Happy Holidays! (Or welcome to the Sugar Season as I call it!) It seems like starting in September going all the way through to February, we are inundated with back to school, Halloween, and holiday parties which translates to LOTS of sugar. I was reading an article the other day that mentioned in 1900 we were eating 4 pounds of sugar per person per year and now we are averaging 200 pounds. YES… 200 hundred pounds per person per year! If you take the time to do the math on that, it comes to .55 lbs or 226.79619 Grams per day. WHAT?????
If you have been with me for more than 5 minutes, you have heard me mention that kids need under 25g and adults need under 40g of sugar per day. The number that I mentioned earlier is roughly 9 times more than what children should be eating daily. It’s no wonder that diabetes is one of the largest healthcare issues we have today. As if that wasn’t enough information, sugar paralyzes the immune system for hours, leaving you and your family more susceptible to viruses, bacteria, and the overall feeling of just being exhausted. When combined with no sun, cold weather, and being in hot, stuffy buildings all day, you have the perfect recipe for immune system disaster.
So what can you do?
First off, eat before all parties. It is important to make sure that you are full of healthy, nutrient-dense dishes, and this will make sure you don’t snack on the smorgasborg of crap being served at most of these parties. When it comes to making your own sweet treats, use honey, maple syrup, or raw turbinado sugar. Also, see if you can start decreasing the amount of sugar that goes into each of these treats. Another thing that you can do is look at supplying your kid’s classroom with UnReal candy. This company is fantastic at making candy treats without chemicals. You can remember that you have permission to say no. Pass on the cakes and cookies. You don’t have to eat something just because someone gave it to you. Something else that you can do is to increase good fats like coconut oil or butter in your coffee as a treat. Keep in mind that when the body craves sugar, it means that it needs more good fats. If you’re needing help with this, join us for our 90 Days to Clean Eating Reset, which includes holiday items! Lastly, try starting new holiday traditions that don’t revolve around food. Your pancreas, as well as your children’s pancreas, will thank you.
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