Today was the worst. My 5 year old son is borderline hyperactive and becomes so when he eats more than just a little bit of sugar. He gets this from me, I'm hypoglycemic. (opposite of diabeties). This weekend he sneaked (as all small kids do) what he craves most, his fathers ice cream. The trouble was he ate nearly a quarter of a gallon! He picked fights in school and then came home and had a sugar crash. Does anybody have any recipes for sweets that do not involve sugar or honey? It is hard enough to make sure that other people don't give hime sugar. I just need to find something that he will like more than what little sugar I keep around the house to saticefiy (sp) his dad. thanks, annette

-- annette (j_a_henry@yahoo.com), March 28, 2000

Answers

Gosh Annette: I know what your going through!! I fought that battle with my kids and I was soooo frustrated. Their grandparents gave them sugar goodies, their friends did it, they always found a way. I totally lost that one but they did survive. Good luck and I hope I didn't depress you more....Kirk

-- Kirk Davis (kirkay@yahoo.com), March 28, 2000.

Annette, look for books by Dr. Linden(sp) Smith. He's a pediatrician. Most health food stores should carry the books.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), March 28, 2000.

There's a plant that grows in South America, called Stevia. Has been used there for many years as a sugar substitute. Stevia extract is available in health food stores. Do a web search on the word Stevia to find sites about it. The claims are that it not only tastes sweet in similar ways to artificial sweeteners (in other words, a tiny amount goes a long way), but it is healthy, has a stabilizing effect on blood sugar. I don't tolerate sugar that well, and use it sometimes.

Another sugar alternative I have heard of is food grade glycerine. Also should be available in health food stores. Has a flavor some people think tastes sweet.

IMHO you should stay away from aspartame and the others.

Good luck.

Candy (not a joke, it's the name I go by)

-- Candy (ecsloma@pronetisp.net), March 28, 2000.

Candy, I don't believe this. Stevia is the sweetener in a drink called mate. It comes from argentina. My uncle was down there for 18 months and brought some back. I thought it tasted terrible! but I know now, (some 14 years later,) that I could have gotten used to it. Now I find out that the extract can help me with my son! My uncle is going to bust a rib laughing. Thanks for the information. If this works for my son, he can have all of the ice cream and cookies he wants because we have an ice cream maker. THANKS!!!!! annette

-- annette (j_a_henry@yahoo.com), March 29, 2000.

Hi Annette, This is a tough one! I have two, now grown, who couldn't have certain 'common' foods or 'additives' (the worst being aspertame- causes seziures). Sent them with a 'bag' snack, or lunch or dinner on a playdate! Clear the house of all sugar. Hard-yes. Impossible-no. Inform everyone that has contact with your son, what he can and cannot have, and DEMAND that they stick to the list. Lastly, he's a little young now, but by 7 or 8 he has to learn to be responsible for what he puts in his mouth! My oldest could detect diet soft drinks, by smell at the age of 8. Sadly, he 'developed' that 'gift' because he became so violently ill that he learned to smell and 'tip' taste his food and drink. Maybe you could teach your son the association of his behaviour and his eating habits? Not easy, I know. Good luck to you and your little man. Hey, maybe he'll grow out of it. Happens!

-- Kathy (catfish@bestweb.net), March 29, 2000.

I bought a copy of THE "I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS HAS NO SUGAR" COOKBOOK when we found out my husband was borderline diabetic. The author is Deborah E. Buhr and the ISBN is 0-312-15551-4. I bought mine from a lady in my organic food coop but I have seen it in a little catalog with only cookbooks in it. I'm sure a bookstore would order it if you can't find it otherwise. Good luck

Marilyn

-- Marilyn (rainbow@ktis.net), March 30, 2000.

I second the stevia suggestion - especially since stevia has been shown to stabilize blood-sugar levels in hypoglycemics. I like the "Baking With Stevia" cookbooks - two volumes. I'm just starting out with this myself, so I know how hard it can be. I just learned about the big effects of hypoglycemia in Bill & Ruth Kaysing's book Eat Well for 99 cents a meal. Irrationality, fits of temper, memory loss, tendency toward violence - and I wondered why I had temper tantrums and yelled at my kids all the time! I need stevia as much as your son does!

-- Becky M. (beckymom@kjsl.com), April 01, 2000.

I am extremely sugar sensitive and I also use stevia on tea and other things to give it a little sweet taste. There are 2 wonderful books called "Potatoes Not Prozac" and "The Sugar Addict's Total Recovery Program" that can tell you more about your son's sugar sensitivity and how you can help him change his diet to take away cravings.

-- Sarah Janovsky (Janovsky@cats.ucsc.edu), January 30, 2001.

Dear Annette Hi there! My son Ben (myself & husband) is extremely sugar sensitive. We went to see a naturopath/dietician two years ago. I was told to take him off all sugars and refined carbos - very difficult with a 5 year old who was already stroppy enough! I became 'Super-Mean Mum' and would not give in to any of his wheedling/tantrums etc. My SECRET OF SUCCESS was apple puree/applesauce - hot, cold (sweeter to eat when chilled!) stirred into porridge/oatmeal with natural yoghurt and a few sultanas he loved it! Served chilled with sultanas and yoghurt as a dessert - delicious! In a pancake - yum! Diluted appropriate fruit juice made into ice lollies - slurp! And I have a recipe for sugarless carrot cake which has become a great favorite not only with Ben but with family and friends! and good old fruit bought from a good old fashioned fruit & veg shop where they sell it ripe. Only drawback to above mentioned wonder-food is endless tedium of peeling tons of cooking apples!

CARROT CAKE RECIPE 9 " tin 5oz wholemeal flour 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp bicarb of soda 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp ground cloves 4 fl. oz olive oil 2 eggs 6 oz grated carrots 225g/8oz tin crushed pineapple in own juice, drained (reserve juice and add back as necessary to achieve right consistency) 4oz sultanas

METHOD 1- Grease and line tin 2- Mix all dry ingredients 3- Stir in oil 4- Add eggs one at a time, beat well after each addition, add carrot and pineapple 5- Pour into tin 6- Cook on insulting mat and wire rack in Combination microwave Hi-Speed 250 degrees C for 18 mins or until done - please adapt recipe to suit your own oven - cook as conventional cake with similar ingredients.

- delicious hot like Chritmas pudding with nat yoghurt or warm with yoghurt or cold (sweeter when cold) good for lunchboxes and makes excellent Birthday cake! Only problem is it doesn't last long! hide it from Daddy!

May the willpower be with you!

6 months after we took Ben off sugar etc. his teacher wrote in his school report 'Ben is a different boy'! Beware it is all too easy to let it slide after achieving success i.e. a little here and there won't hurt...a special treat...just a taste after dinner... Been there, done that! now back on the road to recovery! Currently reading 'Potatoes not Prozac' best book I have read by far... and I've read some!

let me know how you're doing - maybe your son would like to e-mail Ben heartfelt wishes for speedy recovery of blood suga

-- Alison Richards (alisonrichards@hotmail.com), August 19, 2001.

Well, the good news is he hasn't had a bad episode like that in sometime now. He has just turned seven and now knows that he can't have sugar unless mom says its ok. It turns out that he inherited the hyperactivity from the men on my mother's side. They have all out grown it. I was told that the best way to handle it was to simply limit the sugar. Eventually he would outgrow his reactions. They were right. Just this week he ate a large (for him) amount of chocolate, the result? A little worse buzz but no sugar crash. YEAH!!!! Eventually I will be able to tell him it is ok to have the sugar, but by then I hope he won't crave it as much! annette

-- annette (j-a-henry@yahoo.com), August 19, 2001.

Annette, Glad your Son is doing better. Thought I would mention a product called Splenda,it taste good and you can cut down on the sugar. They have a web site and you can get coupons for money off.

-- Jo (farmerjo@kvalley.com), August 21, 2001.