Candy...the good & the bad

Happy Halloween!












I can't believe that October has come & gone, and tomorrow my sweet angels will transform into ghosts & goblins for the night on their quest to accumulate as much SUGAR and GUM as they can. With all of that candy hanging around the house....in plain sight....begging for someone to rip off the wrapper & shove it in their mouth....it sure makes sticking to a diet more difficult.

I thought it would be appropriate to critique the popular candy types, and see if there is any ONE better than the other. Courtesy of "The Mommy Files", I found the following rating scale:

• REALLY BAD
  
  Chewy or sticky candy
  Examples: caramel, taffy, gummy candy
  
• These types of candy can stick to the teeth long after kids are done eating them. Bacteria in the mouth feed off the sugar in these candies and produce acid, which in turn can cause cavities and other mouth problems.
  
  
  
  

Hard candy
Examples: lollipops, suckers

Similar to sticky candy, these types of candies take extended amounts of time to dissolve, thus the mouth is exposed to sugar for a long period of time.

Sour candies
Examples: lemon drops, sour straws
Higher acid content in sour candy makes the mouth more acidic and breaks down the tooth enamel quickly. This highly acidic environment leads to a much greater risk for tooth damage.

• Still Bad, but BETTER
• Chocolate
  Example: chocolate bar
  
  Various studies have shown that chocolate is less harmful for teeth than other sugary foods because of a natural anti-bacterial compound in the cocoa bean which 'cancels out' some of the harmful effects of sugar in the mouth.
  
  
  
  
• BEST
  Candy or gum containing xylitol
  
  Example: Xclear candy, Trident gum
  
  Xylitol is a naturally-based sugar that actually helps prevent cavities. Bacteria in your mouth are unable to ferment xylitol, thus harmful acids are not produced.

One more piece of advice: The best time to eat candy is after a meal because the mouth's saliva is already working to move food (and sugar) out of the mouth. Moms should try to make Halloween candy a dessert treat for kids, rather than a snack between meals.

Be safe, have fun & STAY WARM tomorrow night!

Have an awesome weekend!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥