Photo courtesy of Food Thinkers.

The following is a guest post from Robyn Adams of The Couponing Journey.

When I set out on a quest a few years ago to feed my family healthier foods, I made a surprising discovery. My son, who suffered from severe eczema for the few short years of his life, suddenly found relief. In the beginning, I wasn’t sure what created the near miraculous recovery.

Life Changing Discovery: High Fructose Corn Syrup is Not Good

After I let him “cheat” in a few times, however, the offender became clear pretty quick: high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). This chemically created sweetener hides in many places, including juices and bread. It’s everywhere and typically in over 50% of what the average person eats.

There is also mounting evidence that HFCS may be more of a culprit to the obesity in our country than other factors we’ve suspected for years. The fact is HFCS is not a natural substance and it really doesn’t have a place in the human diet.

1. Choose Foods Close to the Earth

Let’s face it, there’s nothing more natural than an apple or an orange. No added ingredients there. A salad with a little vinegar and olive oil splashed on it is about as healthy as it gets. There is no need to eat unhealthy foods. Whole foods taste delicious and don’t contain any HFCS. Simple is better when it comes to food choices.

2. Become an Avid Label Reader

You will be shocked at how many everyday foods that are touted as “healthy” actually contain HFCS. For example, Wonder Bread is marketed as a healthy choice for kids. Yet, the 4th ingredient in it is HFCS! That’s why label reading is so important. This chemical sweetening agent hides in very unsuspecting places, like yogurt, juice, and many other things you might feel are healthy for your family. Just make it a practice to read labels before you put groceries in your grocery cart, so you know exactly what you’re buying.

3. Cut Out Fast Food

Obviously if you’re pursuing a healthier lifestyle, cutting out unhealthy foods should be a given, right? But sometimes we cheat and think a salad or fruit smoothie are “healthy” choices from fast food places. But those are prime hiding places for HFCS! The only way to know for sure you are avoiding HFCS is to cook food yourself or to speak to a chef about the ingredients they use to prepare food at a restaurant. Nicer restaurants, particularly health focused ones, may avoid HFCS products, but not always.

Why Would You Even Want to Eliminate HFCS Anyway?

High fructose corn syrup does weird things to your body. It’s important to be educated on exactly what’s going on once it enters your body and how you can eliminate it completely from your diet. Experts believe it suppresses the ability for us to feel satisfied from eating and leads us to even more eating. This is compounding the obesity problem.

If you don’t feel you can eliminate it all together, reducing it would be a wise consideration. I know my son is healthier with both his eczema and asthma since I eliminated HFCS from his diet. That led me to explore cutting it back from my entire family’s diet. I’m convinced we’re all healthier as a result.

Robyn Adams loves to show others how simple couponing and frugal living can be, no matter what stage of life you’re in at “The Couponing Journey.” She also authored the successful ebook “30 Ways to Slash Your Budget in 30 Days” available for free download on her website.

Have you eliminated high fructose corn syrup from your diet, and noticed any healthy improvements? What are some of your tips for eliminating high fructose corn syrup from your diet? You can leave a comment by clicking here.