100% sweet, now with no HFCS!

Since July I've been slowly trying to wean myself  off of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS).  Why?  My honest reason, is I'm tired of companies putting it in things I don't think it belongs in.  Similar to my natural hair journey it's not nearly as holistic as it appears.  I like sugar, sugar belongs in jelly, candy, sodas, not HFCS.  If I pay for brand-name soda, it should have actual sugar in it.  If I pay for for premium candy it "had better not" have HFCS, and yet it does.



  But it was KFC that was the straw that broke this camel's back. I occasionally eat lunch there because I work in West Oakland where there is nothing near by.  When I eat biscuits I enjoy a bit of honey and butter on them.  I was reading the ingredients on the "Honey Spread" and first ingredient was high fructose corn syrup!  That's when I realised that this HFCS had just gotten to out of hand.  In Europe and Japan they don't put HFCS in every thing including sodas.  I guess Americans, they assume we wouldn't notice.  Admittedly it is has been very hard for me to stop eating HFCS. Especially when I was back home in the Deep South.  I still have my slip-ups, and I have a jar of jam in my fridge that I intend to finish, I hate to waste food. But I'm not buying anything else that has HFCS. I have definitely gone most of the past 3 months not buy HFCS drinks and I can totally tell the difference when someone ask me to taste a drink that has HFCS in it. It has this lime-ish (like the fruit) taste that is very noticeable in ginger-ale and other clear sodas.  I've learned a few things in the past few weeks that I think I will help anybody else who wants to eliminate HFCS.

1. If you love ketchup, stick with Hunt's. Hunt's has always been my personal favourite for it's thickness and salt:sugar ratio. But it's also one of the few major brands that by default has no HFCS, and it's still cheap.  Just double check as Hunt's recently went with a new HFCS formula therefore older stock may have HFCS.
2. Check every label! Sauces, chips, not just sweet stuff.  They hide this stuff everywhere
3. HFCS and corn syrup aren't the same thing.   Corn syrup is distinct from high-fructose corn syrup, created when corn syrup undergoes enzymatic processing that produces a sweeter compound containing higher levels of fructose.
4. Learn to make your own sauces, it's not that hard.  Especially if you love Chinese sauces like sweet and sour, duck sauce, etc.   You can make a big batch and it will keep a pretty decent amount of time in your fridge. Otherwise, spend the extra dime and buy all-natural condiments.

I still eat my regular amounts of sweets, and I have a huge sweet tooth. I have noticed a change in my level of energy and sugar cravings. When I eat real ice cream, candy, pastries with real sugar I don't crave more. I don't get as sluggish afterwards, I keep that "sugar high" and the "crash" isn't as noticeable.  Unfortunately for me I'm still addicted to "diet sugar" which isn't so healthy but I'm trying.  

As I gain more info on common non-HFCS I will let you know.

have a happy Monday,

Jasmine 100% sweet, now with no HFCS

Class is in session

Well I'm back from my very long holiday in the South. I enjoyed it tremenodously. I got to see a lot of my friends and family. Alyce, my god-daughter has gotten so big and she's so adorable! The climate nearly killed me but other than that it was a very enjoyable trip.

Tomorrow I start back at work, prepping for my Intermediate Adult Digital Literacy class at OTX West.

I love teaching this class!

Basically this is a class all about Google. Topics covered during the class included: Gmail in immense detail, Google Docs, Picasa, and new this month is Google Voice! Most of my students are 50+ and it's really great to see them take hold of new technology instead of relying on others. I wish my parents would do that a bit more. :) Though they probably would if they had the same opportunity, for a free 3 week class on Google. Most computer classes that are free are pretty banal. They are for absolute beginners and many of them cover no internet skills whatsoever. Let's face it these days you need to know more than making folds and Word. Also many people just don't realise how much you can do with just one Google account. Even if they have a Yahoo! or Hotmail account they can set up importing or forwarding. Once they store pictures on Web Picasa they can use them in a variety of places, share them etc. With the Picasa software they can do simple edits, effects, and even make collages and slideshows pretty easily.


I know that some of my more tech savvy readers believe that are better options for Docs, Picasa, etc. however it's ease and effectiveness are the reasons why I enjoy teaching this course. I use Google Docs everyday for work and personal use. Google Forms are the best thing ever. Admittedly I even use Picasa at times when I just need a quick edit rather than using Photoshop or the GIMP. Most of my students will never need to use Photoshop to it's true capacity and it can be difficult to get the hang of, especially if you weren't born in the digital age. Sometimes we take for granted our ease to the computer and grow impatient when those who do not use this technology as much as we do.

Class begins on Tuesday and is held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:oo - 3:00pm. The class is open to anyone who has an OTX computer, basic computer skills and a Gmail account. If you're interested in learning more visit the website at http://otxwest.org/classes.html