Have you ever noticed our kids get sick a lot from Halloween until Valentine’s Day? HMMMM, there are a lot of Holidays in between that time that focus on candy. Sugar depresses the immune system. Vitamin C is needed by white blood cells so that they could phagocytize viruses and bacteria. White blood cells require a 50 times higher concentration inside the cell as outside so they have to accumulate vitamin C.
There is something called a "phagocytic index" which tells you how rapidly a particular lymphocyte can gobble up a virus, bacteria, or cancer cell. In 1970, Linus Pauling, discovered that white blood cells need a high dose of vitamin C and that is when he came up with his theory that you need high doses of vitamin C to combat the common cold.
We know that glucose and vitamin C have similar chemical structures, so what happens when the sugar levels go up? They compete for one another when entering the cells. And the thing that mediates the entry of glucose into the cells is the same thing that mediates the entry of vitamin C into the cells. If there is more glucose around, there is going to be less vitamin C allowed into the cell. It doesn't take much: a blood sugar value of 120 reduces the phagocytic index by 75%. So when you eat sugar, think of your immune system slowing down to a crawl.
Simple sugars aggravate asthma, cause mood swings, magnify personality changes, muster mental illness, fuel nervous disorders, increase diabetes and heart disease, grow gallstones, accelerate hypertension, and magnify arthritis. Since sugar lacks minerals and vitamins, they draw upon the body's micro-nutrient stores in order to be metabolized into the system.
So what are you sending your kids off to school with? A bowl of cereal and skim milk? A Poptart? To keep your kids healthy and focused at school, try organic eggs with lots of omega 3’s and healthy protein, or a Jay Rob whey protein shake. A protein filled breakfast is proven to increase focus and success in children as well as adults.
So, let's keep everyone in the family healthy with these treats instead!
2 TBS coconut oil (melted)
2 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
1 TBS almond butter
1 TBS coconut flour
Stevia glycerite (optional to taste...I didn't use any)
Mix cocoa into the coconut oil. Then add in the almond butter, mix until smooth. Then add the coconut flour (and sweetener if desired). Pour into mini ice cube trays. Freeze for at least 5-6 minutes and either store in the fridge or freezer. Makes 4 servings.
NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Traditional Almond Joys = 235 calories, 29.2 carbs, 2.5g fiber
"Healthified" Almond Joys = 88.5 calories, 3.6 carbs, 1.7 fiber
(Above Diagram is from Here)
