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Let Us HEALTH You Quick Tips
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The Greens You Don't Want Your Kids To Eat
No, I'm not talking about green M&Ms or skittles. This green does grow naturally in plant form, but It could make you sick (or just plain grossed out). It comes from a common product that your children enjoy or enjoyed for years. They are in every supermarket and mistakenly thought to be "healthy" by so many of us.
Believe it or not, juice boxes or juice pouches have the capability to grow mold inside, if even small amounts of air ge t into the container. The puncture in which air can get in can be so small that it wouldn't cause any noticeable leaks and therefore is undetectable in most cases. It can coat the inside of the box or pouch that looks like green slime. This has been in the media and is apparently nothing new. The worst part is that you would never know. Who would even think to look at the inside of a box or pouch? 
While the mold can cause some stomach upset, that's not the even the number one concern. Fruit juices are the pathway to obesity, diabetes and ADHD from a young age. This is one of the main contributors to these diseases skyrocketing in our children at an alarming rate. Even if the boxes say they are "100%" juice or "Natural" they are still filled with sugar. Yes, sugar fuels more sugar and has actually proven to be addictive (although I think most of us don't need a study to know that!) Think about it, when kids have sugar laden drinks, they always ask for more and more and then don't want to eat dinner or any food that can give them nutritional value. Furthermore, study after study confirms that sugar can cause hyperactivity making it difficult to focus. Along with the sugar, the food dyes are also well known triggers for hyperactivity (yup,those 100% natural juices still have dangerous dyes in their juices to make them look good).
I am the first to admit that I am just as guilty as every other mom who simply wasn't aware. Those juice boxes were a staple in our house. If most of our population feeds our kids this stuff, it can't be that bad, can it? Well, actually it is.
What can we do? First off, simply DON'T BUY THEM. You can't drink what's not in the house. After all, as you now know, you don't really know what's in those boxes or pouches because you can't see. Why risk it.
For babies and toddlers, just give them plain water in addition to their mother's milk or formula. It's the best thing for them and they don't know differently. Remember, there is ZERO benefit to juice and may actually negatively impact children leading to hyperactivity and carbohydrate intolerance.
For older kids and those who need more of an alternative than just water, flavored seltzer (not the kind with artificial sweeteners, please) can be satisfying for kids (or adults) who like soda. I also love to add squeezed lemon or orange to seltzer or water for a refreshing drink. I even just discovered Sweet Leaf Liquid Stevia which is an all natural flavoring that I add to water. Yum.
There is also Coconut Water that has real natural and healing benefits or great tasting Kombucha which has great probiotic properties that can help with digestion. Mostly, though, I just stick with water. 50-75% of your body is made of water and it is essential for life. Added benefits are that it doesn't grow mold on its own or create life long sugar addictions. Sounds good to me.
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