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20 Reasons to Reduce Your Sugar consumption
SPOONFULS OF SUGAR makes Health Risks Go Up
In the last few years, evidence has mounted that too much sugar — often invisibly insinuated into beverages, processed foods, and restaurant fare—harms health. In our Childrens Schools, a prime target should be the sugar in sodas, fruit juices and other sugar-filled drinks. The fight against Childhood Obesity has factual data supporting the risk of too much sugar in our kids diets. Here’s why:
As a dietary enemy, sugar is cleverly camouflaged, because it is dissolved in liquid. A typical 20-ounce soda contains 17 teaspoons of sugar. “If people thought about eating 17 teaspoons of sugar, they’d become nauseated,” says Walter Willett, Chair of the Department of Nutrition and Fredrick John Stare Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition. “But they are able to drink it right down and go for another.” While we normally balance a big meal by taking in fewer calories later, that compensation doesn’t seem to occur after guzzling soft drinks—possibly because fluids are not as satiating as solid foods, or because sweet-tasting soft drinks whet the appetite for high-carbohydrate foods. Willett and Lilian Cheung, lecturer in the Department of Nutrition and editorial director of The Nutrition Source, urge people to choose drinks far lower in sugar and calories: options such as water, tea, seltzer with a splash of juice, coffee with one lump of sugar. “If we can shift the present American norm back to a lower expectation of sweetness, people will adjust their palates, particularly the younger population,” says Cheung. Original Source Harvard School of Public Health http://goo.gl/0LPJLq |
The Benefits of Kids Playing with Toy Blocks
Through block play, children can learn the following skills:Science Concepts: Children learn science when they experience gravity as their constructions fall. They also learn the use of simple machines as they build ramps to their buildings. Spatial Reasoning: Young designers learn to manipulate space and objects through block play. Will this fit here? Will this fall down? Will this make the shape I want? Block play allows children to explore navigation of space and direction. Math Concepts: Some of the math skills encountered through block play include counting, comparison of length and width, names of shapes and how to combine certain geometric shapes to make other shapes. Children are even learning the basics of addition when they discover that two short blocks will be the same size as another block. Reading and Writing Skills: Through block play, children understand the importance of sequence, an important early reading skill, as they retell their experiences with the blocks. Both parents and teachers can help children write stories about what they are building. Language Skills: Little builders learn language skills and vocabulary as they discuss what they are building. Cooperation and Responsibility: Children learn cooperation and sharing as they work together with family members or other children during their play. In addition, they learn how to be responsible when they clean up after they are done with the blocks. Original Source by North Shore Pediatric Therapy writer Anne Marie Margaritondo - http://goo.gl/Xb77W8 |
8 Ways to Cut Down your Childs Sugar Intake
Reducing the amount of sugar your child consumes is a good idea, whether he has symptoms or not. In this age where Childhood Obesity is on the rise and early onset of Childhood Type 2 Diabetes, having Healthy Kids is the wish and goal of every parent. Here are some simple changes you can make. 1. Swap sugar. “We as parents need to look at smart substitutions because we know that our kids are going to be drawn towards what their peers are eating,” said Jessica Crandall, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. So instead of ice cream, freeze plain Greek yogurt and add fresh fruit or use applesauce instead of sugar when baking. 2. Nix the juice. Even if the juice box says “100 percent juice,” “organic” or “no sugar added,” it doesn’t mean it’s healthy. In fact, a typical juice pouch has about 22 grams of sugar. Offer water or seltzer instead and add slices of cucumber, berries or orange to taste. 3. Cut down on other liquid sugar too. Soda is an obvious one, but sugar can also show up in orange juice, sports drinks and smoothies. Even if your child plays sports, water should be enough to rehydrate. 4. Read labels for sneaky sugars. The FDA has proposed new food labels to include a line for added sugars, but in the meantime, take a good look at labels. Sugar can hide in unsuspecting foods like pasta sauce, pre-packaged oatmeal, salad dressing, processed foods, and cereal. In fact, a recent report by the Environmental Working Group shows kids’ cereals have 40 percent more sugar than adults’. 5. Be careful about healthy alternatives. You might think honey and agave are better choices but just because it’s natural, doesn’t mean it’s healthier. Get creative with vanilla extract, cinnamon or nutmeg. Instead of syrup, top pancakes with fresh fruit or almond butter. “You’re adding flavor without just dumping sugar into it,” Crandall said. 6. Take it slow. Your kids might not take well to drastic changes in their diets, but if you make it gradual, they’ll eventually come around. Mix a low-sugar cereal with their favorite one until they get used to it. Or buy one less bag of cookies and replace it with a pint of blueberries each week. 7. Teach healthy eating. It’s important that your kids love how healthy food tastes rather than forcing them to eat it. “It’s not just about controlling their environment, it’s about teaching them healthier habits so they start engaging in them on their own,” Crandall said. 8. Voice your opinion. The new school standards for meal programs will help cut down on sugar and some schools even have “sugar-free” campuses. You can advocate for healthier options at your child’s school by supporting initiatives and advocating for healthier options in the cafeteria, vending machines and events. Original Article from Fox News writer Julie Revelant - http://goo.gl/LO06Ub |
What Parents can Teach Kids about Sugar
So many kids out there 'learn' and think the orange juice they drink at breakfast, the cookies they eat as a snack after lunch, the goodies they trade at school and the Gatorade they chug after practice are no big deal. They get this believe because their parents often believe the same thing: that daily intake of sugar is harmless and just a function of childhood.
What short-term health effects does Sugar have? What long-term effects does Sugar have? Eating too much sugar can make you feel full so you don’t eat enough healthful foods. Then your body ends up missing important nutrients such as protein, vitamins and minerals. Childhood Obesity is on the rise as is Pre-Teen Type 2 Diabetes.How does Sugar make me fat? If you eat more sugar than your body can use in a day, it stores the sugar it doesn’t need in the liver or converts it to fat. When you do this regularly, you damage your liver and build up fat. Will a little Sugar hurt me? No. Make it a sometimes food. (Unless you have diabetes or an issue with your blood sugar in which case see a doctor.) The American Heart Association recommends no more than 3 teaspoons (12 grams) of added sugar per day for kids, yet get according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the average consumption is 23 teaspoons for boys and 18 for girls. The recommended daily allowance can be easily exceeded with just one bowl of cereal! A child who drinks a 20-ounce original Gatorade will have consumed three times his or her sugar allowance for the day. “Added sugar” refers to the sugar and high-fructose corn syrup added to foods during processing. The sugar in fruits, vegetables and other whole foods are not added sugars; they are natural sugars. What foods have Sugar? Added sugar is in 74% of packaged foods, according to a study published in 2012 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Those include foods that many of us think of as healthful: yogurt, energy bars, pasta sauce, breads, salad dressing and ketchup. The FDA maintains a list of more than 3,000 food additives that are put into our processed foods. Sugar is the second most common behind salt, which means it is in a lot of the things we eat. Low-fat foods often have extra sugar to help bolster the taste. Brightly colored foods with dyes usually have added sugar. Read your labels. Doesn’t fruit have Sugar? Unless you have diabetes, it is difficult to absorb too much sugar from eating whole fruit because whole fruit has fiber. Fiber slows down the digestive process by releasing sugar into the bloodstream at a slow and steady rate. Unlike whole fruit, fruit juice lacks fiber, quickly releasing sugar into the bloodstream causing a burst of energy followed by a sugar crash. One cup of apple juice has 24 grams of sugar. Some juice has almost as much sugar as soda. How does Sugar cause cavities? Yes. Tooth decay begins with bacteria that naturally live in the mouth. These bacteria burn sugar in order to thrive, and during this process convert sugar into acid. The acid then eats away at a tooth’s enamel, which causes cavities. Sticky foods like Skittles and Starburst and long-lasting candies such as lollipops and Jolly Ranchers are the worst for teeth because they allow the sugar to dawdle in the mouth for a prolonged period. Now that I know this, what can I do? I recommend that parents and their kids (age 10 and older) watch the film “Fed Up” together and join the filmmakers’ challenge to give up sugar for 10 days and see how they feel. My 10- and 12-year-olds found it fascinating. And if you want to have a sizable impact on your lifelong health, reduce your sugar consumption all year long! Original Article via Washington Post writer, Casey Seidenberg: http://goo.gl/6FmIdD |
How Sweet Is It?
How Much Sugar is in Soda, Juice, Sports Drinks, and Energy DrinksThe Nutrition Source has prepared a handy guide to the amount of sugar and calories in soda, juice, sports drinks, and other popular beverages, How Sweet is it? The front of the guide graphically depicts the number of teaspoons of sugar found in various drinks. The back of the guide has a more comprehensive list of common beverages and their sugar and calorie content. The guide includes beverages that are sweetened with added sugars, as well as beverages that are naturally high in sugar, such as juice. It does not include “diet” drinks that are partly or entirely sweetened with artificial sweeteners or stevia (a natural calorie-free sweetener). As you review the guide, keep the following in mind: The Nutrition Source and the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health do not endorse specific brands, and the inclusion of brand-name beverages on this list does not constitute an endorsement. Drinks that fall in the red category should be drunk infrequently and sparingly, if at all. These beverages have much more than 12 grams of sugar in a 12 ounce serving, and some have upwards of 40 grams of sugar—equivalent to about 10 teaspoons of sugar—and 200 or more calories in a 12-ounce serving. Drinks that fall in the yellow category have up to one gram of sugar per ounce, or 12 grams of sugar in 12 ounces. That’s about 70 percent less sugar than a typical soft drink. If drunk in moderation, these slightly sweet drinks are much better choices than high-sugar drinks, but don’t overdo it. Think of them as an occasional treat, not a daily source of hydration. There are relatively few drinks on the market that fall into the yellow category—and we believe there’s a need for beverage manufacturers to offer more low-sugar options. The best-choice beverages are those that fall in the green category—drinks that have little or no sugar added to them, such as water, sparkling water, coffee, or tea. Beverage manufacturers may have reformulated their products since we prepared this list in April 2009, or may have come out with new products. So use the beverage manufacturer’s websites as the best source of information on drink nutrient content and new beverages. Original article: http://goo.gl/ZoXPZT |
FACT SHEET: SUGARY DRINKS AND THE OBESITY EPIDEMIC
THE PROBLEM: SUGARY DRINKS ARE A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO THE OBESITY EPIDEMIC Two out of three adults and one out of three children in the United States are overweight or obese and the nation spends and estimated $190 billion a year treating obesity-related health conditions. Rising consumption of sugary drinks has been a major contributor to the child obesity epidemic. A typical 12-ounce soda contains 10 teaspoons of sugar and upwards of 150 calories. A 64-ounce fountain cola drink could have up to 700 calories. People who drink this “liquid candy” do not feel as full as if they had eaten the same calories from solid food and do not compensate by eating less. It is highly suggest that sugar-free drinks be used to replace sugary drinks. Beverage companies in the US spent roughly $3.2 billion marketing sugar-filled carbonated beverages in 2006, with nearly a half billion dollars of that marketing aimed directly at youth ages 2–17. And each year, youth see hundreds of television ads for sugar-containing drinks. In 2010, for example, preschoolers viewed an average of 213 ads for sugary drinks and energy drinks, while children and teens watched an average of 277 and 406 ads, respectively. Yet, the beverage industry aggressively rebuffs suggestions that its products and marketing tactics play any role in the obesity epidemic. Adding to the confusion, beverage industry-funded studies are four to eight times more likely to show a finding favorable to industry than independently-funded studies. THE EVIDENCE: SOFT DRINK (LIQUID SUGAR) CONSUMPTION IS ON THE RISE—AND RISING CONSUMPTION HARMS HEALTH Sugary drink portion sizes have risen dramatically over the past 40 years, and children and adults are drinking more soft drinks than ever.
Original Source: http://cdn1.sph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2012/10/sugary-drinks-and-obesity-fact-sheet-june-2012-the-nutrition-source.pdf http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-drinks/sugary-drinks/ |
Healthier Kids Drink (water) - For Their Hydration
Yet only one in four U.S. children are getting the amount they need. Even mild dehydration can lead to health problems and trouble concentrating. For many parents, however, which drinks to offer their kids — and how to get their kids to drink them — can sometimes be a dilemma. Here are a some ways to keep kids happily hydrated: • Best Served Cold — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said to make more appealing serve your kids drinks that are chilled or cold. When they are feeling warm or hot from playing, there is nothing more satisfying than a cold beverage. • Avoid the Caffeine — Soda may be a liquid, but it’s actually dehydrating (not to mention Soda is sugar-filled). A common ingredient in soft drinks is caffeine, which is a diuretic, causing a loss of fluids. Let's not forget to mention that Soda is filled with sugar and also contain ingredients that offer no nutritional value. • Eat more Fruit — Fruit is a great way to help meet hydration needs, especially water-dense strawberries, grapefruit, cantaloupe, peaches, pineapple and, naturally, watermelon. Please remember that beverages advertised as 'Fruit Juice Drinks' can be just as sugar-filled as their Soda counterparts. • Keep Water handy and within reach - Carry water or another healthy drink wherever you go so it's available when they are thirsty. Leave water bottles in the car. Keep a bottle in your bag or backpack. Chances are they’ll drink water more often when it's right in front of them. To further encourage kids to be sufficiently hydrated, don't make it into a chore. If you can make it fun and make it be naturally part of their routine, your kids will stay hydrated naturally. |
Drink Blocks 'Hydration for the Imagination' is making its way to Retail Stores
We have some exciting news! DrinkBlocks will be coming to a store near you! Drink Blocks has recently signed agreements with Safeway Inc. and Rite Aid Corp. for those retail chains to carry Drink Blocks on their shelves. Under the Safeway umbrella, Drink Blocks will be sold in Safeway, Vons, Pavillions, Tom Thumb, and Randall's supermarkets. Our goal of providing a "better for you" kid's drink, that tastes great and has a patented bottle design to fuel kids imaginations, is on its way! Next time you are visiting one of the stores in the Safeway Inc chain or visiting a Rite Aid, please look for Drink Blocks! |