Post-Halloween Sugar Rush

Children bouncing off the walls for weeks after Halloween is every frazzled parents nightmare. But when a child really wants that one last piece of candy before brushing their teeth at night, it might be hard to say no.

However, experts say sugar is not good for anyone, especially children. Too much unnatural sugar can result in obesity, affect learning at school and even cause pre-diabetes symptoms.

The director of Child and Adolescent Services and the Neurobehavioral Department at Hotel Dieu-Grace Healthcare, Cory Saunders, said while refined sugars isn’t necessarily good for you, having anything with synthesized sugar, like pop or candy, is okay in moderation.

“What people don’t realize is that you don’t have to cut everything out of your diet you like,” said Saunders. “Work, play, school, free time, good food, bad food, exercise, lazy time, even sleep and being awake. Everything has to have its balance. Expose children to these healthy, raw foods when they’re young so they can carry these habits into their adult years but don’t say no altogether. They’ll want it more.”

Humans are designed to metabolize glucose, which goes everywhere in the body and is the preferred source for energy. However, the liver has a tough time metabolizing fructose, the “bad” sugar. When fructose and glucose meet, it makes sucrose, which when refined, makes table sugar. The more unnatural refined sugars a child is exposed to, the higher the risk of obesity and other obstacles associated with it.

Saunders said children need to be better educated about what is good and what is bad when it comes to their bodies and how to take care of them.

“It’s not about eating leafy greens and never eating bad sugars. It might add a few years to your life, but it will make you miserable,” said Saunders.

There are ways to watch sugar intake over the horrors of too much candy when Halloween rolls around again. Before going trick-or-treating, ditch the giant candy bags and opt for a smaller bag, making it fun by decorating it before going out. The Halloween witch could also pay a visit, which is almost like the tooth fairy. The witch (the parent) steals away the candy after a week or so to leave a special toy in its place.

Kathleen Hearns, a local mother of four, said she goes by her own rules.

“I’ve always done this, where if my child is five, they get five pieces of candy that year. If they’re over 10, then we’ll talk. Just because it’s fun to go out for a few hours and get candy doesn’t mean it has to ruin my child’s health,” said Hearns. “After a few days, I’ll freeze it. Eventually the kids forget about the stash and I can put it in the garbage.”

Parents can also try getting their little ones to eat something healthy first and then have candy. This encourages children to eat more healthy food and leave less room for the sugary junk. And if none of that works, try and make time to go to the park. Ten to 30 minutes is recommended but maybe staying out a little longer to burn off the calories might help too.