So the Cowart Clan went on a complete REFINED SUGAR detox from New Year's Day Jan. 1- Jan. 28 (Gavin and Grant's 3 year old birthday party- we celebrate on their due date.)
We did this for many reasons.
1. Halloween to Christmas is saturated with sugar. Ugghh...
2. Sugar is addictive. The more you have, the more you crave.
3. Corey doesn't do sugar, so it can't hurt that much! Right???
4. The grandparents feel that it is THEIR DUTY to give my children sugar.
5. Their teeth ~ our Mr. Gabriel had some cavities.
6. It would be healthy for us.
All right, so the whole family is on board. We talked with our kids and explained that the whole family was doing this, and even when we aren't there, they are to politely decline and say that they are on a SUGAR DETOX.
It was great. We felt good and hearing our children say that they were in DETOX. It was priceless. It was funny EVERY, STINKIN' TIME!! Our children remained 100% healthy the whole time even when surrounded a gazillion, sicky children. They slept better and it was fun to see them suggest healthy items that they could have instead to their grandparents or pre-school teacher. They opted for blueberry muffins vs. cookies or cake. They chose hot, apple cider vs. cocoa. We had fruit vs. sweets. It was great.
My biggest insight was how much tiny sweets are offered to our children constantly. Small items but all day, everyday. Awareness was my biggest discovery. They are offered a sucker at the bank, a mint at a restaurant, gum on Sunday at church, a cookie after dinner, soda by the grandparents, cake at birthdays, dessert any time, candy as a bribe at the grocery store ~ yeah, you heard me- lazy parenting. Now I am more planned with snacks and making honey/ maple syrup desserts in the evening. (If interested see the Nourishing Apron Blog on my blogroll list- we love the caramel popcorn balls.)
So, now that the DETOX is over. We are making some positive changes and more aware of the constant sugar being offered and we turn it down except on special occassions. Balance and awareness are great "friends" to have!
**What about you, what are your fave healthy snacks? Any thoughts on sugar? Balance of sweets with your family? I would love to hear them
1 comment:
Karen, it's so funny because I was just talking with my mom about this! Oliver is only 17 months old and they are always offering him lollipops and candy at the grocery store, bank, etc! I don't let him have any sugar (well, other than what's found in fruit and the baked goods I make for him). But, it is surprising. And grandparents are HUGE culprits! My mom is always asking if she can give him cookies! Ugh! I do feel like he is MUCH calmer than some kids hyped up on the sugar (fruit) drinks and gummy bears. And, he sleeps a solid 11-12 hours a night which I doubt he'd do if he had more sugar in his diet.
To answer your question, I have a recipe for oatmeal banana muffins that I usually make (often with ground flax seeds). Sometimes I put in just a teensy sprinkling of chocolate chips before baking them as a special treat, but they are a great healthy snack!
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