I too would like to find a candy that I feel good giving to trick-or-treaters. I searched the stores and combed the internet, and came up with this breakdown of the options:
Dr. Doni’s key to eating candy!
- Organic candy made with cane juice is better then high fructose corn syrup. Try organic lollipops by www.yummyearth.com.
- Candies sweetened with xylitol or stevia are even better choices (they are even starting to come in fun designs). Check out http://www.xlear.com/sparx-candy.aspx.
- Dark chocolate is another great option (you all know how much I love chocolate!)
- Remember to eat regular meals with protein. Then a little bit of candy is not so likely to throw your blood sugar and system off track.
- It really is true that every teaspoon of sugar lowers the immune system for 8 hours. So take Triple Flu Defense if you do choose to eat candy, and stay away from candy if you have a cold!
Fruit better then candy?
I feel that treats that are carbohydrates (popcorn, fruit, etc) are really no different then candy! They really need to be eaten with protein too.
And, for those who’ve been following the discussion on fructose malabsorption (I recorded my presentation and posted it here for you to see) fruit can actually cause more of a problem for kids who can’t absorb fructose.
Where else to find treats?
While researching I came across two liquid sweeteners, which don’t solve the Halloween dilemma, but do offer non-fructose sweetness for protein shakes, etc. Sweetleaf has liquid, flavored stevia. PureInventions has liquid treats sweetened with Lohan fruit (no fructose) and stevia. I’ll have them in my inventory soon.
Truly my dream “treat” would be a nut (for kids who are not allergic)!!
Another way around this is to choose treats that are not food at all. Stickers, gems and colorful pencils are just as fun for kids and don’t impact blood sugar at all!
My friend and patient, Danielle Rose wrote about healthy ways to enjoy Halloween in her newspaper column here:
http://www.northjersey.com/community/105945843_Watch_out_for_your_loved_ones__Healthy_Halloween_snacks_that_aren_t_tricky.html
I’d love to hear what you found for treats this Halloween.
Enjoy!
Dr. Doni
Donielle Wilson, is a women's health expert and Naturopathic Doctor with a private practice in New York City, Port Jefferson, NY and Connecticut. She specializes in showing women and their loved ones how to achieve their wellness goals by finally getting the answers they've been looking for to their most perplexing health challenges. To learn more about Dr. Doni and her unique approach to achieving health naturally, please visit http://DrDoni.com today.