It's the holidays! Probably the greatest time of year...family, friends, parties, gifts, and delicious holiday treats...in crazy amounts...I mean everywhere, all the time. Why is this? Why can I not go to any kind of get-together and find something nutritious other than cookies, cakes, or cookies!? And the candy! Through the whole month of December, I cannot take my son anywhere without him getting a candy cane or sugar cookie.
He doesn't always get to eat them. I am his mom and yes, I have the authority to say "no." And you should see the look on people's faces when I tell them "No, he cannot have that Christmas candy." And for a split second, I feel bad. Am I taking the fun away from my three-year-old? Am I really depriving him of certain Christmas "joys" that other kids get to have? Am I ruining his Christmas?
And then I remember, my sweet little, well-behaved boy is not only happy, he's healthy. He may not always get that super-quick, instant gratification that other kids get when they have something sweet, but he doesn't feel the need for it. He's happy with the fruit bowl on the table and thinks fruit and nut bars are the best treat in the world. He's not getting dopamine-releasing sugary treats that only satisfy him while he's chewing, which means he doesn't keep wanting more..and more...He doesn't throw tantrums when I tell him no (most of the time). He really is happy with the "small things." He loves picking fresh veggies from the yard, washing them with the hose and eating them. (He was very proud of that little tomato in the photo!)
So am I really depriving him?
Let's think about this...
We all know sugar is bad. So why do we feed it to our children? We don't give our kids cigarettes, alcohol, or street drugs and tell them "it's okay in moderation. A little won't hurt you." So why sugar?
Think I'm being a bit dramatic? There are actually scientifically backed up studies that show that our brains react to sugar, even when consumed in moderation, the same way they react to certain drugs, tobacco, and alcohol. Sugar makes our dopamine receptors work like crazy, giving us the "sugar high" we all know of. But then we crash and want more. And more. And eventually, if we keep feeding this addiction, we can even become tolerant of it and need more to get the "high."
Think it's just a sweet tooth? It may actually be an addiction. According to the Journal of Neuroscience and Biobehavioral reviews, "sugar meets criteria for substance abuse." Sugar affects the chemistry of the limbic system (the part of the brain that controls emotion).
When we stop eating this deliciously tasty "addictive drug," our bodies can actually go through withdrawal symptoms. And to some professionals, this can even be a reason your child is acting up.
It's a pretty safe bet you don't realize how much sugar the average child consumes.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that toddlers consume no more than 17g of sugar a day. Doesn't seem so tough to follow, does it? Well... me, being the anti-sugar mama I am thought no problem. So I tested it out for myself. I added up exactly how much sugar I was feeding my three-year-old. (This does not include natural sugar found in fruits because all sugars are not equal, but that's a topic for later.)
Breakfast: 1 packet of organic apple cinnamon oatmeal = 14g. One Honest Kids juice box = 8g
Serious, I've already exceeded his sugar limit? It's only breakfast!
Lunch: Half a turkey sandwich on sprouted grain bread. There was no added sugar in the turkey, but the one slice of bread itself had 3g. Oh, he had another juice, but diluted in water making it another 4g.
Snacks were just fruit and veggie sticks...
Dinner: Spaghetti squash spaghetti with chicken. The sugar here comes from the pasta sauce = 4g. Glass of organic 2% milk = a whopping 13g!
=46g of sugar this day. He had no cookies, no candy, and no empty calorie snacks and he was still well over his recommended sugar limit. That's over two days worth of sugar packed into one day.
Now lets look at a typical American kid's diet:
Breakfast: A serving of Honey Nut Cheerios is only 3/4 cup and most kids probably eat about double, which equals 18g + 13g for the milk. = 31g
1 serving of apple juice = 28g
Lunch: half (just for fair comparison) turkey sandwich on wheat bread = 4g for the bread. Most lunch meat has added sugar, so 2g added for that. (and way more if it's a PB&J with "normal" PB)
Dinner: Spaghetti with Prego marinara sauce has 2g in the pasta + 6g in the sauce.
And the grand total....73g. And this does not include any sugary after-school snacks, candy, or desserts, which are all so common with American kids.
This was obviously just an example, but a great example of how sugar is so common. But although it has become so common for us, it's not normal. Our bodies are not meant to consume crazy amounts of this addictive substance.
Sugar makes us sick. And too many kids are obese. Not only does being overweight or obese hurt kids' self-esteem and make them depressed, it causes serious health issues. These extra pounds are causing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Type 2 Diabetes. This is so preventable. The problem is that sugar and processed foods have become so common that it's made the common person ignorant of the issues it's causing.
Think you're safe because your kid is not overweight?
Think again...Sugar can lead to food allergies, increase the risk of cancer, cause heart disease, and weaken your immune system. I'll say it again, sugar makes us sick.
So who's the one really depriving their child?
He doesn't always get to eat them. I am his mom and yes, I have the authority to say "no." And you should see the look on people's faces when I tell them "No, he cannot have that Christmas candy." And for a split second, I feel bad. Am I taking the fun away from my three-year-old? Am I really depriving him of certain Christmas "joys" that other kids get to have? Am I ruining his Christmas?
And then I remember, my sweet little, well-behaved boy is not only happy, he's healthy. He may not always get that super-quick, instant gratification that other kids get when they have something sweet, but he doesn't feel the need for it. He's happy with the fruit bowl on the table and thinks fruit and nut bars are the best treat in the world. He's not getting dopamine-releasing sugary treats that only satisfy him while he's chewing, which means he doesn't keep wanting more..and more...He doesn't throw tantrums when I tell him no (most of the time). He really is happy with the "small things." He loves picking fresh veggies from the yard, washing them with the hose and eating them. (He was very proud of that little tomato in the photo!)
So am I really depriving him?
Let's think about this...
We all know sugar is bad. So why do we feed it to our children? We don't give our kids cigarettes, alcohol, or street drugs and tell them "it's okay in moderation. A little won't hurt you." So why sugar?
Think I'm being a bit dramatic? There are actually scientifically backed up studies that show that our brains react to sugar, even when consumed in moderation, the same way they react to certain drugs, tobacco, and alcohol. Sugar makes our dopamine receptors work like crazy, giving us the "sugar high" we all know of. But then we crash and want more. And more. And eventually, if we keep feeding this addiction, we can even become tolerant of it and need more to get the "high."
Think it's just a sweet tooth? It may actually be an addiction. According to the Journal of Neuroscience and Biobehavioral reviews, "sugar meets criteria for substance abuse." Sugar affects the chemistry of the limbic system (the part of the brain that controls emotion).
When we stop eating this deliciously tasty "addictive drug," our bodies can actually go through withdrawal symptoms. And to some professionals, this can even be a reason your child is acting up.
It's a pretty safe bet you don't realize how much sugar the average child consumes.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that toddlers consume no more than 17g of sugar a day. Doesn't seem so tough to follow, does it? Well... me, being the anti-sugar mama I am thought no problem. So I tested it out for myself. I added up exactly how much sugar I was feeding my three-year-old. (This does not include natural sugar found in fruits because all sugars are not equal, but that's a topic for later.)
Breakfast: 1 packet of organic apple cinnamon oatmeal = 14g. One Honest Kids juice box = 8g
Serious, I've already exceeded his sugar limit? It's only breakfast!
Lunch: Half a turkey sandwich on sprouted grain bread. There was no added sugar in the turkey, but the one slice of bread itself had 3g. Oh, he had another juice, but diluted in water making it another 4g.
Snacks were just fruit and veggie sticks...
Dinner: Spaghetti squash spaghetti with chicken. The sugar here comes from the pasta sauce = 4g. Glass of organic 2% milk = a whopping 13g!
=46g of sugar this day. He had no cookies, no candy, and no empty calorie snacks and he was still well over his recommended sugar limit. That's over two days worth of sugar packed into one day.
Now lets look at a typical American kid's diet:
Breakfast: A serving of Honey Nut Cheerios is only 3/4 cup and most kids probably eat about double, which equals 18g + 13g for the milk. = 31g
1 serving of apple juice = 28g
Lunch: half (just for fair comparison) turkey sandwich on wheat bread = 4g for the bread. Most lunch meat has added sugar, so 2g added for that. (and way more if it's a PB&J with "normal" PB)
Dinner: Spaghetti with Prego marinara sauce has 2g in the pasta + 6g in the sauce.
And the grand total....73g. And this does not include any sugary after-school snacks, candy, or desserts, which are all so common with American kids.
This was obviously just an example, but a great example of how sugar is so common. But although it has become so common for us, it's not normal. Our bodies are not meant to consume crazy amounts of this addictive substance.
Sugar makes us sick. And too many kids are obese. Not only does being overweight or obese hurt kids' self-esteem and make them depressed, it causes serious health issues. These extra pounds are causing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Type 2 Diabetes. This is so preventable. The problem is that sugar and processed foods have become so common that it's made the common person ignorant of the issues it's causing.
Think you're safe because your kid is not overweight?
Think again...Sugar can lead to food allergies, increase the risk of cancer, cause heart disease, and weaken your immune system. I'll say it again, sugar makes us sick.
So who's the one really depriving their child?
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