Sugar in numerous forms fills many of the food items we find in our pantries. It is not as it was even 20 years ago as far as the various forms it takes in foods. The behavioral issues we see in children, the learning issues (just ask schools how many kids have IEPs...), problems with depression, sleeping problems in kids and adults, and poor eating habits can be linked to many things. On a spiritual level we know sin takes it toll, as does stress. But how much does our diet impact our troubles? With children, poor diet and poor sleep habits get overlooked far too often when kids are sick regularly or aren't performing as expected. We simply can't feed our kids whatever seems ok and let them sleep whenever it suits our schedule and expect to be giving them the absolute best start in life.
What about adults who experience chronic sleep issues and have chronic pain? At my age, the number of people I come across who are on medication for sleeping and pain management is rather shocking. Having a daughter in a health-related field has also shed light on how rare it is to be 50 and not on prescription medication. We know that heart disease and diabetes are very common, but do they have to be? How much does diet play into these health-related issues that go along with aging? (for reading on this Dr. Furhman has several books on the subject)
These articles I've linked to below are worth reading if you have chronic pain or get sick often. Maybe a dietary change could help. It wouldn't hurt to try cutting sugar back to less than 40 grams of you are an adult, or less than 25 grams for children. For what it is worth, I'm more a fan of no sugar for very young kids except for special occasions. Why give them an appetite for junk when we could give them an appetite for things that will help them have strong bodies and minds? We know optimal nutrition builds strong brains and bones, so why waste caloric intake on something empty of nutrition (sugar) which also leads to dental caries and a host of health related issues? Kids' bodies are growing at warp speed. To give kids the best conditions for the healthiest growth, maximizing nutrition, physical activity, and sleep are key components to strong minds and bodies.
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Do you have inflammation? Maybe these articles will help shed some light.
Do you have children who are sick often? These aren't scholarly articles but there are some useful points made.
You Know Sugar is Bad for Your Children... (article and book suggestion, which I haven't read)
Many children suffer from obesity in America, but there are also kids who are underweight. Did you know sugary drinks act as an appetite suppressant? The calories received from the sugary drink do not make up for those lost by the appetite suppression, and they are void of the needed nutrients the food would have had.
Why not give children food that is nutrient dense rather than something that hampers their immune system and suppresses their proper appetite? The opinion of this writer is that too much sugar can make kids pickier eaters. Coupled with not having structured meal times sitting at a table (for the ENTIRE meal), we're setting kids up with tragically low standards and we will reap the consequences of their lack of being able to focus, sit still, and optimal health. When kids have been allowed to develop a sweet tooth many healthy options aren't ever as good tasting (salt and fat aid this, which happens with a steady intake of processed/fast foods).
It is recommended that teens and children have no more than 25 grams of sugar per day, which seems excessive for children under about 16, in my opinion, certainly for kids under 10. Do you know how many grams of sugar of are in your bread, fruit snacks, a Graham cracker, a Hershey kiss, a glass of sweet tea, cereal, or a lollipop? Sugar is in nearly all packaged foods, so we can reach our daily limit even with no sugary drinks or candy. It's important to note some people are more food sensitive than others. Carefully observing physical and emotional behaviors can help clue us in to foods that may bother our kids.
For those of us with chronic sleep trouble or pain, sugar should be seriously evaluated. Why not give going off it for 2 weeks a try and seeing how it impacts you? (or for children with problems or who get sick often, try a month and see how things look). You can always go back to eating it!
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