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.
