Sugar-Free and Spice.... and everything nice

      Sugar-Free and Spice and everything nice that's what little boys and girls are made of. This saying sounds a little bit off, but it is very true in today's world.  When I review an average kid's diet in my office, it's terrible. The average kid eats fruit rollups, 1-2 Mountain Dews a day and has a sugar cereal/pop tart for breakfast.  Did you know that one can of Mountain Dew (or any other cola) has 17 teaspoons of sugar in it. You wonder why kids are so hyper today. They are consuming massive amounts of sugar on a daily basis. I cannot imagine what all that sugar will do for the up-down insulin levels through all the growing years. Research has shown that sugar will weaken the immune system, which means the kids will get sick more often.

Have you ever looked at the ingredients on a box of cereal? Usually the most popular cereals have either the first and or second ingredient as sugar. Ethan's cereal isn't called Buzz Blasts or Lucky Charms; it is a high fiber and protein combination. Little does Buckaroo know that I just empty the Buzz Blast Cereal out and put the healthy cereal (from the Health food section at Kroger's) in the box. Only when he is older, will he figure this out.  By that time it will be such a part of his healthy lifestyle that it really won't matter to him. 

 SF Chiropractic Clinic In Tampa for your Back Pain, Auto accident injuries, Neck Pain, Monday to Saturday

Do this sugar test: give your child what he normally eats that has sugar in it and watch what happens. Within 20 minutes, his/her energy will increase and a mood change will occur. Also in the mid afternoon, they will become very sleepy and crave something with sugar in it. 

I have a story to tell that will hit home with a lot of you. Several months ago, we received a call from Ethan's teacher, saying that he had been misbehaving in school.  After talking with her, I asked her what he had been eating.  She stated that it had been one of his classmates birthday and the parents brought in some cake. I informed her that Ethan is not allowed to eat sugar because it makes him extremely hyper and very aggressive. My wife proceeded to bring healthy snacks and high protein bars for him to eat on those celebration days. It has been about 4 months now and we haven't had a complaint since.  But what about juice? Ethan only drinks Northland 100% Juice or something that we have juiced ourselves. Most juices are made of sugar. My best advice is to look on the ingredients and make sure that if you do feed them something that contains sugar, that it's at least the 3rd or 4th ingredient. Ethan knows that when he eats sugar, it is not healthy or good for him.  If he eats sugar, it changes and alters his personality (aggressive, emotional and doesn't listen), sleeping patterns and digestive habits. We decided that our household would be a sugar free zone.  It has made a big difference on his disposition and the family atmosphere. 

 SF Chiropractic Clinic In Tampa for your Back Pain, Auto accident injuries, Neck Pain, Monday to Saturday

Dr. Kim
For additional information, please call SF Chiropractic & Rehab Center in Tampa at

(813) 350-9100.

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