Limiting Sugar and Becoming a Healthier Family

A new year, a new start and despite being a fairly healthy family eating a diet comprised mainly of fresh, seasonal food and leading an outdoorsy life with long country walks, bike rides and running…there’s always room for improvement and limiting the boys’ sugar intake and becoming a healthier family is how we’ve kicked off January.

It’s hard of course over the Christmas period, especially for kids as temptation is everywhere so once the festive period was out of the way, I took a stance and have limited sugar in this house.

I personally always limit my sugar intake and eat a low GI, low carb diet but it was time to cut down on the white stuff that sends the kids crazy too.

Within days I noticed a huge difference, particularly in my eldest Oliver, nearly 4 and we’re sticking to one treat day a week (usually Saturday in this house) for the kids.

So many items are saturated with sugar from white, refined cereals to fresh orange and apple juice and even raisins (bad for the teeth too) so they have all been replaced. Water or  heavily diluted fresh orange (as above) or milk are our go to drinks and it’s all about the wholegrains in this house and snacks of fruit for EVERYONE.

As a family we choose not to eat aspartame or any other sugar replacements either.

The baby, Alexander (15 months) didn’t have much sugar in his diet anyway bar lots of fresh fruit which of course we all eat but some of the differences I have found with Oliver from day one and over the last week are as follows:

1. More energy throughout the day.

2. Fewer mood swings and tantrums-generally better behaved as his blood sugars are balanced without the crashing sugar lows.

3. Sleeping much better. Fewer episodes of nightmares common for his age and much more restful nights.

4. Greater attention span/ less frustration.

5. Eating more at dinner time as eating fewer sugary snacks throughout the day.

We will definitely be sticking to this healthier way of eating.

And it seems we’re not the only ones making ‘smart swaps’ either.

This January sees the launch of a major new Change4Life campaign, ‘Smart Swaps’, to help families cut sugar and saturated fat from their everyday snacks, drinks and meals.

Change4Life is calling on families across the nation to sign up to ‘Smart Swaps’ and make one easy change – like swapping sugary drinks to milk or water for example – for January. In doing so, an average family could save up to three quarters of a bag of sugar over four weeks.

Those who sign up to the ‘Smart Swaps’ campaign will receive a FREE Smart Swapper full of healthier swap and meal ideas, money off vouchers and fridge magnets as well as supportive emails and texts throughout the month. A FREE Smart Recipes app will also be available with tasty, quick and healthier meal ideas, which can be downloaded from iTunes and GooglePlay.

To sign-up and choose your swaps this January, search Change4Life online or click here.

A fantastic resource for those, like us who want to make a real difference and help our kids to stay healthy and happy.

Will you be cutting down on sugar too?