Nectar from Hell

Sodas are sweet, bubbly, delicious, and seductive nectar from hell. Why? High fructose corn syrup.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not giving up coke for love or money, but I'm keeping much better track of how much I consume.

What is high fructose corn syrup?

HFCS is corn syrup that has been altered with enzymes in order to increase its fructose content. That makes it sweeter. Then it's mixed with pure corn syrup. It's cheap, easy to blend and transport, and has a long shelf life... so it's in a lot of products.

Why is it evil?

Because it's stealth. Your body doesn't produce insulin when HFCS hits your system. No insulin release means no leptin release.

Leptin is th stuff that tells your brain your full.

Without it, you're going to suck down all 44 ounces if that monsterous big gulp. The only thing that'll stop you is over-expanding. But by the time you get a stomach ache, it's too late---all 560 calories are in and on their way to your butt.

So?

So now I treat sodas like dessert—instead of like a thirst quencher—and plan accordingly.

Why?

Because 20.6 million people over 20 in the USA have diabetes. Of these, 2.5 are of Latin American heritage. And 9.7 million of the grand total are women. I'm all about staying off this list.