26/06/2022
Parent’s know it, it’s a difficult world to raise a child in today.
Sugar is a hard topic for most, we all probably eat too much, but how do we approach managing the issue for kids?
By the time kids get tooth decay, the diet is set, and habits are hard to remove.
Children are the highest consumers of added sugar, even as high-sugar diets have been linked to health effects like obesity and heart disease and even impaired memory function.
The Cleveland Clinic has suggested that Children under 2 should have no sugar.
Why?
1) Blood sugar roller coaster.
Young children who have long-term high blood sugar levels are more likely to have slower brain growth
2) Sugar harms brain development
Chronic high blood sugar may be detrimental to the developing brain of young children.
When sugar hits the brain theirs a reward center it releases a surge of dopamine that makes us feel good initially, but that lift doesn’t last and a child will have to search for more.
3) Addiction style behavior, which leaves children hyperactive, unfocused, and fidgety. Then, shortly after (within an hour or two), blood sugar will drop, leaving children hungry, weak, tired, and searching for the next boost of sugar.
4) Sugar is similar to heavily stressful sitations
Sugar adds up fast, here’s how:
• Cereals are a concoction of sugar and refined flours which break down to (you guessed it), sugar! We need to stop feeding our kid sugar.
• Fruit juices, these will quickly exceed sugar
• Fruit snacks.
• Yogurt snacks or frozen snacks marketed at kids are usually
• For babies fruit purees provide a sugar rush for a young baby.
Considering that the Cleveland clinic recommends children under 2 have NO sugar, then it’s hard for parents to discern between ‘healthy’ packaging of fruit based purees. I’ve never given these to our kids.
Personally I’ve found that a few rules to completely remove added (and fruit sugar) from my young kids’ diet.
• Eggs and bacon for breakfast – always
• Whole or fermented dairy
• No bread, biscuits, cereals, pasta to prevent carbohydrate style craving.
Has sugar been an issue in your household?