Sugar

University of California, San Francisco has a program, "UCSF Mini Medical School for the Public", with lectures available online. Knowing it's not some fly-by-night institution, but rather a solid school, I figured I'd check it out. It's eye-opening in areas, for sure, and in some cases absolutely fascinating (to me, at least). The latest lecture that really caught my attention was by Dr. Robert Lustig, professor of Pediatrics in Endocrinology, on the subject of Sugar. I'll warn you, it's somewhat lengthy (an hour and a half), but interesting, especially if you've had issues with diabetes (Type 2) and/or weight loss.

I'm not one to follow the latest fads, and consider as many (reputable) sources as possible. I don't follow a single be-all, end-all diet. I've been trying to eat foods as whole as possible for several years now, though strictness levels have varied. This does provide much more incentive to keep up what I've been doing in more recent months and maybe even step it up a bit. Of course, I'm far from perfect, but I like to think I'm pretty strong-willed. By no means have I eliminated fructose from my diet, nor am I completely demonizing a single factor. I eat a lot of whole fruits, especially when in season, but this is definitely incentive to think twice about HFCS and other fructose additives. Thankfully, I don't eat a ton of agave nectar (I use it sparingly), but in thinking about it, it's pretty concentrated fructose, as well. I may use even more moderation there and use more of a variety of sweeteners than that just being my "safe" go-to. I can tell I'll be spending some more time on NutritionData for a bit.