Unfriend Sugar

Thu 22 October 2015

Just say ‘no’ to processed sugar sweetened drinks for your babies and toddlers.

Any sugary liquid given to your child to pacify their thirst has the potential to be detrimental to their oral health. When sugar is introduced in juice, cordial, honey or golden syrup on dummies, delicate taste buds become conditioned to crave sugar leading to dental caries.

Although baby teeth are temporary they are imperative to children’s’ future oral development. Premature loss can lead to ongoing expensive dental and orthodontic interventions.

Pre-teens and adolescents -‘Un-tweet the sweet’

An overload of sugar may lead to mental distress and unhealthy food choices leading to obesity as sugar tricks the brain into seeing it as a reward.

When stress is high and energy levels are low it is easy to mindlessly reach for a sugar hit.

Do you see sugar-free choices as ‘deprivation’?

According to the cancer council guidelines:-

600ml soft drink requires walking for 1 hour 20 minutes.

1 small block of chocolate requires walking for 3 hours.

S-sabotage – stop making excuses

U-undermine – identify triggers

G-gains – too many to list

A-adjustment and change takes time and effort.

R-responsibility for our health is ours alone.

Authored by June Astey – Psychotherapist at Therapeutic Axis.