corn syrup vs sugar vs high fructose corn syrup

My top two least-liked commercials of the moment are...

a) The Dole commercial that implores us to enjoy Dole fruit cups because, "Finally, you can enjoy fruit without added sugar, artificial sweeteners, etc etc etc". I'm sorry. It's too much trouble to pick up an apple or a cup of strawberries? I wasn't aware that was suuuuuuch a challenge for people! News flash, people: it's better to eat fruit out of your own cup than god-knows-what out of a prepackaged cup. No brainer.

b) I'm sure you've seen this one: a pleasant-looking mom is totally worried because she keeps hearing how evil corn syrup is. Well, rest assured, Americans- corn syrup is just like regular syrup! The corn farmers of America promise! And commercials never lie, so definitely trust this actress playing a mother! (sarcasm, sarcasm, sarcasm.)

Listen. Corn syrup is a cheap sweetener that has made its way into virtually every processed food (another great reason to eat whole foods and cook for yourself!) So I'd like to talk just briefly about what the chief differences are between sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and regular corn syrup (and yes, there are differences between the last two!) I don't want to give corn farmers or even corn a bum rep, and it's important to know a few things for your own well-being.

SUGAR. Sugar is processed by every cell of the body. Your body turns the sugar into glucose. Yes, your body needs some sugar, because it gives us energy. I do not mean go eat a candy bar and say I told you to. Processed sugar has zero nutrients, it does nothing to help you out. Fruit, dairy, vegetables, even meat... your body turns these foods into glucose and gives you the nutrients and minerals that you need. So yes- while it's true your body processes sugar into glucose in a way like-minded to fruit and vegetables, you will reap no benefit from eating cane sugar. Other than the possible enjoyment you may get from a cookie.

CORN SYRUP. Used to soften the texture of things and sweeten things, corn syrup is different than HIGH-FRUCTOSE corn syrup (HFCS). Your body processes it similar to sugar; ie, it is processed by every cell of the body. It is less dangerous than HFCS, but what I said about "sugar" also applies here; you're not going to garner big benefits from eating it.

HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP. Now here is the garbage everyone has their knickers in a twist about. With good reason. HFCS is corn syrup that has gone under an enzymatic processing, converting glucose to fructose, to desired sweetness. What is distinctly different about HFCS is that it is NOT processed by every cell in the body. The liver is made to do all the work processing HFCS. And news flash, the junk is in almost every processed food you have in your cupboard or fridge. So while it may be safe "in moderation", it could be problematic that your liver is constantly being forced to process this "sweetener" (HFCS) that is hanging out in a lot of your favorite foods.

So is "corn sugar" just like "table sugar", like industry bigs want us to believe? Maybe it's too soon to tell. Or maybe you can look around and see how bad health in this country has gotten. Personally, I'm on the side of better safe than sorry. I think fresh strawberries taste sweeter and more delicious than any Little Debbie brownie, and I like knowing that the food going into my body is there for the purpose of nurturing it and making it strong. And I am also on the side that companies are there to sell you things. If you don't buy, they have no income. So of course someone trying to sell you a product will say that their product is the best, or their product is totally safe.

I mean, just ask the tobacco companies.

until later...

"Roughly $40 billion in federal subsidies are going to pay corn growers, so that corn syrup is able to replace cane sugar. Corn syrup has been singled out by many health experts as one of the chief culprits of rising obesity, because corn syrup does not turn off appetite. Since the advent of corn syrup, consumption of all sweeteners has soared, as have people's weights. According to a 2004 study reported in the American journal of Clinical Nutrition, the rise of Type-2 diabetes since 1980 has closely paralleled the increased use of sweeteners, particularly corn syrup." ~ Gabriel Cousens

Veggie "Fried" Rice

Today I was in the mood for some "fried rice", so this is what I scarfed down. I mean, came up with.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
1/2 cup frozen (organic) peas
1 cup frozen (organic) broccoli
1 cup Seeds of Change 7-grain medley (comes pre-cooked in a microwavable pouch, but I almost always heat up in a separate container or pan- you shouldn't microwave plastic, period!)
1 egg white
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp garlic powder or one glove of fresh garlic

WHAT TO DO:
* Sautee the peas and broccoli in a pan with some cooking spray until the frost is gone.
* Add the cup of rice mixture, as well as the seasonings.
* When everything looks cooked through and is a little sizzly, add the egg white.
* Keep mixing until the egg disperses throughout and is cooked.
* Enjoy!

I would have loved to add some fresh ginger to this if I had it... alas. I'm betting chicken or shrimp would be delish in this, too!! Also- buying frozen organic produce is a great way to save money and get the freshest vegetables. Most veggies/fruits are picked and frozen at the peak of freshness, and are even more nutritious than the so-called "fresh" stuff that has journeyed for miles. And it stays good much longer, being frozen and all!

Happy noshing...

"Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something." ~ Mitch Hedberg

My Great Big Marathon Adventure...

May 8th, 2011 marks my first completed marathon. It was absolutely the hardest thing I've ever done.

All of the warnings in the world about "when you'll hit the wall", or how overwhelming the entire experience is, or how "going out to fast" will affect you in mile 21 can not really prepare you for just the massive and epic feelings I faced Sunday morning. Elation and misery both come to mind first. Then pain. Then defeat. Then success.

I remember at 6 miles, I turned to a friend and joked, "Ok, we just ran the last 10k. Now we just have to run a 20-miler." I wish that would have worked!

But I had a very solid 20k. Hell, I had a very solid 17 miles. I believe it was the bottom of Bronson Blvd where I started wondering if I could finish this. I was less than 10 miles away from my finish, but I struggled. Both mentally and physically. My legs felt heavy. My mind felt exhausted. I smiled and waved to the people I passed, high-fived the little ones on the sidewalks, just trying to push myself along any way I could. Thank God for the crowds. They were outstanding.

I walked some. Walking in a marathon is like "breaking the seal" at the bar. You do it once, you're screwed. You do it once, and your mind makes you think you need to keep doing it over and over.

When I met my friends on Park Ave in mile 22, I had some serious doubts about how much running I'd be doing in the last 4 miles. One of my best friends met me at the top of the hill, ready to run those last four with me. I told him we'd be walking for a bit. I'm so thankful he was there, ready to walk or run with me until I found the end of the course. I literally was concentrating on the next tree. The next orange cone.

Mile 24. Never in my life would I imagine that two miles, a distance I usually run as a cool-down or a recovery jog, would be the hardest two miles I'd ever run. They felt like they took forever. We ran through the park, walked up Brook Drive Hill. I didn't feel the need to run on the hills anymore. I just had to keep moving.

At that point, my boyfriend jogged down to meet my friend and I, with just one mile to go (even though he had already run 26.2 miles himself!). We jogged down the never-ending street, with the last leg of the course in my sight.

The last bit was a blur. Cheering spectators. Photos. Friends waving and hollering. A sense of pride, of accomplishment that pushed my legs faster. I smiled. I beamed! I could see the finish, I heard my name called out as I crossed the mats. I had pushed through the despair, and finished strong despite it.

I stared those fears and doubts right in the face, and I conquered them. I couldn't be prouder of my achievement.

until later...

"It's a long, hard road and it's going to have its bumps; there are going to be times when you fall and times when you don't feel like going on anymore, times when you're just crazy tired but it takes focusing on that one step you're taking. That's what I'm trying to do with the marathon; I don't think about the miles that are coming down the road, I don't think about the mile I'm on right now, I don't think about the miles I've already covered. I think about what I'm doing right now, just being lost in the moment." ~Ryan Hall

Blueberry Protein Pancakes

On this morning's breakfast table, we have some delicious, low-cal, blueberry protein pancakes. These are quicker to make than regular pancakes, a great source of protein and fiber, and there isn't any sugar added. (Makes 4 small pancakes; about 300 calories for all of them!)





WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

* 1 egg
* 1/4 cup lowfat organic cottage cheese
* 1/2 cup rolled oats
* 2 Tbsps wheat flour (for thickening)
* 1/2 cup blueberries
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* 1/4 tsp cinnamon
* unsweetened applesauce

WHAT TO DO:

* Mix all ingredients together, except the applesauce. (If you don't use the flour, I can safely say the pancakes will not stay together.)
* Heat griddle/pan and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Drop pancake batter with a spoon into small discs, about orange sized. Heat until browned on each side. (They may not seem cooked through because of the cottage cheese; cook until not leaking much.)
* Serve topped with applesauce.

These pancakes are NOT SWEET. If you want to sweeten them up a bit, go for it; but I made them for a sugar-free protein option. The applesauce sweetens them just right!

until later....

"To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art."
- La Rochefoucauld

TIPS FOR AN EASIER LOSS

Weight loss isn't easy. It's amazing how unwanted pounds can pack on so perfectly, so simply, and then sit there so stubbornly. They don't want to move, they like it there. But those extra pounds can be dangerous, depending on how many of them you have. And whether you have a lot to lose, or just a few "vanity pounds", there are tools out there meant to help you understand the process better. And with spring and summer just about upon us, it's the best time I can think of to get out with your families and start a program that works for you. So, here are a few tools that I have found helpful!

#5: THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT! Truly, there is a app for everything under the sun these days. And most people seem to have an iTouch/iPhone/Andriod/whatever that can host different apps from distance trackers to cadence counters to calorie counters. My favorite is the Tap and Track app ($4.99, iTunes). You type in your personal information like your height, weight, etc, you enter in how much you'd like to lose a week, you figure out your BMR (not BMI; your BMR is your basal-metabolic rate, or the rate your body burns calories without exercise, based on your level of general activity), and you're pretty much ready to go. From there, you can enter in meals from the database, or exercise to bank those activity points. Calorie counting is terribly important- calories in mean calories out!! You may be surprised to find you're eating way more calories than you suspected, or way less. A person trying to shed a few pounds doesn't need more than a 500 calorie deficit; any more and it confuses the body, sends it into starvation mode. You can end up packing on weight instead of shedding it! I know it's a pain to enter your meals in. But after a couple of weeks, you get a great idea of what actual portions look like, and I'm willing to bet you'll see results.

#4: WEIGHING YOUR OPTIONS. For goodness sake, get a food scale. You can get one for less than $20 at Wal-Mart if you're hard up for cash. You will be shocked when you see how much an ounce of hummus and an ounce of pita chips are, or how much 4 ounces of salmon is. Eating healthy is great, but if you're eating more calories than you're supposed to by not controlling portions, it won't give you the results you're looking for.

#3: JOIN THE CLUB. How did I get my own ball rolling when I started? I needed support. So I made a club, found people with a similar goal, and started jogging with them. I promise you, there are other people out there who are goal-oriented. Poke around Facebook. Join dailymile, where community members log miles and provide kudos for each other. If you live in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Area Runners has group runs and summer training for all skills of runner, from beginner on up. Join a baseball league. Find two friends who will go walk with you. Have a healthy cooking party, or teach your kids some healthy recipes. There are lots of ways to make healthy habits a lot more fun.

#2: SLEEP IT OFF. How many hours of sleep are you getting a night? 6 hours? Less? You should be getting at least 7-9 hours a night, people. Studies show that not only does less sleep make you tired and less able to function in everyday tasks, but it can aid weight gain. For more on the connection between sleep and weight loss/gain, visit http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/lack-of-sleep-weight-gain

#1: YOU. I can sit here and tell you to buy a food scale and count your steps and count your calories. But in all honesty, you are your own best tool. You have to make a decision to care about your health. You have to get up and go out. You have to cook for yourself, instead of taking the easier way. Because this isn't about a fast and easy fix. This is about a slow and deliberate CHANGE. I just read a startling fact: 40% of New York Public schoolchildren are overweight; 25% are obese. Think about that. We, as parents and mentors and aunts and uncles and friends, have learned bad behaviors, and are passing them off to the innocent. And it's largely because many don't know any better. Take it upon yourself to educate yourself. Find out where your meat comes from. Find out where your fruits come from. Check out your child's school lunch menu. Buy a reusable water bottle. Cook dinner a few nights a week if that's all you can manage. Make small choices, and they'll add up.

And never, ever think "I'm just one person." Think, "I'm a person, and I am the difference."

until later....

"When I finish a run, every part of me is smiling." - Jeff Galloway

Easy Cheesey Turkitos

The three girls I work for are rather finicky with their foods- "....but what's IN it?" I've figured out the hard way that if I want them to eat something, I'd better stress that it is ground turkey or chicken in the recipe. This was a burrito experiment last night that went over to favored reviews! It has a delicious zesty cheese sauce on top, too.

Plan on about 15 minutes of prep time, and 15 or so minutes in the oven. Makes 6 burritos.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

* 1/2 package extra lean Jennie-O ground turkey breast
* 1 cup frozen/canned organic corn
* 1 cup pre-cooked brown rice (I opened a single serve container of brown Minute Rice and just used that)
* 1/2 package taco seasoning
* 6 whole wheat tortillas
* glass baking dish

WHAT YOU'LL NEED FOR ZESTY CHEESE SAUCE:
* 1 Tbsp flour
* 1 Tbsp butter (or butter spray for lower fat)
* 1/3 cup milk
* 1/2-1 cup 2% cheese
* 2 Tbsp salsa (I recommend Jack's Special Mild!)

* Start by preheating oven to 350.
* Sautee the ground turkey until the pinkness is gone. Add the rice and corn when the meat is almost cooked. When the meat looks white and brownish, add the taco seasoning with a little water, maybe a 1/4 cup. Don't worry- the water will cook off.
* I recommend microwaving the tortillas for 25 seconds before you fill them. (Makes them much easier to fold.) Fill each tortilla with about 3 or 4 spoonfuls of the turkey mixture. Fold each end in, then roll until it's a nice, neat burrito. Line them up in the baking dish. Go ahead and bake it for 5 minutes while you make the cheese sauce.
* FOR THE CHEESE SAUCE: It's my standard cheese sauce with a kick. Put the butter/spray butter in the pan and let it heat until it bubbles. Add the spoonful of flour, and I usually kind of smush it all together with a spoon. Add the milk, and get those butter lumps to mix with the milk. Again- the spoon smushing can help with that. Next, add the cheese, and stir until smooth and bubble. Add the salsa, and mix well.
* Pour the cheese sauce all over the tops of your burritos. Slide the pan back in the oven for another 10 minutes, or until the cheese gets a little brown and burritos are hot through.


Top with a heap of salsa when you eat it... just delish! I hope your family loves them as much as we did over here.

until later....

“To support mother and father, to cherish wife and child and to have a simple livelihood; this is the good luck.” ~ Buddha

In less than a month, I will turn 31 and become a marathon runner, all in the same day.

It's kind of surreal- the work I've done (and subsequently complained about), the social life I've forgone, the changes I've made to my already fairly healthy diet. I've run through terrible cold and sometimes blizzard conditions, and I've had a few bright, unexpectedly warm days. I've had flat courses and face-slapping hills. I've had IT band problems, shin aches, knee pains, sore muscles, back issues...

...all in all, not too bad for a four month length of training.

Pushing myself is something I've had to practice. It doesn't come that easily for me. I went into this thinking, "OK, it'll be hard, but it's within my realm of capabilities."

But I have had my days where I wasn't sure that was true. Where I thought if I didn't have a team to lead into the miles every Saturday, I may have given up by now. Because this training went above and beyond "hard". I tapped into stores of focus and determination I've never touched before.

I had to make up my mind that succeeding at my goal outweighed being comfortable.

We should all live our lives in a way that challenges us. We should do things that are hard, so hard that we doubt our abilities. We you meet a hill, go up it. When you want to stop, focus on a point ahead and keep moving until you touch it.

Decide to do something not because it's easy, but because the challenge will make you feel good about what you can do.

On race day, I'm going to bring focus, optimism, and pride in the work I've done to get me to the starting line.

"Running takes me back to square one. It gives me a basic measure of accomplishment from which all other challenges take relevance." ~Brian McIlrath