Ban the Easter Bunny! 70 Non-Edible Goodies to Give Instead of Sugar-Filled Candies (Which Could, If Over-Consumed, Lead to Hypoglycemia or Type 2 Diabetes) - Article

Here's an article I wrote that I hope will help you to plan a more fun, healthy Easter.

Ban the Easter Bunny!

70 Non-Edible Goodies to Give Instead of Sugar-Filled Candies (Which Could, If Over-Consumed Lead to Hypoglycemia and Type 2 Diabetes)

By Connie Bennett, C.H.H.C.

Colorful candies: In recent years, that’s what Easter is all about.

Indeed, every year, the Easter bunny with the cute cotton tail comes bearing lots of pastel-colored candies for our nation’s kids. Sure enough, our unsuspecting children consume these candies in big quantities. And that spells sugar shock and blood sugar bedlam.

So I suggest that we just ban the Easter bunny! Of course, I’m joking, but let’s tame this cute, candy-toting creature for the sake of our children’s moods, health and waistlines.

Because, let’s face it, eating a bunch of candies and soft drinks—what most kids do—could turn your mild-mannered kids into “Sugar Brats.” In other words, they could become moody, spaced out, confrontational, depressed, quarrelsome, hyperactive, rowdy, raging and tantrum throwing.

And that’s not all. Over time, that typical American child, who consumes a lot of candies, cookies, cakes, chips, soda and other fast-acting, refined culprit carbs could become obese or overweight—and develop blood sugar problems such as hypoglycemia, insulin resistance or even type 2 diabetes.

So this Easter—the second biggest candy-eating holiday, falling just behind Halloween—take positive action. Don’t ply your kids with sweets to please them. Don’t set in motion a sugar habit that could lead to hypoglycemia, insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes. Just ditch the marshmallow treats. Dump the jelly beans. Say no to those chocolate bunnies.

Instead, give your kids Easter fun by having them hunt for small, fun, non-edible treats, many of which you can place inside colorful, plastic eggs. Here are 70 non-edible ideas, most of them low priced, to usher in Easter joy:

1.    Tiny frisbees

2.    Slinky® or Slinky, Jr.

3.    Small bottle of bubbles

4.    Bunny-themed finger puppets

5.    Movie passes

6.    Video rental coupons

7.    Jump rope

8.    Kazoos

9.    Whistles

10. Play-Doh®

11. Silly Puddy® (or pastel-colored puddy in an egg-shaped container)

12. Baseball cards or other trading cards

13. Tiny, stuffed, squeaking chick

14. Small stuffed bunny

15. Action figures (Indians, cowboys or your kids’ favorite characters)

16. Pedometers

17. Marbles

18. Balloons

19. Plastic rings

20. Plastic bracelets

21. Small notebooks

22. Lip gloss

23. Sample perfume

24. Fun bookmarks

25. Crayons

26. Colored pencils

27. Colored chalk

28. Magic markers

29. Colorful erasers

30. Playing cards (See the Nick Jr. ones with Dora, The Explorer or other characters.)

31. Small tube of hand lotion (available in 99 cents section of some stores)

32. Dice

33. Squeeze balls or other balls

34. Toy cars or planes

35. Game of jacks

36. Hair scrunchies

37. Hair clips

38. Packet of flower or vegetable seeds

39. Decorative shoelaces

40. Small water pistols

41. Temporary tattoos

42. Yo-yos

43. Foreign coins

44. Stickers and Stencils

45. Novelty key chains (such as key chains that light up)

46. Fun-shaped magnets

47. Paperback book

48. Tiny gift books

49. Small bike lights

50. Friendship bracelets

51. Fun coupons designed just for your children. This is your chance to be imaginative and create special “gifts” or coupons. You could give coupons for a trip to the zoo, movies or mall; a morning of sleeping in; a day of not having to clean the room; or maybe even a night or day in which your child can come home an hour later than usual.

52. Mini Tape 4-pack (Scotch Tape(®)

53. Toothbrush with a cartoon character on top (This is your chance to spoof the way Easter is now celebrated with candies that could rot your teeth!)

54. Small coloring books

55. Plastic snakes, dinosaurs, fish and other creatures

56. Collapsible cup

57. Puzzles

58. Bean bags

59. Glow-in-the-dark insects, balls, earrings

60. Bendable toys

61.  Bath bubbles (small packet)

62. Play sunglasses

63. Floating bath toys

64. Lighted spin tops

65. Game of paddle ball

66. Pen with bunny ears

67. Plastic watches

68. Magic Grow™ Grow Capsules (which turn into shapes)

69. Wacky Water™ Snake

70. Notes To-Go pocket game

If you still want to put a little food into your children’s Easter baskets, you can select healthy treats such as:

1. Baby carrots (After all, bunnies like to nibble on them.)
2. Small apples
3. Almonds
4. Sunflower seeds
5. Pistachios
6. Pumpkin seeds
7. Soy nuts
8. Raisins
9. Colored hard-boiled eggs

Parents, even if you’re nervous about bumping those blood-sugar bouncing candies entirely from your kids’ Easter baskets, then at least begin to introduce some non-edible alternatives this year. Then, you could phase out candies and bring on healthier, non-edible treats next year or the year afterwards.

Think about it: Don’t you feel like a better parent—one who’s much more loving, caring and forward-thinking—by arranging for a fun Easter time for your kids that won’t trigger obesity and blood sugar problems such as hypoglycemia and type 2 diabetes?

I’m willing to bet that planning for Easter will be a lot more fun than usual.

Connie Bennett is a former sugar addict and author of SUGAR SHOCK! (Berkley Books), with Stephen Sinatra, M.D. Kicking sugar and refined carbs in 1998 banished her unpredictable “brain fog,” headaches and heart palpitations. Instead, she became more energetic, cheerful and focused. Connie is now a Sugar-Liberation Expert, who dishes the sour scoop about sweets and helps thousands to break free of their debilitating sugar habits. She is founder of the 21-Day, Stop SUGAR SHOCK!  Diet™; a free, online, international KickSugar support group; and the popular www.SugarShockBlog.com. Connie is a certified holistic health counselor and an experienced journalist, who has contributed to eDiets.com, The Los Angeles Times, and many more media outlets. To find out if you were brainwashed to become a sugar addict, take the fun, simple SUGAR SHOCK! Quiz at www.SugarShockBlog.com. © Copyright, 2007, Connie Bennett, www.SugarShockBlog.com

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Comments

[Julie]

Thanks for so many wonderful ideas!!! My daughter has been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes for a little over two years and we are always looking for fun substitutes for sweet treats. This list will keep us busy for quite a while! Happy Easter!