There is no food that is doing more damage to our children' health than sugar. Too much sugar in almost everything they eat, drink or chew can depress thyroid function, which is implicated in hormone imbalance.  Sugar causes the body to secrete high amounts of insulin, resulting in hyperinsulinemia (high levels of insulin in the blood), which can lead to diabetes, heart disease, obesity and cancer. We should reduce the amount of sugar in our children's diet as much as we can.

Children eat too much sweets including cookies, candy, juice, chewing gum etc. They need balanced meals and healthy snacks. As parents, we should guide them by teaching them the importance of eating less sugar and provide them with healthy, balanced diet includes a variety of fruits and vegetables.

The confectionery industry is yet to reap the benefit of stevia, which has the potential to replace sugar as sweetening agent. The leaves can be used in chocolates and candies not only to meet the requirement of diabetic and health conscious consumers, but also to harvest the added advantage, that it does not encourage tooth decay. Stevia possesses an antimicrobial property and can be used in all the sweets that children are fond of.  A mere fragment of the leaf is enough to sweeten the mouth for an hour. So stevia can also be used in home made baking including cookies, cake, muffin, ice cream, juice and candy.  Stevia has already been used in the manufacturing of soft drinks, chewing gums, mints, mouth refreshers and even in pan.

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