luck finding a salad dressing that doesn't contain HFCS. I've only found one brand that doesn't - Paul Newman's, but I only ever get the one dressing so it may well be in their others...

I think the sobering reality is the only really healthy way to go is to move away from processed foods - even dressings and make things from scratch, which isn't always easy nor convenient.

Dude!! Not soooo!!

Vinaigrette is probably one of those things that I don't measure to make...

I keep telling myself I'm going to start making ice tea and get rid of the other drinks (mainly 100% fruit juices and Hansen's cane sugar sodas). It's hard to break out of the rut.

A certain power juicer I gots is cleanable in 1 minute.

But hey!! Its hot where you are at. Fill up a sun tea jug, put 3-4 baggies in it and let it go by the window... screw that prefab ####### man.

Coke Zero and Rum, FTW.

I reccommend Good Earth tea (the original blend). It makes the best iced tea and its naturally (slightly) sweet.

Yes you definitely got the joke...

My tea tends to be Green tea bought at the Japanese supermarket I go to from time to time...

With rum I pretty much stick to regular coca cola and all its phosphoric acid glory... or just freshly squeezed OJ.

Edited June 30, 2008 by maviwaro

[one...two...tree 2,762]

This isn't good.

A Sweet Deal for the Corn Industry?

Mexican soft drinks are legendarily made with real cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup—but that could all change next year, thanks to a NAFTA provision. A Minnesota congressman may be the last hope for corn-free cola.

Mexican soft drinks are somewhat legendary for being made with real cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup—but that could all change next year, thanks to a 2006 addendum to NAFTA's sugar policy. Under that agreement, Mexico was supposed to partially open its markets to U.S. HFCS exporters this year, with full-on free trade coming in January 2008. Since many south-of-the-border beverage makers would likely switch to the cheap, eerily tongue-coating syrup, it would seem that the clock is ticking on corn-free cola. But on Monday, House ag committee chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) released a draft proposal that would extend the current restrictions until 2012, as FarmPolicy.com reports. (Yeah, I'm on the listserv—what about it?!) And judging from recent industry testimony before Peterson's committee, U.S. corn pushers would be none too happy if his proposal passed. Check out some of these funny turns of phrase:

We will no longer be able to limit imports of sugar from Mexico effective January 1, 2008. If imports of Mexican sugar are restricted in any way, exports of corn sweeteners will be held hostage. the top export market for HFCS has been Mexico, our North American Free Trade Agreement partner. Regrettably, our industry has been embroiled in a ten year HFCS dispute with Mexico, in large part because the United States limited Mexico's sugar access during this period. In short, corn sweeteners became the victim in a #######-for-tat trade dispute.

End this senseless persecution of corn sweeteners! Free the fructose! Never thought I'd hear those arguments.

http://www.chow.com/grinder/tag/hfcs

[HAL 9000 96]

Indeed that would be a sad day for our taste buds.

So what would happen with the extra cane? Sugar fuel??

[Sister Fracas 5]

Indeed that would be a sad day for our taste buds.

So what would happen with the extra cane? Sugar fuel??

Mavi, where you goin' on vacation???

[HAL 9000 96]

Indeed that would be a sad day for our taste buds.

So what would happen with the extra cane? Sugar fuel??

Mavi, where you goin' on vacation???

Oh sowwy... Colombia and all kinds of unprocessed foods await!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

At least we're not eating "luxury" canned foods like they had in the 18th century, where the cans were made out of lead and sailors got poisoned (which is what happened to that Arctic Explorer ship - The Terror I believe).

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

I agree that the american palate has become far too accustomed to sweetness. When I was there everything I ate tasted sweet to me, and others around me just couldn't taste it. Sweetness and extra salt was much harder to avoid than here in Ireland or the UK.

I still don't understand the US's sugar policy. I don't understand any of those weird secret deals they do. Where's Morgan Spurlock when you need him.

[Scott & Lai 12]

This isn't good.

A Sweet Deal for the Corn Industry?

Mexican soft drinks are legendarily made with real cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup—but that could all change next year, thanks to a NAFTA provision. A Minnesota congressman may be the last hope for corn-free cola.

Mexican soft drinks are somewhat legendary for being made with real cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup—but that could all change next year, thanks to a 2006 addendum to NAFTA's sugar policy. Under that agreement, Mexico was supposed to partially open its markets to U.S. HFCS exporters this year, with full-on free trade coming in January 2008. Since many south-of-the-border beverage makers would likely switch to the cheap, eerily tongue-coating syrup, it would seem that the clock is ticking on corn-free cola. But on Monday, House ag committee chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) released a draft proposal that would extend the current restrictions until 2012, as FarmPolicy.com reports. (Yeah, I'm on the listserv—what about it?!) And judging from recent industry testimony before Peterson's committee, U.S. corn pushers would be none too happy if his proposal passed. Check out some of these funny turns of phrase:

We will no longer be able to limit imports of sugar from Mexico effective January 1, 2008. If imports of Mexican sugar are restricted in any way, exports of corn sweeteners will be held hostage. the top export market for HFCS has been Mexico, our North American Free Trade Agreement partner. Regrettably, our industry has been embroiled in a ten year HFCS dispute with Mexico, in large part because the United States limited Mexico's sugar access during this period. In short, corn sweeteners became the victim in a #######-for-tat trade dispute.

End this senseless persecution of corn sweeteners! Free the fructose! Never thought I'd hear those arguments.

http://www.chow.com/grinder/tag/hfcs

I suppose Canada is next? That's where I last bought canned Coke, since they don't use HFCS there....

[HAL 9000 96]

Well it looks like all this extra need for biofuels will at least cut back on our addiction to corn sweets... for the sake of our bad dieting... we must fight for alternative fuel sources so that we can continue the slow path to glucotoxicity of our cells.