Halloween Candy and the immune system

[kimmom]

Anyone else feel strange this Halloween about dosing their kids immune systems up on sugar with the nasty bug that is going around?? My littlest is getting over pneumonia and my kids don't eat much sugar and I am scared they will all get sick if they chow down on Halloween candy! Anyone else feel this way? I have read one of the ways to avoid the flu is to not eat sugar.. We have been working so hard to feed them well and boost their immune systems naturally is one night going to send it all down the tube?


Most years we go out the kids eat some that night and choose some to keep and then leave the rest for the sugar fairy who leaves them something small in exchange. But this year we are thinking of not going out at all and doing something different..

[kimya]

I am totally with you. I promised her she could have a chocolate cupcake on Halloween, but now she is a little sniffly and I feel nervous about her having sugar.

[carfreemama]

I've been pondering the same thing. Today in my grocery cart I had dried mushrooms, pomegranate juice, probiotic yogurt...and 200 chocolate bars.

Dd LIVES for Hallowe'en, both for dress-up and the candy; but mostly the candy. We are pretty whole-foods around here and candy is only for special occasions. Maybe I've done the forbidden fruit thing, I don't know; but it's not like she never has sugar.

I'm not as concerned about the one-night binge as I am about doling it out little by little, the way we have in the past. It would have to be some pretty spectacular present the candy fairy or whatever would bring, for dd to be remotely pacified by the exchange. She's such a healthy little kid, I never worried too much about it before. But I do now. Esssential fatty acids, vitamin D, colostrum, organic produce, etc...costs a lot of MONEY, too! I've been doing everything in my power to balance and strengthen her immune system. This does seem nuts. None of the other parents seem worried about it, though. I will be trying to limit the candy, I think. Rain is forecast for our area, so maybe that's a bit of a blessing. It will probably at least cut down on the number of houses we go to.

[Panserbjorne]

My kids don't get the candy. They trade it to the "great pumpkin" for books, art supplies, toys....whatever they are interested in at the moment. They've always been psyched about it, actually. It's a whole ritual....kinda like the leaving cookies for santa (not that everyone does that-but you get what I'm saying.) Anyway...that's my answer to the sugar conundrum!

[Panserbjorne]

Originally Posted by kimmom

We have been working so hard to feed them well and boost their immune systems naturally is one night going to send it all down the tube?

Talk to any doctor's office and ask them when the biggest spikes in illnesses are. We have extra long hours for the two weeks after halloween.

[Freeman]

Originally Posted by Panserbjørne

Talk to any doctor's office and ask them when the biggest spikes in illnesses are. We have extra long hours for the two weeks after halloween.

I remember hearing Dr. Sears say this on Oprah!

[Sativarain1]

interesting, I never knew sugar would respond so negatively on the body.

[Drummer's Wife]

Originally Posted by Sativarain1

interesting, I never knew sugar would respond so negatively on the body.

Sugar is evil! and definitely impacts your immune system.

That said, my kids like candy and they are currently healthy. We won't get a ton tomorrow night, b/c we don't visit that many houses - but they will have an overload of sugar all the same.

I have been feeding them extra healthy the last week, including lots of fresh fruit and veggies (especially spinach w/everything) and am hoping that helps a bit.