Even though I rarely drink soda, I have a weakness for Mountain Dew. I walked down to the employee break room at work and sat down to enjoy this perfect soda, my body trembling, craving the satisfaction of the first sip, the sound of the carbonation echoing in the cup making my mouth water with delight. The Mountain Dew smells like a limey burst of energy thats about to consume me, as I take my first sip, it tastes like a piece of candy I have been saving for that perfect moment to enjoy.
While drinking my Mountain Dew in the smelly and hideous looking break room completely unaware of the harmful effects of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), my Russia friend, named Shushanna, sat next to me. She informs me about the large amount of HFCS that is put into all American sodas. She noticed I didn't even care about her HFCS statement and realized, I probably don't know anything about this artificial sweetener.
Quickly she began to go off on a rant of excitement, telling me that consuming HFCS can lead to many diseases such as, obesity, high blood pressure and many more. Shushanna explains, “I gained 12 pounds within the first 6 months of living in America.” Then she told me the whole story about when she first moved to the United States. My eyes became wide with astonishment, almost not believing her. When she moved here she didn't understand how she began to gain weight so fast, knowing she ate the same amount as she did back in Russia.
Doing research she realized her country is one of many who have banned HFCS as a sugar substitute, she read facts about how it takes longer for the body to digest this sweetener and that it sticks to your insides, causing weight gain. I became speechless and didn’t even want to finish the delectable beverage I enjoy so much. I almost felt sick because of this new information, as long as I can remember I have always consumed this toxin, yet unaware of its disadvantages. I have now decided to spread this information to Americans so they have the option to say, “NO!” to high fructose corn syrup.
While drinking my Mountain Dew in the smelly and hideous looking break room completely unaware of the harmful effects of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), my Russia friend, named Shushanna, sat next to me. She informs me about the large amount of HFCS that is put into all American sodas. She noticed I didn't even care about her HFCS statement and realized, I probably don't know anything about this artificial sweetener.
Quickly she began to go off on a rant of excitement, telling me that consuming HFCS can lead to many diseases such as, obesity, high blood pressure and many more. Shushanna explains, “I gained 12 pounds within the first 6 months of living in America.” Then she told me the whole story about when she first moved to the United States. My eyes became wide with astonishment, almost not believing her. When she moved here she didn't understand how she began to gain weight so fast, knowing she ate the same amount as she did back in Russia.
Doing research she realized her country is one of many who have banned HFCS as a sugar substitute, she read facts about how it takes longer for the body to digest this sweetener and that it sticks to your insides, causing weight gain. I became speechless and didn’t even want to finish the delectable beverage I enjoy so much. I almost felt sick because of this new information, as long as I can remember I have always consumed this toxin, yet unaware of its disadvantages. I have now decided to spread this information to Americans so they have the option to say, “NO!” to high fructose corn syrup.