Tag Archive for: candy

How to Stay Mindful this Halloween

Halloween Pumpkins 2The month of October is synonymous with Halloween and spooky fall festivities. But along with trick-or-treating comes massive amounts of sugar. Whether you’re out and about tricking or home dishing out the treats, these tips will help you stay an intuitive eater amidst all of the chaos.

Eat Before You Treat

Just before the trick or treating traffic is about to commence, have a late lunch or early dinner. A full stomach will prevent you from overindulging on candy to the point of sickness. If you are a chaperone for kids who are going trick or treating, it’s a good idea to have a little holiday meal before heading off on your trick-or-treating journey. Eating too much sugar will cause you and your kids to crash and become cranky before the festivities are over. Don’t unleash the monsters!

Fun Size It

Portion control is key. Cravings are natural and shouldn’t be ignored. If you are craving a chocolate bar, choose the fun sized option. Fun sized candies have a fraction of the fat and calories per package. The object is to savor each bite. The more you focus on the taste and texture of the candy, the more you’ll be happy with a smaller portion. Satisfy your sweet tooth with a fun size bar without missing out on the fun.

The Dark Side

Dark chocolate might be an acquired taste but it is certainly the way to go. Dark chocolate contains 70% or more of cocoa. Cocoa is an interesting ingredient because it has been shown to contain antioxidants and cholesterol lowering properties. The fat in cocoa is comprised of monounsaturated fatty acids as well as stearic acid which appears to have no effect on cholesterol levels. So if you need a little chocolate pick-me-up, dark chocolate is the way to go.

Healthy Homemade

Making homemade treats is a great alternative to buying prepackaged candies. If you have the time, make fun treats at home so you know what you’re eating. They can be fun and healthy for everyone. Instead of candied apples, dip your apples in peanut butter and dark chocolate for a dark twist. Make some Petrifying Popcorn- air popped, drizzled in honey and sprinkled with cayenne pepper and salt for a kick. Or go ahead and decorate your fruit for an easy alternative! Tangerines can be turned into little jack o’lanterns or put mint chocolate chips on a banana to make boo-nanas. Let your creativity run wild.

Be an Intuitive Eater

Don’t call diet police. Celebrate the holiday by letting yourself have a little bit of candy here and there. Listen to your body- if you need that sweet vice, eat it. But if you’re past the point of fullness, that extra candy isn’t going to make you feel any better. Using your brain and stomach instead of your eyes will help guide you through this holiday season without a problem.

Halloween is the perfect opportunity to go out and get a good walk. Walking around the neighborhood even for just half an hour will boost your immune system and decrease your risk for cardiovascular disease. Not to mention, it feels good to get some fresh air. Have some fun this end of the month by being the best intuitive eater you can be.

Your Turn to Take Action: What creative homemade treats will you make for your little monsters?

 

 

It’s No Trick—Have a Treat!

Candy 1Halloween—it’s probably one of the least likely times of the year that you want to interact with a nutrition professional.  But if you’ve been traveling down the mindful eating road with me, I can guarantee you that you can handle this holiday AND enjoy some candy too!

Halloween can be tricky because let’s be honest, it isn’t always about this one day.  You buy candy for “trick or treaters” and it’s in the house for days leading up to the day of Halloween.  Then the day comes, you bring out the candy you bought and, if you have kids, they bring in a whole new batch of the sweet stuff!  It is a sweet cycle that can be not so sweet for someone trying to be healthy.

But as you have been learning with intuitive eating, it is not about deprivation and restriction.  If you tell yourself that you are forbidden to eat any of the candy because it is not part of the “plan,” the likelihood that you will go on a candy crusade when nobody is looking greatly increases.  If you do go candy crazy, you aren’t left with sweet satisfaction, but rather a sick stomach and perhaps a cavity or two.

But YOU know how to handle this—YOU know how to be mindful!

It’s all about enjoying and knowing that it’s okay to have it, and then you will be able to stop.  I’m sure you have your favorite type of candy, and by all means if you would like to have a piece, then you should.  Make a conscious effort to savor it, really taste it in your mouth, the taste, texture and aroma.  This will be a very different experience than if you just pop a few pieces into your mouth as you are dashing in and out without really even tasting it.

By giving yourself permission to enjoy the day with your family and enjoy a sweet treat, you don’t miss out on the fun because you are “on a diet.”  And, by being mindful while eating your favorite piece of candy, you will see that you will be satisfied with just one or two pieces.

So treat yourself to a treat!  Enjoy that piece or two of candy, and recognize that it is enough.  Mindful eating gives you the ability to do this and provides you with more enjoyment than you’ve likely experienced on this holiday in the past.

Happy Halloween!

Your turn to take action: What is your favorite candy that you will eat and savor this Halloween?