Written By: Gina

I was reminded of very some valuable lessons recently. Never assume people find something that is important to you, important to them and if there is something you are passionate about, it may be beneficial to explain why. We have to be proud advocates for our children- especially if we are trying to protect them.

I was at an event last year where kids were being offered a bag of candy as a gift. Alicia went in the gate before me and she refused the bag of candy for her kids. As she walked away, I heard the girls at the front table say, “Geez, it’s a party. Let your kids have some fun! It’s just candy!” I was next in line and I also refused the candy, basically telling the girls I didn’t want that junk for my kids either. But it’s not about the candy. It’s about what the candy does to our kids when they have it. Alicia and I both make sure our kids have plenty of fun, but in our houses, we have had to teach our kids that fun does not = sugar.

Ever since I decided to limit the sugar my kids eat due to Lexi’s Hypogammaglobulinemia, I have been criticized by some people who should know better. I have been told how controlling and cruel I am as a mother to deny my kids their fun. Some have said if I deny the kids sugar now, they will become “sugarholics” when they get older. I have been ridiculed about this on many occasions, but I have ignored the comments because I do what is best for my family. I seriously thought people were just being mean. Given the information I have shared about my daughter’s illness, I assumed it was very clear that she was sick (she was bald more than half her life!) and that we were limiting her sugar for a reason. My decisions and wishes as a parent regarding this subject should have been enough. Instead of trying to figure out why I would have to explain or justify myself at all, I realized it might be important to show through photos what happens to my girl when she has too much sugar and see if people would then understand. That worked.

Soon after my daughter was diagnosed with an Immune Disorder, we brought the kids to San Diego. We had been feeding the kids organically for about 6 months at that point and the people we were traveling with literally laughed in our faces when we told them so. They bought french fries and bread for the kids because they felt the avocado and banana we were giving them deprived them of “having a good time.” When we asked them not to feed the kids that stuff, they did so anyway and were smugly satisfied when the kids gobbled up all the bread (but not the fries!). My husband and I were shocked that two people could be so bold. They truly thought they were doing our kids a service by giving them bread against our wishes. This couple never asked why our daughter was bald even though we had tried to bring up the issue with them on several occasions. We should have pushed harder to explain what was going on.

Last week, I brought my daughter to a birthday party. I literally had to step out of the room because I was so annoyed and stressed about the amount of sugar the kids were given (10+ items per kid including cake, cookies and candy). I did not want to stand over, control or embarrass my daughter while she was trying to enjoy the party. Another mom was chastising me in front of Lexi and after I left the room, gave my daughter additional candy. Again- this person probably though they were doing my daughter a service by giving her the sweets she was being denied. I suddenly realized the importance of this situation was not understood and was not being taken seriously.

I soon learned that some of the people closest to us did not realize how sick Lexi had been. The last thing we wanted to do as parents in trying to deal with this was have our child live under the stigma of being “sick.” We did not want to talk about this all the time in front of our girl and make her self-conscious. We just wanted her to enjoy being a toddler! I do not believe that any of these people would intentionally harm our children, but they clearly thought we were making selfish choices for them. In trying to downplay the situation for the sake of our daughter, we managed to do so with everyone else as well.

That’s the key here. Our daughter is no longer diagnosed but that is because of the steps we have taken to help get her healthy and we should be proud of that. Our daughter is no longer “sick” because we monitor her food and take her to see a Holistic doctor. Our daughter does not even realize she has food restrictions- it’s the comments of others that make her notice this is even an issue.

As many of us know, sugar is known to contribute to childhood obesity. This is partly because consuming large amounts of sugar causes insulin to spike and then drop, which can trigger overeating. Sugar has a low nutritional value and is a major contributor to cavities and tooth decay.

The average American gets 20% of daily calories from sugar, which is twice as much as doctors recommend. Some doctors believe that years of eating processed foods leads to repeated bouts of increased insulin, which can exhaust your pancreas, causing diabetes. Excess sugar may also trigger insulin resistance, which makes the body less able to reduce levels of blood sugar.
This doesn't mean that sugar causes diabetes; there's no clear biological link between the two. Sugar is a cause of obesity, which has been linked to heart disease and diabetes in adults, so minimizing the amount of refined sugar in your child's diet goes a long way toward good health later in life. http://www.life123.com/parenting/toddlers/child-nutrition/the-effects-of-sugar-on-children.shtml.

Excess sugar depresses immunity, so in a child with an already compromised Immune System, this can be detrimental. Studies have shown that downing 75 to 100 grams of a sugar solution (about 20 teaspoons of sugar, or the amount that is contained in two average 12-ounce sodas) can suppress the body's immune responses. Simple sugars, including glucose, table sugar, fructose, and honey caused a fifty- percent drop in the ability of white blood cells to engulf bacteria. http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T045000.asp.

In my daughter’s case where she was not producing fighter B and T cells, this could be severely damaging. Our efforts to feed her right by limiting her sugar, feeding her organically and by giving her hormone free dairy and meat products has done wonders for her. Without the sugar blocking her brain reception, her body can utilize these healthy foods to grow and develop normal, healthy cells. Since the skin is the largest organ we have, it is in this way that my daughter’s negative reaction to sugar shows. She gets a body rash almost immediately and it is very uncomfortable for her. Then we have to spend the next few days “detoxing” her body of the sugar by feeding her the cleanest, freshest, most organic foods minus sugar- including fruit. When I explain Lexi’s condition now, I include photos of her rash which clearly shows her body’s reaction to sugar.

Nancy Appleton, PhD, clinical nutritionist, has compiled a list of 146 reasons on 'how sugar is ruining your health' in her book Lick the Sugar Habit. Here are some of them:

* Sugar can decrease growth hormone (the key to staying youthful and lean)

* Sugar feeds cancer

* Sugar increases cholesterol

* Sugar can weaken eyesight

* Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children

* Sugar can interfere with the absorption of protein

* Sugar causes food allergies

* Sugar contributes to diabetes

* Sugar can contribute to eczema in children

* Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease

* Sugar can impair the structure of DNA

* Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children

* Sugar contributes to the reduction in defense against bacterial infection (infectious diseases)

* Sugar greatly assists the uncontrolled growth of Candida Albicans (yeast infections)

* Sugar contributes to osteoporosis http://www.naturalnews.com/022692.html

These reasons alone would be enough for me to watch the amount of sugar my children have. Add anything from this list to a child who already has fighter cell development issues and it can only be detrimental.

My main point in writing this blog is to say that parents have the right to choose what is best for their family and those decisions should be respected. What works for one family may not work for another. I am constantly surprised that some people freely give their opinion on what they think you are doing wrong as a parent. That should be taboo! No parent is perfect and we all want what’s best for our kids.

I also want to point out that I assumed every one close to us understood what we have been through regarding Lexi’s diagnosis and I was wrong in doing so. I talked about it. My daughter had no hair. I wish I would have explained myself (for my daughter’s sake) a long time ago and made everyone realize our food choices were not some crazy kick we were on. We made these choices on purpose and for very good reasons!

As usual, thank God for my mom and dad for supporting our choices and for helping those around us understand the importance of maintaining this lifestyle. I believe we have finally had the chance to resolve this issue with some of our family and friends and hopefully the confusion and judgment surrounding this situation will be gone forever!

In health and peace~
Gina