Now, How to Keep Them from Eating 626 Pieces of Candy a Day....

Too much sugar is bad for your body in so many ways.  It messes with your endocrine system, causing you to gain weight faster than eating too many calories of another kind.  It's hard on the immune system.  It can actually raise your blood pressure.  It can contribute to the proliferation of cancer cells.

I read this stuff - it interests me.  I like knowing exactly what horrendous things the stuff I eat is doing inside me - it helps motivate me to eat healthy.  I also like knowing what wonderful things food can do - and ditto about the motivation.  I have more to say about motivation to eat healthy, but it's more appropriate for the other blog.  I'll get to it later.  Right now what concerns me more than my own eating habits is my kids'.  Has anyone ever solved the mystery of how to keep kids from eating too much sugar?  I try really hard.  I don't buy sugary stuff, normally.  At birthday parties you're allowed to have a piece of cake, a little ice cream if it's served, but no seconds.  I send your little butt to a co-op preschool where healthy food is one of the most cherished principles.  You have to eat the approved amount of vegetables at dinner to be considered for dessert.  Aren't I following all the rules here?  How does this crap constantly seem to sneak in?

I do know how it sneaks in.  That was a rhetorical question, because we all know how it works - the over-availability of junk food and the evils of advertising to children, et cetera.  It's a huge problem.  It might be THE problem.  I plan to just stick with my rule book, know that I'm doing my best, and leave it to the superhero vigilantes to fight our battle in the streets (you know, the battle to get "fruit" roll-ups and Hot Pockets off our supermarket shelves.  No?  Never heard of it?  Maybe it's all in my head).

In the meantime, I hope someone will come along and tell me how to deal with a begging, whining, pleading, crying, tantruming four-and-a-half year-old who can't go one more minute without that bag of Reese's pieces from her Halloween stash.