It’s not often the Irishman is defeated, but the other day I found him face down on the floor of the living room while Atticus ran amok. At fifteen months, our boy can be an angel, but he can also behave like a little drunk raccoon. This was one of those days. There was a lot of ransacking of toys, flinging things about and noisy protests over who knows what.

Trying to understand what he wants is somewhat tricky when he is babbling away in his own little language. He is absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful, but he is also a handful (a bit like his Dad, hahaha!)

I did an experiment to see if this raccoon-like behaviour was in any way linked to sugar intake. To be fair, he has very little real sugar, but as he lives in a house with teens, there is the occasional sweet thing floating about.

So, after a failed dinner ― which ended up being mainly crackers and a fruit pouch ― I gave him one Cadbury’s Mini Egg (yes, crushed up). Let’s just say I won’t be doing that again.

Three layers of carbs on carbs on carbs, with very little protein or fats, did not work out in our favour. No doubt they led to a fairly rapid sugar release, which turned him a little feral.

You cannot expect a one-year-old to navigate their big feelings well at this age, let alone while on a sugar rush.

It’s hard enough for adults. If you’ve experienced the apathy, irritability and anxiety that can accompany a sugar dip then this will resonate with you. But sometimes it feels really, really, hard to make healthy decisions ― especially when Mini Egg season begins.

There is literally a mountain of them in Phoenix. They are at every check out in every grocery store. They are at Gorham’s, the gas stations, the pharmacies, your friend’s home and probably, also in yours.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t have any Mini Eggs. I don’t want to be universally hated or that much of a party pooper.

Moderation is key. But moderation is hard when they are everywhere. So if you’d like a little help keeping a cap on your egg addiction, here are some tips for you.

Your Mini Egg survival guide!

Nip cravings in the bud

It’s easiest not to eat them if you genuinely don’t want them! How do you make that happen? By eating in a way that proactively balances blood sugar.

This prevents the sugar dips that lead to the cravings for more. So, eat a breakfast that includes lots of fibre and protein, such as:

• a vegetable omelette with a bowl of berries, a salad with protein for lunch, a healthy snack in the afternoon (e.g. hummus and cucumber sticks) and a well-balanced dinner of 1/4 plate protein, ¼ plate healthy carbs and ½ plate non-starchy vegetables or salad, at night.

Stay hydrated

Sounds odd I know, but did you know that the body often confuses thirst signals for hunger? Make sure you sip water continuously through the day. Your Yeti or Owala should be your new best friend!

Create a supportive environment

It’s easy not to eat Mini Eggs after dinner if you don’t have them in the house. Try to avoid having a stash “for the kids” or buying eggs now for the Easter weekend.

Have you seen how many are in the shops? Bermuda is not in danger of running out. Buy them next Thursday for the Easter weekend, and only buy as many as you need. No need to stockpile!

Stock up on some healthier alternatives

Dark chocolate almonds (the ones with a little sea salt) are my favourite for a little after-dinner treat. They include the all-important protein so that’s great for blood sugar.

Have a small handful with a cup of herbal tea. Of course you could eat a handful of almonds before a few mini eggs and that would help too.

You just don’t want to eat sugar by itself, always pair it with protein for some damage limitation.

Incorporate them in a healthy way

OK, if you want the Mini Eggs, how about you try the recipe below?

This fibre-rich flapjack (in Britain, that means a kind of soft granola bar, not a pancake) is packed full of ground seeds which add both protein and fibre.

Remember that protein and fibre help to steady blood sugar levels, preventing a quick release followed by a dip.

I use the Linwoods ground seeds mix in this recipe (the baking section at Miles) but if you can’t find it then ground flax seed will do!

Pecan & Banana Flapjack

(with chocolate and Mini Eggs!)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Earth Balance Vegan Margarine

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 cup maple syrup

1 pinch salt

1 large very ripe banana, mashed

2 1/2 cups gluten free oats

1 cup Linwoods sunflower, pumpkin, flax, sesame and goji berry ground seed mix (Miles)*

1/2 cup Linwoods Hemp mix (Miles)*

1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped or whizzed in the food processor*

1 bar 70% Lindt dark chocolate

* you could use any combination of nuts/seeds here. The trick is to go for a combination as that bumps up the available protein. I just used what I had in the cupboards.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Oil a square (for deep flapjacks) or rectangular pan (for shallow flapjacks) with coconut oil. Or, use a mini muffin pan for individual portions like those pictured!

2. Melt the margarine, coconut oil, maple syrup and salt in a large pan over a very low heat

3. When melted, stir in the mashed banana and turn off the heat.

4. Stir in the oats and your choice of seed/nut mixes. Make sure everything is evenly coated.

5. Press into your pan and bake for 20-25 mins, until the sides have gone darker and a little crunchy and the top is more golden. If you use the mini muffin pan, ten mins should do. Cool completely.

6. While the flapjack cools, melt the dark chocolate. Break the bar apart and place in a glass or ceramic dish. Melt in the microwave for ten seconds at a time until soft.

7. Drizzle the melted chocolate on top of the flapjack, or in little puddles on top of the little bite-sized version (as pictured.) Decorate with Mini Eggs – and if you can find some fluffy chick cake toppers – even better!

• The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION is a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the UK Please note that she is not a Registered Dietitian. For details, please go to www.waterfrontwellness.bm. Join Catherine on Facebook www.facebook.com/nutrifitandnaturalnutritionbermuda or instagram @naturalbda