The day after Halloween may be spookier than Halloween itself. There is likely more sugar in your house now than there has been all year. Who would of thought your children could be that good at panhandling your neighbors. Now comes the hard part. How to resist the incredible urge to binge on candy and sweets. I heard on the radio that someone did research showing 86% of parents eat their childrens’ candy. That means 14% of parents are liars!
The consequences of that sugar is what makes the days after Halloween so scary.
According to the American Heart Association, they recommend that men should consume no more than 9 teaspoons or 36 grams of added sugar a day. Women should consume no more than about 6 teaspoons or 25 grams. To put this into perspective, a 16oz bottle of cola has on average 52 grams of sugar (12oz can has about 40 grams). An average 8 oz Juice Box has 25 grams of sugar in it. Now, think about all that candy, and the added sugar that you get from stuff you don’t even think about, like pasta’s, breads, sauces, condiments, etc., etc., etc… This stuff really starts to add up. Honestly, the more sugar we put into our body, the more damage we are doing. No matter the age. It really is a sweet deception.
The effects of added sugar intake — higher blood pressure, inflammation, weight gain, diabetes, and fatty liver disease — are all linked to an increased risk for heart attack and stroke. Fat isn’t the problem in our diets. It is sugar! Sugar is the main culprit of weight gain. Disease’s love the inflammation that sugar causes, and Cancer is known to love sugar as well. We get sick more often this time of year, and the increased intake of sugar this time of year is one of the main factors in the decreased immune response. There is very little benefits to consuming a diet with added sugar.
You do have a choice!
I’m going to say something that might not go over well with our “Everything in Moderation” society. It’s ok to get rid of that candy. You are not depriving your child of a luxury, or a “reward”. You are saving them from illness. (and yourself because let’s face it, you will be snacking more than them) Your not being wasteful. You are actually saving money on medical expenses down the road. If your fighting this idea then give them a little, but lets get rid of the rest. If you want to reward them then buy it back from them, and let them get something they can enjoy longer with no damage to their body.
As for you, there is no such thing as “Everything In Moderation.” We say that phrase to feel good about doing something bad. Also, can you look in your measuring cup drawer, and find me what size utensil is moderation? There isn’t one, because you can’t measure it. Some people say they drink soda in moderation, yet have 2 or 3 soda’s a day. I guess it is in moderation for them because they used to do 5 a day. Moderation equals a moderate amount of health and a moderate amount of disease. A better idea is to know that you aren’t perfect and accept that when you do something bad, you are doing something bad. Own it, and strive to do the best you can each day or the next. Ask yourself 2 questions, 1. What is something easy I can do? and 2. What can I do today?
If candy or sweets are available and easily accessible, let’s be honest, we are going to eat it. So if they are gone, then we have less to worry about.
Guess what, Halloween is now in the past. WE have a couple more Holidays coming up that will bring on more challenges when it comes to sweets and our diet. Focus on what you can do today, and plan to indulge on the days you choose.