High Fructose Corn Syrup – in Canada, AKA Glucose-Fructose Syrup

As a part of a healthier lifestyle, I am working to incorporate better eating choices and, in the process, a less “processed” diet… well, with the exception of the one meal a week where I get to really and truly blow it.

The other day I read an article about the evils of sugar in all forms, but most specifically, in the form of High Fructose Corn Syrup (in Canada this has been branded Glucose-Fructose Syrup) and, this in mind, I opened a dialogue with some of my girlfriends – one of whom has mentioned this evil little thing (and the effects of it) a couple of times before. 

Something you may not know is that HFCS or GFS is added to almost everything that is baked (think desserts) and juices for sweetener – it’s even being added to honey to stretch the production!!! When we spoke about it the other day, one of my girlfriends looked at the box of HEALTHY cereal she has been eating (major name brand) and it has even been added to that!

Yes, I have items in my cupboard with this in it – and no, I’m not going to throw it all away, but once those items are finished and gone, I will VERY carefully be looking at the labels of all of the things I buy to be certain I am consuming as little of this as possible!

So… I have decided to take action. Yesterday, I made my own granola. Instead of using honey as the sweetener (I only purchase pure, unpasteurized honey) I opted to do a half and half split between maple syrup and molasses – and oh my GOODNESS is it ever delicious! Unfortunately, the maple syrup I used, yes, you guessed it – DOES have GFS in it, but the next bottle of it I buy will NOT.

I will never go totally sugar free – but if I can change a few simple things, make my own foods – like granola and so forth, I can certainly cut down on the sheer volume of processed sugars I have been eating and, in the process, reduce the amount of sugars in my day-to-day diet.  I’ll still have the natural ones - the ones in fruit and vegetables, and yes, the odd amount of processed sugars in my once a week naughtiness… just not as much. 

Each step we take away from sugars also takes us a step away from the possibility of diabetes. Just something to think about…

With love across the waters,


PS: Molasses makes your milk turn brown - if you try out making your own granola and use molasses for flavoring, don't be surprised by this  :-)