Kid's Snacks Minus the Sugar - Part 1 - Why Dodge the Sugar?

Yesterday I went with my bestie Jules of Sconnie and Jam to pick up her son from school. He's a little tyke and is only in prep (the grade before first grade).

While we were getting the kids stuff together, one of the other mums asked Jules if she had any ideas about sugar free snacks for the kids, and Jules handballed the question over to me (little bit chuffed I am about that actually, she's one of my biggest supporters and I couldn't be more thankful for her ;). So anyway, we had a little chat about natural sweeteners and the best ones to use, but it got me thinking that perhaps I should do a post and expand on my recommendations a little bit. Then I got thinking some more and realised that there is so much to say on the subject, that I will need to do a series of posts... Maybe just 2. We will see ;).

First of all, sugar, in any form (eg. sugar that comes from sweets and/or high carbohydrate savory foods such as breads, pasta and other grains), is just not really necessary. If you are an athlete, or simply have a healthy metabolism and are not diabetic or insulin resistant (aka pre-diabetic), then it's ok in moderation and will probably not do you any significant harm (in the short term at least). However, unlike other debatable sources of nourishment, it's potential (/non-existant) benefits simply do not negate or outweigh it's risks. The fact is that the other nutrients and substances found in high carb foods (even "Low-GI" ones), can easily be obtained from other, less "carby" sources.  Even if you have a healthy metabolism now, if you eat too much sugar, it will most likely not always be the case. For example, I used to metabolise sugar ok when I was younger, but years of eating too much have caused insulin resistance, which, if I do not get under control, will lead to Type 2 Diabetes in a few years at most. Unless you are born with Type 1 Diabetes, we all start out metabolising sugar well, but after years of over exposure to glucose in the blood, our bodies become "deaf" to it (like your ears become deaf if you listen to loud music for too long). Once the body is incapable of metabolising it properly, in comes Type 2 Diabetes. Of course this doesn't happen to everyone,  but it is happening in increasing, if not epidemic proportions compared to generations past, and you have to decide if you really want to take the risk, or put your kids at risk.

Some will argue that we need dietary sugar to provide us with glucose for energy. However, this is not the whole truth. There is a whole lot of scientific research (and first hand experiences), that suggest that our bodies run equally well, if not BETTER, using ketones as a fuel. Without getting into too much detail and giving you a biology lesson, ketone bodies are a byproduct of fat burning, and they are what your body uses as fuel when glucose is unavailable. So actually, your body does not need to use glucose as fuel. Despite everything that you have been told by the mainstream health and diet industries, IT. JUST. DOESN'T. Scientific fact. If you doubt me, just google it. I know google doesn't know everything but it will take you to the information you need if you care to forage for it. "But the brain needs glucose to run!" I hear the doubters doubting.... ;). Well, your body is an amazing machine that is actually quite capable of producing enough glucose for the little energy that the brain needs which it doesn't get from ketones. This phenomenon is called gluconeogenesis. Shock horror, they actually taught me about this little gem in nursing school! And if you know anything about latin, you can easily break the word down and get the drift. Gluco = glucose. Neo = new. Genesis - the start. The brain is actually quite happy to get 50-75% of it's energy from ketones, and the remaining energy that it needs from glucose, the liver can produce it in an of itself. And there are a HECK of a lot of people who have experienced the massive power of the human brain running primarily on ketones. Pretty much every one of them will tell you that they experience greater clarity and brain function when cutting out the glucose, not to mention more energy overall. If you would like more information on this particular topic of the brains energy requirements, there is a great article by Mark Sisson here at Mark's Daily Apple.

Anyhoo, if you are eating anything, the above may be a moot point anyway, because you will likely get plenty of carbs (and therefore glucose) just from veges, nuts, and fruit. Fruit I will talk about in my next post. Being that it is quite high in sugar, it deserves some exploring...

Now, I would like to point out that I am not getting all judgey on people who eat sugar. I eat sugar in various forms. I shouldn't, because my body can't metabolise it properly, but I do. I am simply presenting you with some information, pointing out that it is not an essential nutrient, and that it has many risks. What you do with that is entirely up to you and will not make you a better or worse person or parent. Also keep in mind that my rant on sugar does not mean I won't be giving you all some delicious, sweet and indulgent recipes ;). We'll just be exploring ways to do it healthily, and in the next few posts I'll give you the best natural alternatives to processed sugar, which will satisfy the taste buds of the most discerning sugar addicts, without raising the blood sugar to ridiculous levels and resulting in sugar crashes and mood swings and brain fog. I'll also attempt to source some good savoury recipes for those of you (and your families) who don't have a sweet tooth!

Until then!

Jas xo