Sometimes people have the impression that I am a health food nut. I guess having a website titled “staying healthy tips” maybe contributes to that 
I fall into that group of middle ground that says “everything with moderation” although there are some things that I go out of my way to avoid. Just to clarify, sugar is not one of them.
That being said, I think we Americans eat way to much sugar. Over 150 pounds per year, per person!!! Sugar contributes to all kinds of health concerns including candida (digestive yeast overgrowths), cancer, and diabetes. For those reasons, I have really reduced my own personal sugar intake over the last three years and I buy sugar for my baking needs that has been less processed (usually turbinado – it is more coarse and slightly brown in appearance).
As a child (and an adult) I really loved Halloween candy. I still get a little bit of a yen to go to the grocery store on November 1 to see what great deals I can find on candy (all for me). I remember coming home from trick-or-treating with a pillowcase (they don’t break) about 1/4 to 1/3 full. That was a lot of candy! We would sort through and give our rejects to my dad, he would eat just about any candy. I realized later in life that some of the candies I was giving to him weren’t because I didn’t like them but because I knew he had a sweet tooth and I wanted to share with him.
I think telling children they CAN’T have sugar in their diets creates an unhealthy fascination with the forbidden. Neither do I think that a family should have dessert every day; enjoy natural sweetness with some sliced fruit to increase your servings of fruits and vegetables. Plus we know that when you consume a lot of sugar your body craves sweeter and sweeter things. If we eat foods that are naturally sweet, like fruit, our bodies will adjust to appreciate a lower level of sweetness and not crave the “pure sugar” of candy.
So if your child ends up with huge amounts of halloween candy…what to do? I have a couple of thoughts:
- Ask your child to select out a certain number of candies that they can have so many (set a number) each day for the next ___ days and then trade them the rest of their candy for a toy, a special outing, or money.
- Give the candy to a youth detention center, women’s shelter, or a homeless shelter. No one person will be getting a ton of sweets and it will likely be a special treat.
- Or, you may decide to forgo trick-or-treating in the first place (or do only a few houses) and instead have a fun Halloween Party where the focus is on fun and games more than lots of candy.
One final note, we know that how the body processes sugar is part of what puts us at risk for diabetes. So I would strongly encourage your child to NOT consume candy on an empty stomach or as part of a carb-only meal. Instead, have the candy WITH protein (that doesn’t mean “a bite of steak, a bit of candy”). For example, have your child eat a handful of nuts THEN enjoy their candy. This is much better for our pancreas. Happy Halloween!
Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor who enjoys sharing healthy living tips with others. She picks up tips from conversations, articles, blogs, and seminars. You can find more information on Shaklee at www.DonnaCopeland.MyShaklee.com. Donna is paid a bonus by Shaklee for people who purchase products through her or her website.
