Oh sugar, sugar
Filed under:
Motivation & Inspiration
Easter was perfect; time away, chilling, eating and egghunting. I miss those days already.
I don't miss the huge pile of chocolate we had on the kitchen sideboard at all. The kids steadily worked their way through most of it but I have done a bad thing and chucked the rest away. Bad mother.
I got fed up with fighting over 'Cadbury's creme eggs'. I think they are delicious but three in a day is definitely too many for anyone - let alone a 3 year old. So we are done. No more chocolate, no more biscuits, greatly reduced fruit juices and no squash. We have started to cut out the obvious sugar sources in our diet (as a family). I am convinced it will have an effect on the kids behaviour but more to the point - their health.
There is nothing wrong with breakfast being porridge with blueberries and a glass of water - my husband likened it to a prison breakfast but I think we have been wrong up until now.
When we think we are giving them a treat in the form of hot chocolate or apple juice or another dunk in the biscuit tin we are actually being cruel. We are feeding our own children nutrient-free, useless evil sugar.
Now, I struggle with those who say fruit needs to be reduced in order to have a healthy sugar free diet - I know that fruit is full of sugar but my kids love it and there is so much other good stuff in there that I am NOT going to drop that from their diets. BUT all other added sugar nasties are going and I will view them as an enemy. We will be label reading shopping bores because of the hidden sugar in sauces and the like but we are motivated to do it knowing that our kids will be healthier and maybe even calmer.
We've all seen the almost immediate effect of high sugar foods and drinks on our children. They literally bounce off the ceiling at parties and it's not just because they are happy to be in the company of friends. Nope - time for the wicked white stuff to go.
The hardest bit will be getting everyone else to help us. No treats at Nanny's house, no more hot chocolate with croissants and jam after swimming, what about that cake at nursery? I will be interested to see what effect it has on all of us but I am also slightly concerned that it will become the forbidden fruit. Maybe in ten years time we will catch them behind the bike sheds with pockets full of 'Mars Bars' and nostrils full of sherbert. We shall see.
I will report back and let you know how we get on. If I have the energy.
x
I don't miss the huge pile of chocolate we had on the kitchen sideboard at all. The kids steadily worked their way through most of it but I have done a bad thing and chucked the rest away. Bad mother.
I got fed up with fighting over 'Cadbury's creme eggs'. I think they are delicious but three in a day is definitely too many for anyone - let alone a 3 year old. So we are done. No more chocolate, no more biscuits, greatly reduced fruit juices and no squash. We have started to cut out the obvious sugar sources in our diet (as a family). I am convinced it will have an effect on the kids behaviour but more to the point - their health.
There is nothing wrong with breakfast being porridge with blueberries and a glass of water - my husband likened it to a prison breakfast but I think we have been wrong up until now.
When we think we are giving them a treat in the form of hot chocolate or apple juice or another dunk in the biscuit tin we are actually being cruel. We are feeding our own children nutrient-free, useless evil sugar.
Now, I struggle with those who say fruit needs to be reduced in order to have a healthy sugar free diet - I know that fruit is full of sugar but my kids love it and there is so much other good stuff in there that I am NOT going to drop that from their diets. BUT all other added sugar nasties are going and I will view them as an enemy. We will be label reading shopping bores because of the hidden sugar in sauces and the like but we are motivated to do it knowing that our kids will be healthier and maybe even calmer.
We've all seen the almost immediate effect of high sugar foods and drinks on our children. They literally bounce off the ceiling at parties and it's not just because they are happy to be in the company of friends. Nope - time for the wicked white stuff to go.
The hardest bit will be getting everyone else to help us. No treats at Nanny's house, no more hot chocolate with croissants and jam after swimming, what about that cake at nursery? I will be interested to see what effect it has on all of us but I am also slightly concerned that it will become the forbidden fruit. Maybe in ten years time we will catch them behind the bike sheds with pockets full of 'Mars Bars' and nostrils full of sherbert. We shall see.
I will report back and let you know how we get on. If I have the energy.
x
