Judy just sent me this article she wrote for the weekly diabetes newsletter (still a few weeks away). Amazing how many things HFCS is in. She recommends avoiding it as much as possible, and I agree.

THE LOWDOWN ON HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP

Now that the public has been made fully aware of the dangers of trans-fats, the next food source linked to increased risk of heart disease, obesity and diabetes is High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS).

HFCS is made from corn starch and contains fructose and glucose. It tastes sweeter than refined sugar, which is why food manufacturers use it so they can use less and save profits. Follow the dollar!! Research at the University of California showed the body uses fructose differently than glucose.

Twenty three overweight adults were brought into a clinical 8 week study after measuring their heart disease risk factors. For eight weeks, half the participants drank 3 beverages daily sweetened with pure fructose and the other half drank 3 beverages daily sweetened with pure glucose. The results were disturbing.

The fructose drinkers showed signs of increased heart disease such as higher LDL’s, higher triglycerides and decreased insulin sensitivity. In addition both groups gained 3# but the fructose drinkers gained the weight in the deep abdominal fat (fat surrounding the organs) which increases risk for diabetes and heart disease. In addition, it has been shown that fructose may lead to overeating as it does not increase insulin or leptin production as glucose does. Leptin is a hormone associated with decreasing appetite and regulating food intake. Although only one study was quoted in this article, I do believe enough research is out there, although conflicting at times, to reduce your intake of HFCS sweetened foods as much as possible. Remember, focusing on a whole foods diet is the ultimate goal for maintaining good health.

I guess a good measure that I was still mourning last Sunday was that I let Celeste take me to the Krafty Cat Show. I had no will to fight my case. Is this what I have become, a guy who attends cat shows? Well, I have to admit that I did actually get a kick out of it. I didn’t say I had a blast, but I did get a kick out of it. These ladies (and a few gentlemen) really get in to their cats. Hey, you gotta love passion in anything, so it was fun to watch them go for the blue ribbons. The hairless cats were a trip, and there were a few over twenty pounds! I just arrived in Florida for a couple of days, then back to New York this weekend. I will post some recipes soon, as I am in recipe mode for my website. How do you like my web signature?

My Mom passed away last Monday. Her health wasn’t the best, but it was still unexpected. I have been in Charlotte since then, and will be here for a few more days. It’s been tough since she was loved so much, and, as she used to say, I was her “baby”. I know I have mentioned her in previous posts, she had been here for the last year and a half, and I tried to see her as much as I could with my crazy schedule. I have so many memories of her in the kitchen, and she was a big influence in my cooking career. We were going through her stuff, and she had saved so many recipes from magazines and newspapers that she had organized in to categories, we didn’t realize she had been doing that, I will share some of them in the future. We had taken pictures last Halloween at a dinner that my mom made for us (pictures enclosed). My mom accidentally cooked the Turkey upside-down, but it turned out to be the best Turkey that we have ever had! I still have not tested cooking it this way, and then turning it over, and cranking the heat up during the end to brown the skin, I bet it would be awesome. My brother, and I have been spending a bunch of time together, and recounting stories. So many memories, and certainly a void in my heart, I love you mom.

I ran across a great video of a group of people that broke out in song in a food court. The fast food worker, the lady eating with her baby, and even the Janitor. Turns out it is an improvisation group called improv everywhere. Follow the link to see some of the other videos, or watch the video above, and see the other videos listed next to it. I got a kick out of “redheads protest wendy’s”.

I know we are getting fatter, and never been more unhealthy. My new website will be my little way to combat the problem. The goal of the website is to make it easy to eat healthy, with support from me, dietitians, and a personal trainer. We will see? If nothing else, I look forward to helping people. I think back on my cooking career, and most of my pleasant memories are of when I was helping someone through my food. I ran across this article the other day, and it doesn’t surprise me. Hope all is well with everyone. I was cooking down in Florida, and just got back here to New York. I was able to slip in to Charlotte for a few days, which was great. I shipped my bicycle up here, and have been buzzing around the neighborhood. What a great way to get exercise, and see things you normally wouldn’t.