Easter Candy: Handy But Not So Healthy

Whether you celebrate Easter in the religious or secular sense, this Sunday you and your family may be bombarded with baskets of chocolates and marshmallow treats from the Easter Bunny. If you happen to avoid this temptation on Sunday, you may still come face to face with racks of Easter candy on sale next week.

This situation brings to mind a question I’m asked on almost a daily basis:

“Does sugar feed cancer?”

The answer is not as simple as it may seem.

Suzanne Dixon, RD, a well-respected oncology dietitian (who I met when she lived here in Atlanta) does a great job of explaining this in an article at caring4cancer.com entitled Sugar & Cancer: Is there a Connection?.

To sum up her article, the connection between sugar and cancer is not a simple one. Sugar (or glucose) fuels every cell in our bodies – including cancer cells and healthy brain and muscle cells. We need sugar for energy to walk, think, read, and play. However, eating a high sugar diet causes the body to produce excess insulin, and it is insulin – not sugar – that may impact cancer cell growth more directly.

So what can you do to reduce insulin levels?

If you aren’t willing to give up your Cadbury Crème Eggs just yet, consider these tips to help keep insulin levels at bay this weekend:

• Avoid sodas, sweet tea and fruit juices. If you must have them, limit your intake to eight ounces with a meal once a day.
• Take a 30-minute walk 20 to 30 minutes after your food has digested. Exercise may help to lower both glucose and insulin levels.
• Combine high sugar foods with foods high in fiber, fat, and/or protein to reduce how much insulin is released.

Here are ways to add fiber, fat, and/or protein to an otherwise sugar-only treat:

• Choose candies with peanut butter, coconut, and/or nuts as an ingredient.
• Drink eight ounces of skim or low-fat milk with a dessert or candy.
• Eat candy at the end of a balanced meal full of fiber-rich vegetables.
• Enjoy fresh, high fiber strawberries dipped in a rich chocolate fondue instead of cake or candies (leave off the liqueur and add more nuts!).