Candy Okay - WHAT??

I was flipping through my October issue of Parenting Magazine this morning and came across a small article titled: "Guilt Free Halloween." I'm thinking, cool - maybe they've come up with some way to enjoy Halloween without the 24-hour day spike in blood sugar. But no! If you've ever seen Pee Wee's Big Adventure then you can imagine my face looking like 'Large Marge's' as I got further and further into this article.

The article states: "A new study from Louisiana State University found that kids who eat candy are actually less likely to be obese than their candy-shunning peers. (Even the researchers aren't sure why).  Of the 11,000-plus kids between the ages of 2 and 18 who took part in the study and were followed for five years, the "candy-consumers" were 22 percent less likely to be overweight or obese)."  (50)

Well, Jason and I have had the discussion that maybe having treats around would help the kids with their self discipline and control. For our two kids, I don't think that would be the case. However, there is something to be said that when they are out of our care there may be the propensity to binge since it is their big moment. That could be one reason why some kids become overweight.

Here is my thought. And it's just a thought based on some reading I've done. Dr. Bob DeMaria (How to Treat ADHD in 18 Days) talks about refined sugar and its effect on the body. "The body must call upon its own reserves of nutrients in order to digest this kind (white and brown sugar) sugar. B-complex is taken from the nervous system and calcium and magnesium are robbed from the bones and teeth when these sugars are consumed. " "Sugar impairs the function of your immune system. When sugar is consumed, your immune system is weakened." He even points out that the flu season starts in America around Halloween and continues through Easter. But how interesting that the flu pops up when America is taking in huge amounts of sugar. Refined sugar weakens white blood cells which are what takes care of foreign invaders in the body.
If the body is in a weakend state having to take minerals from the body rather than accumulating necessary minerals to function and the immune system is in a constantly weakened state, there isn't much room for healthy growth. I also read somehwere (and I apologize that I can't remember where it was so I can't credibly quote it) that sugar has an impact on child development and growth because the body is busy repairing damage from the sugar as opposed to being equipped to go on its original path. Therefore, it would totally make sense that kids who eat sugar aren't overweight, they're depressing their own growth; stunting it. This makes me want to conduct an experiment with my 12-year-old who chose to 'Z down' in football this year because he wasn't quite heavy enough. Being addicted to sugar,  I have had to wonder if he would be able to put some weight on if he eliminated sugar and ate healthy fats and proteins and grains. Hmmm. I'd have to be pretty clever about to approach that one - the kid has a love affair with the stuff.

Also, there is a condition called Candidiasis which is a yeast overgrowth in the body. It contributes to fungus, lethargy, and an assortment of dietary and health issues. This nasty stuff thrives on sugar which is why alot of people crave it. It isn't something your body needs but this overgrowth of naughty bacteria. We all love sugar and I still bake at times with sugar though it is becoming fewer and further between, but once again the key to everything is moderation. This article mentions the moderation part but I was so bugged that the message was that candy-is-good-it-helps-your-kid-not-be-overweight was just silly. I'm going to bed and bridging. My monkey is awake!

Ah. Sting. I threw that picture in simply because he is man cake. Dang, did I bring up cake? That takes us back to sugar. Hmmm. Sting.