Laura Lawrence- Northern Michigan Homesteader

Welcome to the Blog - I'm glad your here!

Come discover what a Homesteader's life is like in Northern Michigan.

September 6th, 2023

Let’s Get To It!
Becoming a Food Prood Series
Topic #2
HFCS High Fructose Corn Syrup

If you Read Topic #1 on MSG already you can skip this first introduction part if you’d like. Or read it as a reminder why you’re on this journey!

I can give you all the recipes in the world, talk your ear off with pep talks, show you how to have an organic garden but if you do not understand WHY you should be a Food Prood then you may never make those necessary changes. This leads me to my “Becoming a Food Prood Series”!

Get ready for practical steps that will help you live a much healthier life. You’ll feel better, think better and perform better.

Becoming a Food Prood is not something that just happens, it certainly didn’t for us. It’s taken us years of learning and doing. But it all started with an intuition. “It’s gotta be better than this”. Do you have to feel bloated all the time, run to the bathroom every time you eat, have constant headaches, deal with depression? No freakin’ way you do. It IS better than that. Trust me, I’ve been there. All those issues I have personally dealt with. It’s not fun, its’ frankly stupid and there are ways to feel better, like WAY better!

I really do feel 100% that FOOD is the #1 key to helping everything work better, you feel better and think better. This isn’t a “Diet Fad” and to use the words “lifestyle” feels ridiculous to. It just IS what it IS! You need to change; you need to do better in order to feel better. Simple as that. Now I am not a Dr or Scientist, or licensed Food person….. but I know food. I know what’s worked for me and I want to share it with you.

Topic #2 START HERE

Our first topic was MSG Mono Sodium Glutamate but today’s topic is High Fructose Corn Syrup. This was the 2nd thing we eliminated from our diets/foods many years ago. Let me tell you why.

Like many of the items we’ll cover they just do NOT need to be there. Companies add this stuff to stretch the “Real” food farther, help their bottom line, and add filler. Our bodies are not meant to process all this junk, this stuff just busies our bodies which does not allow it properly function.

So what is HFCS High Fructose Corn Syrup? High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is an artificial sugar made from corn syrup. (or corn starch)

According to Healthline “High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is about 55% fructose, a type of sugar. It takes your body more steps to breakdown fructose compared to glucose. High amounts of this sugar can lead to serious health issues.”
See, just making our bodies work in all the wrong ways, not the good ways. Let’s find real food so our bodies are stronger, our minds think better and we just feel better all the time.

Having HFCS in your diet leads to obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

“Most starchy carbs, such as rice, are broken down into glucose⁠ — the basic form of carbs. However, table sugar and HFCS comprise around 50% glucose and 50% fructose.

Glucose is easily transported and utilized by every cell in your body. It’s also the predominant fuel source for high-intensity exercise and various processes.
In contrast, the fructose from high fructose corn syrup or table sugar needs to be converted into glucose, glycogen (stored carbs), or fat by the liver before it can be used as fuel.

Like regular table sugar, HFCS is a rich source of fructose. In the past few decades, the intake of fructose and HFCS has increased significantly.”
Excessive amounts leads to many debilitating ailments and diseases, and I”ll take it even further- I believe you should just not have any of this “extra” fructose at all.

So we touched on a bit why it’s bad for you so let’s look at where this stuff gets snuck into.

Common Foods containing HFCS
1. Candy
2. Packaged Sweets
3. Pop/Soda
4. Fast Food
5. Juice Drinks
6. Sauces & Condiments
7. Ice cream & Ice pops
8. Breakfast foods (poptarts)
9. Fruit preserves & jams
10. Bread & Crackers
11. Syrups
12. Applesauce
Oh my gosh that list is quite extensive!! Those are just the main topics/items, that does not even list all the companies and items in each category.
So first things first- look at every label. Gosh yes this takes a lot of time in the store when your most likely in a hurry, sick of making decisions, kids screaming, trying to get home, the list goes on of all the busy stuff we have to do. But mindset matters- you do not want this in your food, or your kids snacks! Once you take that extra time to look at your current favorite foods that contain HFCS, you’ll want to find replacements.
Once those 2 steps are taken you’ll be able to relax, because you’ll know which foods you want in your shopping list and cupboards.
Take it one step further and start making a lot of the above items with Real Food, Raw Ingredients right in your own kitchen with NO crap, no HFCS or MSG! Your gonna get there!! You can DO IT!!

A lot of BBQ sauces have HFCS in them, in fact it feels like most when we’re trying to find a good one. That’s why I now just make it myself at home. You can find that recipe HERE. You can also buy online at Vitacost.com the Simple Truth brand (Or if you have a Kroger near you) there’s a good BBQ Sauce that’s organic that we enjoy a lot!
And of course Azure Standard has plenty of items to choose from and if bulk is an option you could buy the ingredients to start making a lot of items on hand, this way you certainly know there’s nothing being snuck in your foods that is harming your body.

Don't forget to learn how to make your own bread at home with out HFCS in it! My favorite breadbaking is Sourdough, learn all things Sourdough HERE.

So skip the fast food, make your own Seasonings like my Taco Seasoning and JD’s Meat Rub. Make your own BBQ sauce in 5 minutes! Create whole food soups like my 15 Minute Tomato Soup or Spaghetti Sauce. Replace the typical ramen noodle soup with these delicious and organic ramen noodles and create your own seasoning using real spices and bone broth.

You do not need to go without good food, you just need to adjust your thinking a bit. Cook with REAL ingredients and take a few extra minutes to look at those labels when purchasing at the store.

Please send me your photos of the items you found in your pantries – I would love to see how you took the time to your first step into becoming a Food Prood! Email me at: [email protected] I’m waiting!!

Steps To Take Today:
#1 Remove all items from your pantry containing HFCS
#2 Print off recipes like the one’s I mentioned above
#3 Replace the crap food with REAL food
#4 Feel Better

Welcome to the Blog - I'm glad your here!

Signup For My Homesteading Newsletter!

Get the latest Food & Garden Posts Signup here!