Christmas is associated with typical foods loaded with sugar: nougat, polka dots, marzipan, panettone, roscón de Reyes, the candies of the parade… All of this exposes the little ones in the house to excessive consumption of sweets, with the corresponding harm. in your health.
From the blog Tu Canal de Salud, by Quirón Salud, they warn that the abuse of sugar in children during Christmas not only exposes them to gaining weight – something especially worrying given the high rates of overweight and childhood obesity in our country–, but also brings with it a lack of micronutrients such as minerals and vitamins. It can also lead to a lack of concentration that leads to a decrease in academic performance.
Other consequences of excess sugar are increased cholesterol and triglycerides, addiction, and increased inflammation. As well as the risk of suffering from cavities and dental breakage. In the particular case of adolescents, sugar can trigger skin imbalances such as acne. Furthermore, Quirón Salud insists that excessive consumption of sweets is especially contraindicated in cases of attention disorders ADHD with or without hyperactivity, Asperger’s or autism, loss of memory and cognitive abilities, as well as in children with anxiety problems. stress or depression.
Having reviewed the risks of excessive sugar consumption in children, it is the responsibility of parents to ensure that their children follow as healthy and balanced a diet as possible on these designated dates.
From Quirón Salud they point out that the most important thing is to set a good example. “It makes no sense to talk to them about how bad sugar is if we ourselves consume it without control. If children live our good habits, they will imitate them,” they say.
They also recommend always eating with water, to avoid adding the sugar that comes from juices and soft drinks to what is already present in desserts. Speaking of desserts, they urge you to opt for fresh fruit and always offer it to children before sweets.
Another guideline is not to always leave the sweets in sight, but only take them out at dessert time or when you have decided to consume them, punctually. Controlling portions is essential, for which we must leave sweets out of their reach and be the adults who offer them the correct amounts.
It is common to neglect breakfast, but it should be complete and healthy, which will help prevent you from arriving too hungry for the next meal. On the other hand, experts emphasize the importance of not prohibiting, but reducing. That is, it is better to try to reduce consumption, without prohibiting it, offering other options, since the prohibition will make children want it even more.
We must eliminate unnecessary added sugars, such as those added to orange juice or strawberries. Finally, it will be of great help to avoid industrial foods loaded with sugar as much as possible.
