TREAT OR TRICK?

I write this article as I’m anxiously awaiting little children, dressed in costume, to knock at my door asking for crack. Ok, so not crack exactly, but close enough. The sugar high they are about to experience will lift them up, let them down, and then leave them wanting more. Halloween is also a night where I go completely against my personal beliefs for the sake of the neighborhood. Giving children highly processed sugar is something I don’t normally support. Frankly, I’d rather pour pure maple syrup in their mouths than give them a snickers bar. Why so sensitive…because white sugar is truly the evil one on Halloween.

WHITE SUGAR IS…

Highly processed. White sugar comes from refining the sugar cane crystals to remove all the sugar cane juice flavor, and with that, all the nutrients. Your body knows what to do with food that is natural. Put something processed in it and it gets confused. I believe it goes something like this… “Hey, there aren’t any nutrients in this! What the heck am I suppose to do with it now?” This confusion creates an imbalance in your body that causes havoc. TRICK!

Leaches vitamins and minerals from your blood and bones. As mentioned above, your body recognizes that white sugar is missing vitamins, minerals, and fiber. This causes it to take vitamins and minerals from your body to process the sugar. In essence, white sugar is a thief that is stealing good things from your body. TRICK!

Makes you fat. Fat free candy surely can’t make you fat right? TRICK! Excess refined sugar is immediately converted to fat. Moment on your lips and lifetime on your hips is no

Suppresses your immune system. My sister-in-law would always tell me to lay off of the sugar in the cold and flu months because it decreases your immune system. Is it a coincidence that the cold and flu season coincide with the sugar seasons? Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and Valentine’s Day. I didn’t know why, until recently. The shortest explanation I have found is in the book “The Kind Diet.” (1) Essentially, our pancreas releases a hormone called insulin to deal with the excess sugar. Once this has been metabolized, there is too much insulin left over. This causes an imbalance in your hormones and particularly affects your immune system. TRICK! Although I do believe sugar decreases your immune system, I’m still sticking with my previous recommendation… that it’s more important to concentrate on your ph balance than how much sugar you’re consuming. (See article Balancing Act)

My 3 ½ year old is now asking me for MORE treats with a sparkle in his eyes that is more scary than cute. I do give my kids processed sugar every once in a while. My thought is that the more I forbid something, the more enticing it is. Halloween night is one of those exceptions. Normally, if he sees candy at the store and wants some, I explain that it’s “bad” sugar and then offer him “good” sugar when we get home. He’s not being deprived of anything and is very happy eating his good sugar.

So what IS “good” sugar? In my opinion, “good” sugar is anything you can find that is closest to nature. Meaning barely processed if processed at all. Here are a few examples: Agave nector, honey, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, molasses, stevia, barley malt, and sugar in the raw. THESE ARE REAL TREATS! They are delicious and much healthier for your body. I haven’t had white sugar in my house for several months now. There have been no complaints in my house over the cookies, pies, cakes, and muffins I make. Honesty, I bet my husband has no idea he hasn’t had white sugar in months. Well, at least when he’s home.

When it comes to white sugar, the trick is on you. Start exchanging your white sugar with the examples listed above, and you’re treating your taste buds and your body. Now that isn’t so scary, is it?


(1) “The Kind Diet” By Alicia Silverstone. Published in 2009.