Almost Fit has a good series detailing why we shouldn’t eat HFCS.
More reasons from the Washington Post to abstain.

But even more importantly, a new study came out this week with yet ANOTHER reason to avoid high fructose corn syrup…it contains mercury! Mercury is a toxic metal that can exist as a pure element or in a variety of inorganic and organic forms and can cause immune, sensory, neurological, motor, and behavioral dysfunctions similar to traits defining or associated with autism (autism.com).

Minneapolis – Mercury was found in nearly 50 percent of tested samples of commercial high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), according to a new article published today in the scientific journal, Environmental Health. A separate study by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) detected mercury in nearly one-third of 55 popular brandname food and beverage products where HFCS is the first or second highest labeled ingredient-including products by Quaker, Hershey’s, Kraft and Smucker’s.

HFCS use has skyrocketed in recent decades as the sweetener has replaced sugar in many processed foods. HFCS is found in sweetened beverages, breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments. On average, Americans consume about 12 teaspoons per day of HFCS. Consumption by teenagers and other high consumers can be up to 80 percent above average levels.

Read that last line. This is truly disturbing to me. And I know it’s true…I’ve seen how much Mountain Dew my brother drinks. And the stat about an “average” American consuming 12 teaspoons a day? Blech.

Oooh but Sara! I just saw a commercial that said it’s not bad for me! It’s just like honey! Oh my friends…don’t believe those insane commercials paid for by the Corn Refiners of America (aka…the people that profit from HFCS sales)…their claims are downright lies in my opinion. If you haven’t seen it, here you  go:

My favorite part is when they say it’s “fine in moderation”…which is a very trendy thing to say these days. However, if you are eating the standard American diet, you are getting much more than “moderation” with your HFCS intake. It’s in EVERYTHING. It’s in your bread. Your vitamins. Your ketchup. Your cereal. Your energy bars. Your “natural” strawberry jelly. (FYI…the word “natural” is not regulated). Your canned goods. And pretty much everything you’re feeding your kids…which is even more disturbing now that they’ve tested it for mercury.

Oh, and my other favorite part of the commericals? When the moms are talking about HFCS being so safe, and then they are giving their kids red juice on top of it. Red #40 is my arch enemy Stay away from it mamas! Bella doesn’t have a strong reaction to it like some children do…but just the fact that red dye #40 has been banned for use in children’s products in some countries, yet it has been allowed as “safe” for use here in America is not very comforting. I choose to avoid it whenever possible. Here is a little article about why women should avoid it as well.

Anywhoo…this is the end of my rant. But please, please be aware of what you are putting into your bodies (and into your little one’s bodies). Sometimes, it’s unavoidable…when you’re at a restaurant and you can’t be sure of what is in everything…but you do have a choice when you’re at home. I challenge you to go through your cupboards and your fridge and get rid of everything that has it. Eat clean and your body will thank you for it!

Birthdays are very special in our family…soI wanted to make Bella something really delightful for her 4th birthday last month. We talked about her options, and this is what she chose. It was so good…we’ve decided to make it her birthday tradition every year!

Raw Strawberry Pie
The Joy of Vegan Baking
By Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

It is best when served within an hour or two of preparing it, since
it is at its most fresh then, but it holds up just fine in the
fridge.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Chilling Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8-12

Crust:
2 cups raw almonds or pecans
3/4 cup pitted dates, preferably Medjool

Filling:
5 cups sliced ripe strawberries
5 pitted dates, soaked 10 minutes in warm water and drained
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Place the nuts in a food processor and grind until they’re a coarse
meal. Add the 3/4 cup of dates (for the crust) and process until
thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into a non-stick or very
lightly oiled pie plate or spring form pan.

Arrange 4 cups of the sliced strawberries on top of the crust and set
aside.

In a food processor or blender, combine the remaining 1 cup of
strawberries with the 5 soaked dates and lemon juice. Puree until
smooth. Pour the sauce mixture over strawberries.

Refrigerate the pie for 1 hour before serving. This will help the pie
set and will be perfect for slicing.

For 30 days beginning on February 25, you will commit to this ONE THING:

• Drink a 16 oz. of green smoothie each day…preferably for breakfast. I HIGHLY recommend getting the book “Green For Life” by Victoria Boutenko. It’s a quick read and it has lots of yummy smoothie recipes in it. Check out her website too!

That’s it! You don’t even need to commit to changing anything else. Just ADD the smoothie. But, for an added bonus, you could add one or more of the following:

• Do some sort of activity every day. This could be an intense workout, or just dancing with your kids around the living room. It could be a 15 minute yoga session or a walk around the block.
• Add a green leafy salad to your lunch or supper.
• Stop drinking pop.
• Cut out all white sugar.

All you need is a blender. Add the ingredients, and add water to the thickness you want (usually about 2 cups)….and blend until REALLY smooth. I know you’ll be amazed at how yummy these are…but if you need it sweeter, just up the quantity of fruit.

Here are a few smoothie recipes to get you started:

Mango-parsley
2 large mangos
1 bunch parsley
Water

Peach-spinach
6 peaches
2 handfuls of spinach leaves
Water

Mango-weeds
2 mangos
1 handful of lambs quarters, stinging nettles, purslane, etc
Water

Strawberry-banana-romaine
1-cup strawberries
2 bananas
1/2 bunch romaine
Water

Apple-kale-lemon
4 apples
1/2 lemon juice
4-5 leaves of kale
Water

Kiwi-banana-celery
4 very ripe kiwis
1 ripe banana
3 stalks of celery
Water

Pear-kale-mint
4 ripe pears
4-5 leaves of kale
1/2 bunch of mint
Water

Finger banana-spinach
10 finger-bananas
2 handfuls of spinach leaves
Water

Bosc pear-raspberry-kale
3 bosc pears
1 handful of raspberries
4-5 leaves of kale
Water

I KNOW that if you stick with this challenge, you will see a difference in your eating habits and any other issues you might be having right now with your body.

If you are going to commit to this challenge…just leave a comment below. On March 25, I’ll post again and everyone can leave their follow up post as to how it went. Of course, feel free to tell everyone about it…blog about it…spread the green smoothie LOVE! On February 25, I will write a post to launch the Challenge and maybe have a cool prize drawing or something.

Join our Yahoo! group for support!