Is someone in your house addicted to sugar?
It’s October and we all know what that means – HALLOWEEN CANDY!
Fall festivals, classroom parties, trick or treat, Halloween carnivals – candy is everywhere.
Are you spooked?
It’s understandable that parents are worried about the amount of sugar your kid eats.
There are a lot of sensationalized diet culture headlines out there and even some very well-meaning health professionals that will recommend you limit the sugar in your kid’s diets.
The pressure to raise “healthy” kids has never been higher. Health is complex though and the mental health aspect is too often overlooked. How we feel about food and our bodies affects our mental health.
But unfortunately, too much emphasis is placed on “what” we feed our kids instead of “how” we feed our kids.
Keep the long-term goal in mind. You won’t always be there to tell them what or when to eat so we have to teach kids to trust their bodies.
Using the Division of Responsibility is so helpful for families.
Controlling your kid’s sugar intake may feel like a good short-term solution, but it harms their ability to learn to self-regulate around food and actually can lead to worse health outcomes.
Sugar isn’t SCARY or addictive.
Quick nutrition lesson - Sugars are the building blocks of carbohydrates.
There are different types of carbohydrates – simple and complex. The sugar in candy is a simple carbohydrate.
However, after eating ANY carbohydrate, your body will break it down into simple sugars. It does this so that the molecules are small enough to be absorbed and used for energy. Some carbohydrates take longer to break down than others.
When it comes to having longer lasting energy, slower digested carbohydrates are more effective. This does not mean that quickly digested carbohydrates (candy, fruit, milk) are bad or should be avoided. Sometimes we need energy quickly. Sometimes we need food that is simply yummy.
The sugar addiction myth
Sugar does not have the ability to elicit physical withdrawal symptoms, yet this dangerous claim became mainstream after a terrible nutrition documentary. I won’t mention the title here because it’s filled with so much misinformation. . . and pro tip – please don’t watch nutrition documentaries.
So, while it is true that eating “sugar” lights up the same areas of your brain as cocaine, so does playing with puppies, getting a hug, or holding a cute baby.
You don’t see anyone claiming puppies or babies are addictive, do you?
The sugar addiction theory got even more attention after a study using rats that were starved for prolonged periods of time.
Guess what the rats did when they were finally given sugar as a food source? They showed “addiction like behaviors” (bingeing).
Point #1 this was a flawed study
Point #2 your kids are not rats
Point #3 Restriction of sugar leads to bingeing on sugar
When kids are restricted from sugar, they want it more.
They are also more likely to overeat it when they do get the chance.
Still need some convincing? Then you should read these articles:
Don’t make candy the devil this Halloween. Try these suggestions instead:
Take a neutral approach – don’t call sweets “bad” “sugary” “junk” “unhealthy” etc. Call them what they are: cookies, candy, ice cream, etc.
On Halloween night, let your kids eat as much candy as they want while holding your tongue.
After Halloween, be intentional about offering leftover candy frequently – pack a piece or two in their lunch box, serve a piece with their afterschool snack, or offer as dessert with dinner for a few nights.
Let your kids see you enjoying some Halloween candy too. I can’t wait to take all of the tootsie rolls – with my kid’s permission of course
When the candy is all gone, keep serving desserts regularly with meals and snacks BEFORE your kids ask for them. – this helps prevent the forbidden fruit mentality.
You can break the cycle of shame around food and bodies for your kids!
Reach out to me if you need personalized advice and please - Share, Share, Share this newsletter with other parent friends trying to navigate sweets in their home.
Happy Fall Y’all