• Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Holiday Giveaways
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Product Reviews
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

All Beautiful Mommies

Empowering other Moms through their Lifestyle + Beauty + Health Journey

Here’s how Sugary Halloween Treats are Affecting your Kids’ Brain and Mental Health

October 28, 2021 by Juliann Leave a Comment

October is in full swing and that means that Halloween is right around the corner! Before diving into the heaps of candy and goodies from this holiday, have you considered how these sugary treats impact our kids’ brains and mental health?

Dr. Teralyn Sell, psychotherapist and brain health expert, would like all parents, and children alike, to understand the effects that consuming too much sugar can have on a child’s brain health and behaviors:

“Sugar is a major contributor to long-term psychological health problems. In recent research, it was found that sugar consumption increases the risk of depressive symptoms due to inflammation on the body and brain. All it takes is intaking more than the daily recommendation of sugar (which is less than 4-6 teaspoons for a child) to increase their risk. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under 2 years of age don’t consume any added sugar at all. However, the average American (children included) consumes 17 teaspoons or more per day, which is already more than 3 times what is recommended,” says Dr. Teralyn Sell.

While we all may be tempted to continue snacking on the abundance of candy and goodies from Halloween, it may be best to toss them out post-holiday fun. As Dr. Sell stated, it is so important to limit our kids’ sugar consumption and to work on developing healthy sugar habits for the sake of their physical, mental and cognitive health (especially on these sugar-filled holidays).

Here are Dr. Teralyn Sell’s top 5 tips for parents to help naturally reduce their children’s sugar cravings and consumption:

TIP #1: Eat more protein and whole foods  
When in doubt, reach for protein or a whole food option. Protein helps stabilize blood sugar and helps fuel those brain neurotransmitters. Whole foods provide essential nutrients to help fuel your child’s brain all day.

TIP #2: Don’t use sweets as a reward
Sugary foods already impact your dopamine (reward) pathway. If you allow eating sweets as a reward (i.e. If you eat this, you can have a treat, or if you behave you can have a treat) you are setting your child up to use sweets to manage emotions.

TIP #3: Look at labels
Looking at labels doesn’t have to be difficult. However, marketing can be sneaky. So, get acquainted with other terms that indicate sugar, such as cane sugar, honey, brown sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, fructose, sucrose, glucose, crystalline sucrose, nectars (such as blossom), maple and agave syrups, dextrose, maltose, and molasses.

TIP #4: Avoid Soft Drinks, juice and juice drinks
Most soft drinks contain about 30 grams of sugar in a serving. Juice contains about 23 grams of sugar per serving, while juice drinks (aka not fruit juice actually) contains about 20 or more grams of sugar per serving. Instead, opt for water and a piece of fruit. If you choose juice, only choose 100% fruit juice.

TIP #5: Limit processed foods
Particularly stay clear of candy, cereal bars, cookies, cakes and food marketed specifically to kids. Typically these food items contain large amounts of sugar and chemicals. Also, because they are easily portable, they tend to be a breakfast or snack substitute. Instead opt for berries, cheeses and nuts.

Share this post:

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on LinkedIn Share on Email

Tags: brain health, children's health, Halloween candy, psychological health, sugary treats

the PAST
the FUTURE

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Welcome to my Blog

 


My name is Juliann and I am the mother to four amazing children, wife to my loving husband of 31 years, Jon, and grandma to two precious little girls, Charlotte and Reylin, and two baby boys, Everett and Cameron. I live in Oregon.

Beautiful Moms blog was started in 2008, as I was raising my children. I wanted to create an outlet in which I could express my thoughts on parenting, seek advice from other mothers, and discover great products and companies that make life being a mother easier. And to make all moms feel as beautiful as they are!

I am PR Friendly and love working with great companies! Please email me at [email protected]

Click Here for more information about me and my blog!

Follow Me!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • Twitter

Join The Newsletter

Get All Our Posts
Delivered Straight to
Your Email!

My Giveaways are listed on these fun giveaway sites:

Sweepstakes Bible

Contestgirl

SEARCH THIS SITE

NEVER MISS A POST

Get All Our Posts
Delivered Straight to
Your Email!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2023 · All Beautiful Mommies · Privacy Policy · All Rights Reserved