How I lost 12lbs since January

Do you want to shed a few pounds?

Keep reading and see how I shed 12lbs since January.

I've been trying to be really diligent not to eat any products that have high fructose corn syrup (which is found in most processed foods),

no artificial sweeteners,

and I stopped eating pork. You maybe wondering why I have cut these items out...

so let me proceed to explain=}

High-fructose corn syrup

(HFCS) — also called glucose-fructose syrup^[1][2] in the UK, glucose/fructose^[3] in Canada, and high-fructose maize syrup in other countries — comprises any of a group of corn syrups that has undergone enzymatic processing to convert some of its glucose into fructose to produce a desired sweetness. In the United States, consumer foods and products typically use high-fructose corn syrup as a sweetener. It has become very common in processed foods and beverages in the U.S., including breads, cereals, breakfast bars,lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments.^[4]

The most widely used varieties of high-fructose corn syrup are: HFCS 55 (mostly used in soft drinks), approximately 55% fructose and 42% glucose; and HFCS 42 (used in many foods and baked goods), approximately 42% fructose and 53% glucose.^[5] HFCS-90, approximately 90% fructose and 10% glucose, is used in small quantities for specialty applications, but primarily is used to blend with HFCS 42 to make HFCS 55.^[6]

In the U.S., HFCS is among the sweeteners that have primarily replaced sucrose (table sugar). Factors for this include governmental production quotas of domestic sugar, subsidies of U.S. corn, and an import tariff on foreign sugar; all of which combine to raise the price of sucrose to levels above those of the rest of the world, making HFCS less costly for many sweetener applications. Critics of the extensive use of HFCS in food sweetening argue that the highly processed substance is more harmful to humans than regular sugar, contributing to weight gain by affecting normal appetite functions, and that in some foods HFCS may be a source of mercury, a known neurotoxin.^{[7][8][9] (http://bit.ly/2tFjog)}

another interesting article I found @ http://bit.ly/4pFeRg

Recommendations from the American Heart Association — not a part of official U.S. dietary guidelines — say that most American women should consume no more than 100 calories a day from added sugar from any source, and that most American men should consume no more than 150 calories a day from added sugar, and that even less is better. That's about 6 teaspoons of added sugar for women and 9 for men.

It's prudent to consume any added sugar only in moderation. Consider these tips to cut back:

• Avoid sugary, nondiet sodas. Drink water or other unsweetened beverages instead.
• Choose breakfast cereals carefully. Although healthy breakfast cereals can contain added sugar to make them more appealing to children, skip the non-nutritious, sugary and frosted cereals.
• Eat fewer processed and packaged foods, such as sweetened grains like cookies and cakes and some microwaveable meals.
• Snack on vegetables, fruit, low-fat cheese, whole-grain crackers, and low-fat, low-calorie yogurt instead of candy, pastries and cookies.

HFCS is a chemical that is hard for our livers to break down therefore it stays in our system a lot longer then it should and builds up in our systems. It's just plain ol' not good for your bodies. To say the least I have seen the results in myself by not consuming this chemical...I'm not perfect I have consumed it in a few items since January but for the most part I have done pretty good and have reaped the benefits by seeing the pounds come off. =}

(keep an eye out, I will post more on HFCS in the future and the side effects and how I'm continuing to make life changes that will impact my health and others around me...I'm so excited what the future holds =+}