Trick Not Treat!

Posted by Dr. Della Parker     on October 20, 2017

Say Trick Not Treat!

Halloween is scary right!? All those ghosts and goblins. Well, ya know what is even scarier? Sugar! I mean that stuff will kill ya. Seriously…

I know, kids love it and it’s like the best bribery tool ever, but it is seriously bad for you. Yeah, yeah, but it tastes so good! Sugar is one of the most addicting substances on the planet. I’m not expecting you to put the stuff down and never look back. I am a realist, but I’m sure you can do better. I have some info for you, some sweet facts that may motivate you to just say no and then some ideas to keep it outta you and your kids hot little hands.

As I write this blog I am NOT claiming to be Naturopathic mom of the year. My friends will tell you I am just like the rest of you. I do ok in the sugar department but rest assured you can judge away, cause I also curse at my kids on the reg. Hey! No one is perfect!

Truth Hurts

Sugar causes tooth decay. Duh right? But what you probably don’t know is that dental health is strongly correlated to cardiovascular health. So, while you might look funny without teeth, you can go on. But you can’t go on without a functioning heart!

Sugar causes inflammation. Yes it does! It will ALWAYS without a doubt, increase inflammation in the body. Not only will it increase the severity of all your aches and pains that are inflammatory by nature, but inflammation is the start to ALL chronic disease. By decreasing inflammation in the body (sugar consumption) you are preventing disease and literally adding years to the end of your life.

Sugar inhibits immune function. When you are sick the last thing you should do is consume sugar. It literally makes your lymphatic system (aka immune system) move at a snail’s pace. It also feeds yeast, giving your immune system one more battle to fight. Are yeast infections fun for anyone? That’s what I thought!

Sugar causes cancer. Well it does! I know you don’t want to believe it, but it’s true. I have no references, so you’ll just have to take my word for it. But while in school I watched a video of a normal functioning human cell coming in contact with sugar. You know what happens? Those cells start goin’ crazy and actin a fool! Cells acting that way is actually the definition of cancer. When your cells forget their function and go rouge you get cancer. So what else causes cancer? A million things, I know. But don’t forget about sugar just cause it tastes good! Sugar is bad news!

How To Stop The Madness?

Don’t buy the sh!#! If it is not in the house you’ll have to choose a piece of fruit to curb your desire for sweet and go about your day. Heaven forbid! But “my kids need it” or “my husband likes it.” Too bad! Do they do the shopping? Well, maybe they actually do. But moral of the story is, you need to get it out of hands reach. Stop buying it. You’ll be fine, and so will they, I promise.

Go cold turkey! It’s the only way. When you have sugar in your system it only makes you crave more. Cut it out for a couple weeks and it will get easier and easier. Also, just think about your kids. Be a good example for them. I myself have had my mother’s words spew from my mouth “Do what I say not what I do” but that is not always the most effective way to motivate your kiddos to cut back on the goods. Stop consuming it, eat more veggies and they will too. “But I don’t like veggies!” Seriously, grow up! I don’t love vegetables, cookies obviously taste way better. But I want to live a happy healthy pain free life. Don’t you want that for yourself, and for your kids?

Don’t substitute sweet with sweet. Honey, maple syrup, stevia, xylitol… none of these are great alternatives when you are trying to cut back. They are sweet to so they just keep those cravings coming. Fruit, especially frozen fruit (blueberries and grapes are my fav) can be brought back in, in moderation once your cravings have subsided. But I’m tellin ya, you will never be able to establish a new normal by continuing to eat sugar alternatives. Eat a carrot or some salami, suck it up and move on. You will have to be a big boy or girl and just struggle through for a couple weeks before those cravings stop, but then you’re golden!

Kids 1 a day rule. That’s right, I’m not perfect. I drop the F bomb on my kids too remember. I’m not completely heartless. My kids do get sugar occasionally. Let’s get real, they have grandparents, so they get it more than occasionally. I use sugar mostly to bribe them for good behavior. Judge me if you will. They literally get like 1 tootsie roll, one dum dum, or like 4 skittles per day and that’s it! If they are sick, we have a strict no sugar rule. Remember it slows down the immune system. This also helps prevent fake illnesses! One other rule that I encourage you to adopt is to drink water only! No soda, no juice, no lemonade, no fun I get it. But seriously wouldn’t you rather eat your sugar than drink it? Most people especially kids are dehydrated anyway. Put down the cola and grab some H20! It is literally the only beverage option in our house. Also, I promise you that your second grader is not so dehydrated after 1 hour of soccer practice that they require a blue sports drink to hydrate. Give them water for goodness sake! Drinking more water will also help to decrease those sugar cravings.

Halloween is coming. Go buy a bag of candy that you hate. Whether its good n plenty, M&M’s, candy corn, or whatever it is that you despise. You can hand it out all night and won’t be tempted a bit! Also after your kiddos come home with a pillowcase full of loot, utilize the switch witch! Switch out most of that candy for a toy so those poor witches (aka the garbage can) can use it all year long to power their brooms.

Trick not Treat! Boo!

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