It’s practically guaranteed you have this in your refrigerator and cupboards now as you read this.   Multiple studies have shown this one ‘food’ can be a cause of poor health and weight gain. It literally is in practically everything.

And lately there has been a major breakout of commercials trying to convince you that this ‘food’ is ok. What is it? High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS for short.)

Check Food Labels!

Manufacturers use HFCS in everything - including bread, sodas, soft drinks, juices, “health” bars, candy, salad dressings, jam, ketchup, even beer!

The reason is that’s it’s cheaper to produce than real cane sugar. Plus it’s easier to transport.   You already know sugar isn’t good for you or your fat loss efforts. But HFCS takes things to a whole new level, mainly because its hidden in foods you think DON’T have sugar.

Eating sugary foods spikes your insulin levels and constantly elevated insulin leads to things like obesity, heart disease and diabetes.   But the sugar in HFCS isn’t the only reason you want to stay away from it as it can directly affect your health.   For example, HFCS is bad on your liver.

In one study published in the Proceedings of the Society of Experimental Biology and Medicine, rats were given HFCS in their diets.   The result? The rats developed livers similar to those of raging alcoholics! The HFCS caused the rats to show signs of cirrhosis of the liver.

Bottom line: Whether your goal is health, fitness, a better body or all of the above, you’ll want to avoid HFCS at all costs.

Here’s a few starting points:

Check the label

No matter what you buy at the grocery store, make sure you check the label. If it indeed contains high-fructose corn syrup, it will be in there (probably towards the end).

Water is your Friend

Avoid “low-fat” foods

Surprisingly, most health and low-fat foods are laden with HFCS. This is because since they’ve removed the fat, they have to make it taste good. The answer? You guessed it. HFCS!

Drink only water

99.99% of all soft drinks, sports drinks, juices, etc. will contain HFCS as the main sweetener. Not only that but these are a source of empty, useless calories that will go straight to those hard-to-lose areas. Stay on the safe side and drink good old H2O.

Eat minimally-processed foods

Chances are that if it comes in a box or bag (or some other kind of packaging designed to make the food last longer) then there’s a VERY good chance there’s HFCS in it. Instead, stick with foods that haven’t been processed (Hint: if it’ll go bad in 2 - 3 days then it’s a good bet that it’s minimally processed).

When it comes to losing that bulge around the middle, staying clear of high-fructose corn syrup will help tremendously.

Do it for your fitness and your health.