We all love a slice of chocolate cake, or a warm, fluffy doughnut, right?
And we usually think about a sweet treat when we want to unwind at the end of the day or celebrate a special occasion.
After all, what’s a party without cake?
But have you noticed the sugar all around you?
Did you know that an average person ate 10 kg of sugar a year in the 1800s, 40 kg in the 1900s, and 80 kg of sugar a year today?
And it’s no coincidence that the rates of chronic diseases, strokes, and obesity have risen too, since a high intake of sugar has been linked to these diseases.
There’s sugar all around us, even in the places we least expect it.
This “hidden sugar” adds to our health concerns, especially for our children.
“But children love sugar. And they’re children. So just let them be!”
Well, parents, sugar poses more harm than you might think. So today, let me open your eyes to the dangers that sugar brings to your child’s life!
Sugar Comes in Various Forms
Firstly, it’s important to know what sugar is – and the various forms in which we consume it.
“But what’s there to know about sugar? It’s the white granulated stuff you use to make desserts sweet when you bake. Oh, and it comes in brown too!” I hear you say.
Well, the sugar you know in bags comes from the sugar juice of sugar beets or sugar cane plants. During the manufacturing process, different types of sugar are made, based on the way they’re cleaned, crystallised, and dried!
Natural Vs. Processed Sugar
It’s also important to note that not all sugar is created equally! Some are actually better, or in this case, “healthier” than others.
For example, we have white, granulated sugar.
The processed sugar you find in your cookies, cakes, and sweetened drinks—you get the gist. Any “unhealthy” dessert. THIS IS THE DEVIL!
Ok, I’m joking. It’s not that serious. But people have given white sugar this nickname because it makes you happy for a while at first, then your energy and emotions all come crashing down.
And what benefits does sugar offer other than… nothing?
But on the other hand, you can also find natural sugars in any unprocessed, “healthy” whole food like fruits, vegetables, and dairy.
These sugars are healthier because the body takes a longer time to process them, so you don’t have the “sugar crash” with your energy.
Additionally, remember all of the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that come with that natural sugar in your fruits, vegetables, and dairy?
But for today, we’ll be focusing on processed sugar.
Why’s Processed Sugar Bad For My Child?
Well, parents, processed sugar is generally bad for everyone.
Your body actually metabolises sugar the same way it does with alcohol, so the sugar gets turned into fat in your body.
Besides the stress on your liver, if you keep eating sugar without burning all of this fat off, which is the case for a lot of people, you start to gain weight.
So if this goes on for long, your child will get obese.
And you don’t want them to be obese, right? Think about all the bullying they’ll have to endure and how 80% of obese children still end up obese as adults!
And let’s be honest. Your child probably doesn’t have the time to exercise between school, tuition with their tutor from SmileTutor, and homework.
Additionally, if you think about it, do they really need a reason to be eating so much sugar?
What Should I Do Then?
Now, you might think I’m crazy for saying what I’m about to suggest but hold on. I promise it’s not as crazy as you might initially think it is.
But if sugar is the problem here, then just take it out of your life!
I know a life without sugar might sound boring, meaningless, and maybe even torturous to my fellow dessert lovers out there. And even more so for your child. You might not want to deprive your little sugar fiend of such gastronomical enjoyment in life.
But contrary to its name, a “sugar-free diet” doesn’t completely zero sugar! It just means a processed and added sugar-free diet.
Alternatively, you could consider a reduced sugar diet if zero sugar is too intense for your child and for you to keep track of.
The Benefits Of A Sugar-Free Diet For Your Child
There’re countless benefits that removing sugar from your life can bring.
Personally, once I’ve stopped eating processed and added sugar, I don’t have a lot of digestive issues anymore, and I haven’t experienced an energy crash or brain fog.
But for children, a sugar-free diet can improve every aspect of your child’s health in nine days!
Since there’s no more sugar to suppress their immune system, put stress on their liver and heart, pound on extra fat, and cause “sugar crashes,” their mood and performance in school will probably improve as well!
So what’s there not to want?
Now, I can’t make any guaranteed promises. But you might notice your child’s health, behaviour, mood, energy, and academic performance improving!
How To Help Your Child Live A Sugar-Free Lifestyle
So now that you want to put your child on a sugar-free diet, how are you going to do it?
Realistically, you’ll probably have to endure some protesting, crying, and arguments.
Because thanks to evolution, children are biologically programmed to love sugar, so they’ll love breast milk! Interesting huh!
Either way, these tips below can help you in assisting your child in a sugar-free lifestyle!
Educate Your Child On Why Sugar Is Bad
If you think your child can handle it, sit down and have a direct conversation with them about the matter.
Tell them you’d like to put them on a low-sugar diet (phrasing it this way sounds less harsh) because of the negative consequences of eating sugar. Then inform them that it just refers to processed sugar, and fruit is still allowed.
Additionally, it’s just during the week that you’d like them to stay away from sugar, because what’s the weekend without a little treat?
Or you could go the Machiavellian route and make subtle changes in their lifestyle without telling them about it and subtly ingrain it into their head, little by little, with fun facts or disdained statements.
Hey, this is your battle, and I can only be your advisor, so it’s up to you to choose which method you think would work the best with your child!
More Home-Cooked Meals
Most people don’t realise it, but a lot of savoury dishes have added sugar too!
Char Kway Teow, braised meat, pineapple fried rice, and curries—all have added sugar!
So it’s safer to just prepare meals from scratch at home. That way, you know what is in it, and you can control the amount of foods beneficial to your child, oil, and salt too.
Find Healthier Alternatives, Especially With Fruit
(Credits: Inspired Taste)
If your child needs something sweet every day and they’re starting to get bored of apples and papayas, turn them into something else!
The internet is a treasure trove of countless dessert recipes that don’t have added sugar. I know it seems impossible, but it’s definitely doable.
Turn your Fuji apples into baked apples or your berries into a yoghurt-berry parfait!
Teach Them To Read Labels
Just like in cooking, manufacturers can add sugar to ordinary, non-sweet foods like bread, canned soup, or peanut butter so it taste better and lasts longer!
This is called ‘added sugar’.
And there’s really no real way to know if something has added sugar in or not unless you take a look at the label on the back!
The table might seem daunting, but all you really need to look for is the column called ‘Total Sugars’ and the number next to it. That’s how much sugar the product has, either per serving, 100 g, or in the whole container.
A little bit of sugar, like 1 or 2 grams per serving, is fine. But you’ll have to do some math to calculate how much sugar your child can have if it’s a reduced-sugar diet you’re opting for instead.
There isn’t a hard amount of how much sugar a child can have a day since sugar isn’t a necessary nutrient to begin with. But generally, stick to under 25 grams of sugar a day.
Conclusion
Lastly, do not be a hypocrite and sneak off to eat a KitKat after your child goes to sleep.
Remember that it’s your child with you against sugar, not your child against sugar and you!
Going on a reduced or zero-sugar diet will benefit, but even more so for children, and it will set a foundation for a healthy body right now and in the future.
So take the first step towards your child’s health and start easy with a reduced sugar diet first, today!
Facebook