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Showing posts from September, 2014

Should you go organic?

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Are organic foods healthier?   Should you spend the extra money and purchase organic foods?    People you know may buy no organic, buy some organic or all organic which can be quite pricey.      So what are organic foods and what are the advantages of going organic? Organic – The main advantage of organic is that these foods don’t have the pesticides, herbicides, hormones or drugs that can be found in non-organically grown food.             Plants – may use natural pesticides like soaps, plant oils or bugs but not chemical pesticides.   Only natural fertilizers used like manure or compost.            Animals – are not fed hormones or given antibiotics, and the animals are fed only organic feed                 No GMO’s – a concern of many people Government – in the US to use the label “organic” the farm is actually certified by a government Inspector.   Then the farmer can use the USDA Organic Seal     on their product.   But a farmer can be organic and choose not to us

News about high fructose corn syrup

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If you listen to the commercials, high fructose corn syrup is the same as white table sugar and has no adverse health consequences.   But is that true?   For years now, I just avoided foods that had high fructose corn syrup as an ingredient.   Not easy to do as manufacturers love to sneak this sugar into everything from bread to catsup.   Many manufacturers know there are consumers that are like me and try to avoid high fructose corn syrup so they make a catsup without it then charge more. Why high fructose corn syrup?   Manufacturers love it as it is easy to ship, has a long shelf life and is cheaper than sugar.    It improves the texture of cookies, and browns better in breads.      What is HCFS?   It is comprised of fructose and glucose and manufacturers use it in place of sugar.   It has the same caloric value of sugar, 4 calories per gram. Is HCFS Bad for our Health?   Many researchers would say no but more recent research raises a lot of questions.   The New York Times