As a Scottsdale personal trainer, I feel it is my duty to get this topic out there more. I don’t want you to wonder if high fructose corn syrup is bad for you… I want you to KNOW it’s bad for you and further, I want to implore you to RID YOUR KITCHEN OF IT COMPLETELY!

As a Scottsdale personal trainer, I have long “studied” sugar.

There are three different types of sugar: dextrose(main component of starch), sucrose(table sugar), and fructose(the sweetest of all sugars).

The first two sugars are broken down by the body before they even make it to the liver; whereas, fructose hits the liver almost fully intact. This is known as metabolic shunting , because the fructose gets diverted(shunted) directly to the liver. Once in the liver, fructose imitates insulin and builds triglycerides, which will thus leak fatty acids into the bloodstream. this flow of fatty acids into your bloodstream makes your muscles build up insulin resistance.

Fruit has fructose- so is fruit bad? As a Scottsdale personal trainer, let me makes this clear… Fruit is good for you because the sugars are natural AND fruit is high in nutrients and fiber and the fructose in fruit only makes up 5-8 percent of the net weight found in most fruits. This kind of fructose is ok because it is natural and your body can handle and USE such a low percent.

High Fructose corn syrup(HFCS) is man made. The refining chemical process for HFCS makes corn starch into corn syrup which is largely glucose. Then, the resulting product is treated with alpha-amylase to change the glucose into fructose. This results in high fructose corn syrup being a concentration of 55-80 percent fructose and the rest glucose. Your body simply can not break down such a high concentration or percent of fructose… thus if your body can not utilize it, your body will store it as fat!

Not only will high fructose corn syrup contribute to weight gain, but it can also potentially and easily lead to diabetes, obesity, premature aging, hormone imbalance, thyroid depression, high cholesterol, learning disorders, pancreas, liver, bowel and heart problems. As a Scottsdale personal trainer, it pains me to know the affects of HFCS and to not see people avoiding it.

Unfortunately, because high fructose corn syrup is cheap and easy to make, it’s in almost everything! Not to mention it makes things taste very sweet and flavorful. It also greatly increases the shelf life of food because it works as preservative. You can see why companies put it in there foods. Trust me, most companies are looking out for the profit and loss margin, not your waistline. THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR HEALTH!

Because high fructose corn syrup is being exposed for its down right NASTINESS and THREAT to the public health, its reputation as a sweetener is getting worse. In an effort to restore the image of HFCS, the Corn Refiners Association is asking the FDA to rename HFCS “corn sugar”. The Corn Refiners Association is pouring TONS of money into ad campaigns promoting “corn sugar” as natural. WOAH, this makes me mad. LIES! So READ your food labels and be sure you steer clear of either name.

Now let me be clear, any kind of “added” sugar to any product is not good for you. I am not only against HFCS. Companies who brag about not using HFCS are probably still LOADING there product with other sugars. Sugar in any form is still sugar and it is best to avoid any item that has any kind of “added sugars” in it. In fact, many would argue that there is no biochemical difference between table sugar and high fructose corn syrup…BUT what those same people FAIL to mention is that your BODY TREATS THEM DIFFERENTLY. Glucose, and sucrose are easier and faster for your body to break down and USE! Fructose is NOT!

Unfortunately, when it comes to packaged foods there are many hidden enemies to your health in the ingredients. So read your labels. KNOW what you are eating! As a Scottsdale personal trainer, I encourage you to opt for natural, unprocessed(or less processed at least) foods like fruits, veggies, sprouted whole grain breads, spelt crackers. If you do buy corn or soy based items, make sure they are organic and non-GMO(genetically modifed organism).

As a Scottsdale personal trainer, I personally LOVE reading labels. After you do it enough, you eventually know so many labels by heart that it becomes brainless. With practice you will become a pro at picking out foods that you KNOW your body NEEDS and will USE properly. As a Scottsdale personal trainer I can boldly and confidently say eating foods that FUEL your body is the best thing you can do for your health.

Start increasing your health today by never purchasing another food/drink with high fructose corn syrup in it. Also, check out this chart to learn other names for sugar that companies use in their labeling.