I can’t remember all the specific health arguments about HFCS, but it’s basically a cheaper, unhealthy yet overly used sugar substitute (overly used in the U.S. anyway) that some scientists link to obesity. From Wikipedia: “In combination with ascorbic acid (vitamin C, E300), sodium benzoate and potassium benzoate may form benzene[6], a known carcinogen. Heat, light and shelf life can affect the rate at which benzene is formed.” Carcinogen = cancer causer.

Virtually all popular brandname soft drinks contain HFCS and/or Sodium Benzoate and/or other unhealthy crap. A majority of cereals & fruit juices–otherwise labeled as being healthy–contain HFCS. Even Total cereal, the cereal with 100% of just about everything, uses HFCS in place of or in addition to natural sugar.

For HFCS-free sodas, you may have to look for the glass-bottle 4-packs of fancier, slightly more expensive sodas. I would highly recommend Boylan’s Natural Cane Cola and Natural Brew’s Outrageous Ginger Ale. Be careful, several of Boylan’s other flavors have HCFS and/or Sodium Benzoate but Natual Cane and, I think, Vanilla Creme are clean.

Cereals also vary individually by “flavor.” Quaker is best for using real sugar, but even one or two of their titles use HFCS. I would highly recommend Quaker’s Cinnamon Oatmeal Squares. There’s also a bran cereal that’s HFCS-free, but I can’t remember which one. You should be safe with all organic cereals. I actually combine them all for an organic-cinnamon-fiber medley.

Juices… Same HFCS problem but not quite as bad. Check the labels. I’d highly recommend Old Orchard brand. Old Orchard likes to do fruit combos with blueberries, cranberries, pomegranates (sp?), etc.

Bread? HFCS is there too. Almost every single loaf. I found one kind in one brand that doesn’t, but I can’t remember the brand right now.

If you’re like me, and you don’t eat fruit because of the “squishy” texture of most fruits, I have a new discovery to share… Raspberries. I tried them for the first time earlier this month, and I love them. They’re more “mushy” than “squishy,” but they’re packed with so many little seeds that the crunchiness cancels out the mushiness. The real things aren’t as tart as candies that are raspberry flavored, and they’re somewhere around 3rd place among berries high in antioxidants (after cranberries & blueberries).

By simply cutting out HFCS (bye, bye Dr. Pepper; it was heaven while it lasted), not eating out for lunch every weekday, eating only until I’m full, snacking to keep the system constantly moving, and drinking plenty of water, I lost around 25 pounds in half a year without jogging, doing aerobics, or joining a gym. I do, however, take the stairs whenever possible.

Oh, and TVAddict, just to tie all this back to TV, I was first educated about the evils of HFCS & Sodium Benzoate by… Shirley Schmidt, on an episode of Boston Legal.

TV saves lives.

stir fries are easy and relatively healthy for dinner.

salads with grilled chicken/tuna are great for lunch.

do you have a cholestoral problem? or are you just gaining weight?