Two of the first ingredients I ask people to purge from their pantries to improve their diets are HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP and HYDROGENATED FATS. As you look through the foods in your pantry or on the shelves at the store, you might be astounded at how many items contain one or both.
Are you asking yourself why these two unhealthy ingredients, high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated fats are in everything?
Today I want to discuss one of the many reasons it is so hard to eliminate high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils from your diet. To that end, let me ask you a question:
What do you know about the way the United States Subsidizes crops?
Subsidizing crops means anything from paying farmers to grow a certain crop, to paying them not to grow anything. Subsidizing also means paying part of the insurance premiums for farmers who grow a certain crop. Governments have a number of good reasons to do this. Farmers are guaranteed an income and it also assures that national agricultural needs are met. (To better understand the history of subsidizing, read this.)
As you might expect, financial reward is a HUGE incentive to grow the subsidized crops. Therefore we end up with a LOT of the crop that is subsidized. In fact, according to this Washington Post Article, of the 300-million acres planted with food in the states, half are growing corn and soy, and another 50-million are growing wheat. Meanwhile, only 14 million are used for fruits and veggies
This overproduction of a certain crop makes subsidized crops the cheapest ‘foods’ for consumers. According to a National Geographic article, about 56% of all foods consumed in the U.S. come from subsidized foods. This list includes soybeans, wheat, rice, sorghum, dairy, livestock and corn.
In what ways do high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated fats affect our health?
According to this npr post, higher consumption of the foods we subsidize is linked to a higher probability of obesity and the factors that lead to Type 2 Diabetes. (The npr post also examines how much broader the problem is than just crop subsidies, but I won’t be getting into that here).
According to a Scientific American article, corn is the most highly subsidized crop. This is because corn can be grown anywhere in the country and can be used for so many things. Additionally, corn can be used to make corn flour, to feed our livestock (pigs, chickens, and cattle), and can be made into high-fructose corn syrup. [Corn is so versatile it can also corn be turned into ethanol and plastics.]
Soybeans, another highly subsidized crop, often take the form of hydrogenated fats. Soy is also used in products like margarine, soy milk, “nutrition” bars, protein powders, and faux meat. Like corn, soybeans are used for livestock feed, biofuel, and more.
According to this alarming article, hydrogenated vegetable oils have found their way into over 40 percent of all the foods we buy at the store, amounting to about 40,000 different products. With increased prevalence, hydrogenated soybean oil consumption has increased dramatically, and with it, the numerous diseases now known to be associated with trans fats.
Just how bad are trans fats?
In 2002, the U.S. Institute of Medicine announced that “no level of trans fats is safe in the diet”. Hydrogenated soybean oils are damaging to the heart and linked to a myriad of other problems including diabetes, cancer, and many autoimmune diseases.
What is wrong with High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)?
HFCS is cheap and is added to candy, soda, and snack cakes. Soft drinks flavored with HFCS are especially troublesome? Why? People will consume more calories when sweetened products are offered as liquids than when they are presented as solids. (2/3 of the HFCS consumed in the U.S. is in beverages).
Until a few decades ago, American foods were sweetened with imported (and taxed) cane sugar or beet sugar. Between 1970 and 1990, however, HFCS consumption increased by 1000%. One reason this is a problem, according to the National Library of Medicine, is in the way fructose is processed by the body. When you consume glucose, the pancreas releases insulin. Insulin suppresses your appetite. HFCS, however, is only processed in the liver. Since no insulin is released, you are more likely to overindulge. Additionally, the extra sweetness of products flavored with HFCS causes your brain to expect and demand that level of sweetness. The effects of HFCS are disastrous to american diets.
What are other implications of subsidizing these crops?
As you would expect, I am only touching the tip of the iceberg in terms of the policies that lead to corn and soybean overuse. There are also far more worldwide implications of our farming practices, both financial and environmental. It is my hope that this article will open your eyes to the way government policies are affecting your food options at the supermarket . . .
AND to encourage you to choose better for yourself and your family.
For ideas to reverse the problems created by the corn-soy cycle, read this article in Health Impact News.
How do I make over my diet and lifestyle without getting overwhelmed?
I am currently offering a course that helps people to make over their diet and lifestyle choices ONE HABIT AT A TIME. We take a moderate approach that will help these habits stick FOR LIFE.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. We have made it easy to save or share this article if you have found it helpful or know someone who it would help. Click on any of the share buttons on the left or hover over any photo to save to Pinterest. I like to use the hashtags #thegoodlife4us #eatinghealthy #pantrypurge #cleaneating #healthyhome #toxinfree #healthy-diet #healthyfood #food4thought #healthylifestyle #committedtohealth
Marcy Vogler is a lifestyle makeover coach, personal trainer, and mother of three. Marcy is passionate about helping women make over their lives from the inside out. To learn more about the courses Marcy offers, check out our parter website at www.thegoodlife4u.club. For daily inspiration, join Marcy’s Facebook Group: Love Your Day, Love Your Life.
