This week I threw away two cases of Girl Scout cookies. Mind you, I only had them because my daughter's troop needed the money. What led me to heave such iconic treasures into the landfill? It's not that I am so personally clean and purified in my own eating habits. I ate my share of the Samoas. (And who wouldn't enjoy the ridiculously tantalizing combination of cookie, caramel, chocolate, and coconut?) The long and the short of it is, I have an addict in the house. And just as an alcoholic can't keep a bottle of scotch in the cupboard "for guests," we can't have Girl Scout cookies lurking around.
For those of you who have been following my blog on this subject, you know that I am on a mission to "clean up" my 11 year old daughter's diet. My steps are simply stated. Make healthy food taste great. Serve it and only it. Eventually, hunger will drive consumption. Our personal progress is pretty good, with some ups and downs. I'll get to that in a bit, but first I have to get on my soapbox.
We are a nation in danger. We stand poised, pointing a gun at our own heads. That gun is loaded with sugar. And yes, it will kill us - perhaps slowly, but surely it will. Here's what we know. There is growing evidence to show that sugar addiction is a real biological phenomenon, potentially stronger than addiction to cigarettes or alcohol. Click here to read more. Americans' average daily sugar consumption is WAY UP from bygone days. And no, all forms of sugar are not the same. Beyond quickly metabolizing into spiked blood sugar levels, high fructose corn syrup affects brain chemistry. It literally turns off the appetite control center and turns on a craving for yet more food, particularly sweets. Sugar free foods don't save us because artificial sweeteners affect the appetite control center in the brain in the same fashion, leading us to eat even more sweets. So, what's the big deal? The health ramifications of all that sugar consumption are likely far worse than we might imagine. Diabetes, heart disease, cancer, obesity, chronic inflammation, ADHD. They all have rather pointed links to excessive sugar consumption.
Which leads me back to home, our dinner table, and our food pantry. Like any mom, I want to indulge my child with the occasional sweet treat. Cookies and milk don't just taste good, they convey nurturing and love. But when dealing with a junkie, they become that single sip of wine that pushes the alcoholic off the wagon. I've seen this with my daughter. As I mentioned, we've made great strides. While she still doesn't eat kale with much zeal, she has accepted fresh fruit and nuts for snacks. She even raved about the homemade pumpkin soup we had for dinner last night. The results of her clean up program have been impressive. She is not nearly as moody, focuses better in school, and has much more energy. But let her have the cookie (soda, jello, or candy) and WATCH OUT! The sugar monster rears its ugly head. The immediate rush regresses her behavior to that of a wild three year old - over the top giddy, fidgety and impulsive. Then she crashes into an over sensitive, irritable mess, who seeks a fix of, you guessed it, more sugar.
Sorry, Girl Scouts of America, I had to throw your cookies away. I am trying to find a way of expressing my motherly desire to nurture my child with sweets in less harmful ways. It's a journey, for sure, but first I have to get the cocaine out of the closets.
For those of you who have been following my blog on this subject, you know that I am on a mission to "clean up" my 11 year old daughter's diet. My steps are simply stated. Make healthy food taste great. Serve it and only it. Eventually, hunger will drive consumption. Our personal progress is pretty good, with some ups and downs. I'll get to that in a bit, but first I have to get on my soapbox.
We are a nation in danger. We stand poised, pointing a gun at our own heads. That gun is loaded with sugar. And yes, it will kill us - perhaps slowly, but surely it will. Here's what we know. There is growing evidence to show that sugar addiction is a real biological phenomenon, potentially stronger than addiction to cigarettes or alcohol. Click here to read more. Americans' average daily sugar consumption is WAY UP from bygone days. And no, all forms of sugar are not the same. Beyond quickly metabolizing into spiked blood sugar levels, high fructose corn syrup affects brain chemistry. It literally turns off the appetite control center and turns on a craving for yet more food, particularly sweets. Sugar free foods don't save us because artificial sweeteners affect the appetite control center in the brain in the same fashion, leading us to eat even more sweets. So, what's the big deal? The health ramifications of all that sugar consumption are likely far worse than we might imagine. Diabetes, heart disease, cancer, obesity, chronic inflammation, ADHD. They all have rather pointed links to excessive sugar consumption.
Which leads me back to home, our dinner table, and our food pantry. Like any mom, I want to indulge my child with the occasional sweet treat. Cookies and milk don't just taste good, they convey nurturing and love. But when dealing with a junkie, they become that single sip of wine that pushes the alcoholic off the wagon. I've seen this with my daughter. As I mentioned, we've made great strides. While she still doesn't eat kale with much zeal, she has accepted fresh fruit and nuts for snacks. She even raved about the homemade pumpkin soup we had for dinner last night. The results of her clean up program have been impressive. She is not nearly as moody, focuses better in school, and has much more energy. But let her have the cookie (soda, jello, or candy) and WATCH OUT! The sugar monster rears its ugly head. The immediate rush regresses her behavior to that of a wild three year old - over the top giddy, fidgety and impulsive. Then she crashes into an over sensitive, irritable mess, who seeks a fix of, you guessed it, more sugar.
Sorry, Girl Scouts of America, I had to throw your cookies away. I am trying to find a way of expressing my motherly desire to nurture my child with sweets in less harmful ways. It's a journey, for sure, but first I have to get the cocaine out of the closets.
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