My kid needed to POOP!

I wrote this article about a year ago and have left out names and gender to keep my child from wanting to kill themselves for me writing this article. I just felt it was too funny and educational to not share with all of you. Please do not interrogate my children in an attempt to find out who it was. It does not matter.

One weekend one of my kids was complaining that their stomach was hurting very bad. The pain was shooting in their stomach, kidney area, and even in their back. My wife being very concerned, took the child to the Doctor after a couple of days of intense pain that would not seem to go away. My child went to the Doctor’s office twice and had several tests and X-rays done to see what could be possibly wrong. My wife was very concerned for our child’s safety and was worried about the prognosis from the Doctor. I had a feeling everything was going to be ok. Let me explain. For about 5 months prior to this event, my wife and I had drastically changed our children’s diet. We removed all foods from their daily eating that contained 20% sugar to Carbohydrate ratios. After realizing how much sugar is in the average American diet and studying the negative effects of sugar on children we realized how harmful it is to children. For example, one teaspoon of sugar will suppress the human immune system for 6 hours. The average American consumes 190 pounds of sugar per year while the average child consumes 250 pounds per year.

Is it any wonder we are always sick, tired, and getting headaches all the time? To get back on track with the story, the day before the incident, my child went to a friends house where they participated in a “junk food” scavenger hunt. The list of items they were to find and then consume, included slurpees, large chocolate chip cookies, soda, candy, and other sweet treats. I think it would be safe to say that my child consumed more processed foods and sugar in that one day than they had in the last month.

While the Doctor’s were formulating their theories and running their tests I just had a sneaky suspicion that my child's ailments were a direct reflection of the less than ideal food choices. I have to admit, I was a little concerned because my little child was in pain, I just didn't think it was as bad as we were led to believe. After several tests and 3 days later the prognosis came. My child was severely constipated. They needed to poop. Some of the main causes for constipation include a lack of water intake, (you don't drink much water when you are drinking soda and slurpees) a change in the regular diet routine, (You think?) and a lack of fiber (no fiber in soda, slurpees, and very little in chocolate chip cookies). Just for the record, I am not saying my child "deserved" constipation. However, they definitely provided an environment for constipation to THRIVE in their body.



Teach your children how to identify their
 current state of health by knowing what poop
should look like. It's not nearly as embarrassing
as being constipated. I promise.



While it amazes me that Doctor’s are so willing to do 4-5 tests and X-rays while overlooking the obvious, it is also re-assuring that something as simple as good eating habits can make a huge difference in my child’s health. By no means, am I intending to discredit the work and service Doctor’s provide, I just think that by asking a couple of questions and understanding how a large dose of sugar can affect a child who otherwise does not consume a lot of sugar, we could have avoided some hefty medical expenses.

Initially, I was upset that the parents involved did not check with my wife or myself to let us know the sugar binge they had planned for my child, but after thinking about it, it was a good thing because now my child truly believes my wife and I when we say that they need to avoid sugar and processed foods. My child no longer questions us, nor do they believe that we just want to ruin their childhood by not letting them eat 250 pounds of sugar per year.

Have fun and don’t think it is “depriving” your children to limit their sugar intake.

Victor