Fresh from Mark’s Daily Apple comes this post highlughting 8 “health” foods that contain high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

High fructose corn syrup is also terrible for you, and not even the most conservative of nutrition experts disagrees with that. While there are a few slightly more terrible liquids out there – liter fluid, for example – it’s really a shame that the “foods” available to us are so commonly laced with HFCS. And it’s even worse that they’re often promoted as being suitable for a healthy lifestyle or weight loss! They may look very cute, but beneath the fiber sprinkles and happy labeling lurks the heart of darkness. Really.

HFCS is a really bad additive to foods, and along with trans-fats is one of the two ingredients we should look for and absolutely avoid on food labels.  The stuff has a major correlation to obesity rates and those of metabolic syndrome.

The fact that HFCS is present in junk food is pretty much a given.  But its presence in so called healthier foods is a major cause for concern.

Read the article on Mark’s Daily Apple to find out 8 foods that should know better….

Shihan Dan Hayes of the Island Budokan brought the following article to my attention.  Apparently diet soft-drinks are not the healthier alternative that they are made out to be.

They found adults who drink one or more sodas a day — diet or regular — had about a 50 percent higher risk of metabolic syndrome — a cluster of risk factors such as excessive fat around the waist, low levels of “good” cholesterol, high blood pressure and other symptoms.

Reading into the article, it may be that diet soft drinks in themselves are not the problem.  Instead it may be that those who drink them are likelier than the average person to have a diet high in saturated fats, trans fats and a lifestyle lower in exercise. 

Another theory is that the colouring used to give softdrinks the caramel look may promote insulin resistance, thereby leading to metabolic syndrome.

So its not certain that soft drinks are a direct contributor, but there is certainly a statistical correlation.  Its important to note that the American Beverage Association, the lobby group for the soft drink industry, refutes the idea.

I am a big believer that we need to be drinking a lot of water, and that hydration is an important aspect of our health.  Green tea is the only real drink that is a good substitute for water, and with its antioxidants is something that should be factored into every diet.  For me, I have all but weaned myself off softdrinks over the past year, and allow myself a single diet soft drink per week, and make an exception if I need a caffeine hit.  But for each can of soft drink I consume, I add an additional 500ml of water or green tea.

No calories, same taste (and heart risks) – Health – TODAYshow.com.

I am a major believer in the importance of hydration in all that we do.  As a scuba diver, I have come to realise that dehydration is one of the biggest issues in decompression sickness, and over the past few years, the fact that dehydration is a factor in many other maladies (non-diving) has become clearer and clearer to me.

Over on the Men’s Health website there is a good short article on staying well hydrated, especially when exercising. 

In short, I aim to drink around 3–4 litres of water per day, upping that to 4–5 litres on days when I’m training.  I also work to the rule that any cup of coffee (or caffeinated soft drink) will “cost” me an additional 500ml of water.  Coffee now is a once a week thing for me in general, and I also limit soft drinks to a single can per week of a diet variery.  Apart from plain water, I drink mineral water (non–flavoured) and green tea, as well as protein shakes, and the odd fruit juice.

In the dojo, I allow, actually encourage, students to bring a bottle of water and keep it at the side of the room, and I give plenty of water breaks.  In hot weather, the number of short water breaks increases.

Consider good hydration to be an important part of your training and nutrition strategies.