I recently came across some information I thought was very important to share with our readers.

Corn syrup (or more specifically high fructose corn syrup, HFCS) has been a controversial topic in nutrition lately. It's an ingredient found in many commercial food products including sodas, ketchup, barbecue sauce, cereals, snack foods and other processed foods.

Researchers say HFCS may lead to fat gain, obesity and other health problems. It seems as though HFCS turns to body fat more readily than conventional sugar. There also appears to be a correlation between HFCS and higher triglycerides and low-density lipoproteins (LDL or "bad" cholesterol).

But it gets worse. Research also shows HFCS and other artificial sweetners may cause weight gain indirectly by throwing certain hormones out of balance. (The artificial sweetners are found in many diet sodas and other "low sugar" or "no sugar" food).

When you consume HFCS or artificial sweetners there is no increase in insulin levels, which at first glance would seem to be a good thing. However, insulin also controls the release of another hormone called leptin. This hormone is responsible for telling your brain that you are full so you stop eating. Without its release, you end up consuming too many calories before you realize you've had enough.

So while HFCS and arficial sweetners may not make you fat directly, by altering your biochemistry there is strong evidence they can contribute to fat gain. Given that these ingredients are in many processed foods, not only are you consuming nutrient poor food but you end up consuming more of it!

What's the solution? Replace your processed food snack with something wholesome such as a piece of fruit & a few nuts. Drink water for hydration and avoid the "diet" drinks (water is the only true diet drink).

These are the kinds of issues you learn how to handle in the Total Body Transformation Program or our new nutrition coaching program. We still have spots available for the TBT course in North Vancouver which starts Weds. Sept. 19. Please contact me asap if you'd like to register.

In the next newsletter I'll come back to the topic of calories in/calories out that I talked about in my last email. You'll learn the seven principles of effective nutrition and how to regulate your metabolic response to energy intake.

Stay fit, stay healthy,
Curb Ivanic, M.Sc, CSCS

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