to cut out sugar from my son's diet. And how on earth do I do it?

[newrecruit]

DS is 8 and I think he reacts really strongly to sugar.

If he drinks fruit shoots / squash (very rarely) for the next half an hour he's terrible. Twitchy & physically can't sit still.

He struggles with concentration all the time and I think cutting out sugar night make a difference - or I'm jut making excuses.

DS2 is 5 and has never reacted in the same way.

Has anyone else managed to do this.

I don't want to cut out carbs - he needs LOADS of food and can eat more weetabix/ pasta than I can. However I think refined sugar might be the problem.

Or am I jut ening precious.

give up anything that is sugar free imo.

cut out artifcial sweeteners and colours. normal diet, 3 meals a day with fruit in between. try that first before going towards any diet with a child. if you do, get medical view instead of cutting major food groups out of childs diet.

Basically READ all food labels, if you dont understand whats on it , dont buy it or eat it.

It could be the aspartame in fruit shoots etc. Whilst my kids do eat a high sugar diet, once they are teens not much you can do about it, I did not let them have any 'no added sugar' drinks as the additives can be worse than sugar.

The jelly beans used to send my DS nuts, he had 3 as a tot and was hitting his head off the TV. Scary what they put in foods.

There is a trace of caffeine in chocolate. I'd rather mine had a week cup of tea than chocolate. At least they get milk down them.

Bulbasaur that's exactly what I said if you read the rest of my post I think it's likely to be other ingredients rather than sugar, personally, although the sugar/carb thing is worth a try too, but I'd try additives first.

HCFS isn't getting into many things this side of the pond. It's not popular at all in the EU and I'm not surprised - it tastes awful, almost as bad as aspartame.

An Omelette is a great breakfast and you can do different varieties. The good thing about perhaps scaling back on cereals is that you realise you can eat anything you want for breakfast. Meats and cheeses. Veggies. Leftovers. Anything!

I'm sure it's a popular misconception that sugar causes behavioural issues, as other people have pointed out.

There is no dietary need for added sugar, or for chemical replacements. It's a good idea to minimise these if possible, also E numbers of course.
Too much sugary food raises insulin levels and makes you want even more sugar or carbs.
He might do better with more protein, e.g. eggs, cheese.

A piece of fruit is much healthier than a fruit shoot or juice.
Don't cut down on grains, or any proper food group, unless medically recommended, but try to replace sugary breakfast cereal with say porridge and banana / toast with scrambled eggs or bacon or peanut butter.

I remember reading some scientific studies that concluded sugar might adversely affect behaviour.
Also, the NHS states here " ....caffeine, which can make children hyperactive. Sugar can have a similar effect."

This is a very recent study if I remember rightly but who knows since I suppose we haven't got meta data yet

After a quick Google and glance at studies it would seem the sugar > hyperactivity link is a myth. But there's so much anecdotal evidence out there that it is really hard to believe.

Don't give him bacon, salami, ham or too much smoked food. Full of very harmful nitrites. Bowel cancer is being seen in younger and younger patients.

You need to put the whole family on a sugar reduced diet not just your ds. You basically need a low gi diet, it was all the rage a few years back. You can still everything you eat now pretty much but you need to make better choices ie swap white and whole meal breads for seeded and oat types. Diet yogurts instead of muller corner for example. Alpen or oats for breakfast instead of flake type cereal. It is doable, just read up on it as something you would expect to be good can be full of sugar!

DH & I did a low carb diet a year or so ago and are going to do it again so it should be easier.

We have seeded.loaf at the moment unless DH comes back with white.

DS 2 doesn't eat fruit but will have to get used to it. Both are quite good with veg. I suppose I have just slipped into easy options with them.

diet yogurts are full of sugar as sugar less calories than fat, natural full fat yogurt with fruit is far better

I thought fruit shoots were full of rubbish sweetners and not sugar, DS reacts terrible to sweetners or anything artificial so I only give him drinks with sugar in, not sweetners, always avoided fruit shoots

I would;'t take any advice from here and instead go to a nutritionalist. You will only get conflicting advice from here and when it's a health matter a forum is not the place.

He's never had caffeine

Are you sure?
you might be surprised!

I just googled caffeine and food and came up with the above link and others.

Fruit shoots and squash?
Why on earth would you give them to your child? Replace them with natural juices and you'll see the change straightaway. I once tried fruit shoot myself and nearly puked of how sweet it was. I would never give something like that to my son and defo wouldn't give it to any other child.

The latest research has proven that parental views of the effect of sugar on their children's behaviour are utterly unreliable.

Parents cannot tell whether kids have had sugar, sweeteners or nothing
if they are given the same stimuli

BUT
Extrinsic sugar (ie added, on an ingredients list) is the one food group we do not need

Intrinsic sugars - in fruit, veg, milk and the like, are essential for the nutrients

So, cut down on the extrinsic
but
do not ban sugar
as that way disaster lies - as your child will sneak sugary foods behind your back.

Get them involved in reading up on the science of sugars - as its fascinating
and then work together, rather than trying to "enforce"

good post talkin thank you for that

^Fruit shoots and squash?hmm
Why on earth would you give them to your child?^

Oh stop it. People do give these to children y'know, it doesn't kill them. And you nearly puked yourself? Really.

Yet you suggest natural fruit juices, which are hardly any different, and MUCH sweeter in taste. The fruit shoots contain natural colourings and flavours. The sugar content of fruit juice vs fruit shoot isn't that much different at all - not enough to warrant your reaction.

Pure squeezed Tropicana Orange Juice with bits is 23% sugar
nuff said

I dont think any of those caffeine sources are surprising.

I wouldnt give tea /coffee to a child anyway. (Think tea affects iron absorbsion)
If you eat say a mars bar you can feel the caffeine affect from it.

I would think if it was the enumbers it would be quite obvious from squashes etc. especially if you cut it out and give just 1.

Obviously surprising to OP who said that he never had any. I think that he has-she just doesn't know it!