Everyone loves sugar – and it's no wonder. Sugar is more addictive than cocaine," says Dr. Frank King, an Asheville, N.C., doctor of naturopathy and chiropractic. "We hand out candy at Halloween as if it's harmless. Would we give our kids cigarettes?"
"If parents understand the problems associated with sugar, their whole family can be healthier," he says. "With one third of our youth overweight or obese, we cannot keep pretending empty, artificially flavored and colored, addictive calories are okay."
Obesity, even in young people, is linked with high blood pressure and higher risk of cardiovascular disease, a fact Professor Peter Schwandt reported to the 2014 European Society of Cardiology Congress in Barcelona, Spain.
"Sugar consumption is also linked to hyperactive behavior, fatty liver and diabetes," King says, "and it feeds Candida albicans, a yeast-like fungus that can cause numerous health problems."
King explains that sugar causes the pancreas to spike its insulin output. "Surprisingly," he says, "non-calorie sweeteners are no better, since the pancreas is tricked into thinking sugar is present, and it responds in the same way. In fact, research suggests that diet sodas may actually cause people to gain weight, not lose it."
"Sugar also lowers the immune system for hours after ingestion," King says. "When your kids want a sweet treat, offer a small bunch of fresh grapes or an apple."
Parents may not be able to change old habits overnight, but they can gradually remove sugary foods from their family's diet, and teach children that sugar is not their friend.
King recommends these creative Halloween alternatives to candy:
- Play-Doh
- Bubbles
- Bouncy balls
- Yo-yos
- Stickers
"Abundant health is the goal," King encourages. "Overcoming the sugar habit is easier when people simply enhance what I call the eight essential areas of life (nutrition, nature, fitness, sleep, the human spirit, hands-on techniques, water, and relationships). Saying 'no' to sugar will reap tremendous rewards."
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