Tuesday, October 26, 2010

A New Name for High Fructose Corn Syrup?


The U.S. FDA has been petitioned by the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) to allow high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) manufacturers the option of using the term “corn sugar” instead of “high fructose corn syrup.”

The CRA feels that “independent research demonstrates that the current labeling is confusing to American consumers.” They blame “inexact scientific reports and inaccurate media accounts” for the bad rap HFCS has gotten.

Now I'm not a scientist, so I won't debate the health effects of HFCS over other sugars. What I can state is that Americans are consuming way more sugar than they think they are (HFCS is in so many products), and way more than is healthy. Also, most corn in this country is Genetically Engineered (GE) corn which gets us into a whole different discussion.

What to do? Limit your intake of HFCS by reading labels, and work toward reducing your overall sugar intake. And lest you think artificial sweeteners may be a safer choice, check out this article by Dr. Oz.

To avoid HFCS completely, we choose products that are 100% juice or organic, neither will have HFCS.

Best of Health,
Susan

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Living Green and the upcoming elections

As we get into the last few weeks of the 2010 elections I'm sharing a post from Greenwise with some thoughts for us all, regardless of political persuasion.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Living Green 101


Often people think they have to go green all at once. I didn't and I'd venture to say that most go green gradually. It's a process. You start with one thing and then add another, and another.

Perhaps step one will be to flip out the light when you leave a room, turn off the water while you brush your teeth or replace a few incandescents with CFLs. Next you unplug energy hogs (like your TV) when not in use. I've purchased power strips for my elctronics and just flip them off when they're not being used.

I'd next encourage you to purchase an organic version of a food you're already buying. If you choose carrots or celery the cost difference is minimal.

Once you've done that, replace one or two regular cleaning products with non-toxic versions.

Before you know it, over time you'll have gone green and although some things may have cost you a bit more, others should have saved you some green.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Elevated Blood Sugar and Cancer - a connection?

I received this a while back from a friend I respect. In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I share it with you...

"You put on a few extra pounds - especially around the middle. Your blood sugar goes up a bit. Is that a big deal? What's the worst that could happen?

Try cancer for starters!

When your blood sugar levels go up, your body produces more insulin and a protein called insulin-like growth factor to try and keep your blood sugar levels under
control. And both of those hormones stimulate the growth of cancer cells.

This has been known for years, but scientists have argued as to whether this was a real concern or just of theoretical interest.

Two recent studies - one in Korea and one in Sweden - have shown that this is a very real concern.

The Swedish study, published in the December 2009 issue of PLoS Medicine, followed 550,000 residents of Sweden, Norway and Austria for 10 years. It showed that high blood sugar levels increased the risk of cancer by 11% for women and 5% for men.

The cancers most affected by high blood sugar levels were cancers of the pancreas, gallbladder, liver and bladder - although the incidence of most other cancers was increased as well.

Interestingly, prostate cancer - the most common form of cancer in men - was not affected by high blood sugar levels. That explains why the effect of high blood
sugar on cancer incidence was lower in men than in women.

So what can you do if your blood sugar levels are starting to creep up? You probably know the answer already!

Weight control and exercise are the most important keys to keeping your blood sugar levels under control - although proper diet and appropriate supplementation are also important.

To Your Health!
Dr. S. G. Chaney"


Time to drop those extra pounds and get some exercise -- it's a recipe for good health for all of us.

Best of Health,
Susan

Friday, October 1, 2010

Think before buying that "PINK" product


October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month... and those cute little pink ribbons are on a gazillion products.

You can purchase pink appliances as well as well as sneakers and fitness equipment that support Komen for the Cure.

Also sporting the pink ribbon are sugar laden cereals, cake mixes and frostings, paraben containing makeup and personal care products, and cookies loaded with saturated fat. Now I realize the Marlboro man isn't sporting a pink ribbon but are all things "pink" really good for our health, and shouldn't they be?

For me, those pink ribbons won't change how I shop. I'll purchase the products I regularly do, virtually none of which have a pink connection. Then in honor of the month I'll gladly make a donation to one of my favorite charities, Community Cares, a non-profit that benefits young women dealing with a health crisis - usually cancer.

And of course I'll continue to educate and advocate for safer products, because GREEN really does go with everything, and perhaps safer products will lead to less cancer...

Best of Health,
Susan