4 Tips for Surviving Halloween Treats
The average bag of Halloween candy collected from trick-or-treating contains up to 7,000 calories!That is the equivalent of 13 Big Macs, 25 slices of pizza or 29 glazed chocolate donuts.
Why do we overindulge on Halloween so much?
Well for starters, most Halloween treats are extremely high in sugar. It’s no secret that sugar can be highly addictive. Studies have shown that consuming sugar triggers the brain’s pleasure and reward centers. These are the areas of the brain responsible for the release of “feel good” neurotransmitters called dopamine. These are the same brain areas stimulated by cocaine, nicotine and opiates. Sugar addiction is not an imaginary thing, as it’s associated with real physiological changes in the brain.
Another reason people tend to overdo it on Halloween is that they give themselves a free pass and permission to overindulge simply because it's Halloween. Change your mindset. Think of it as just another day on the calendar. It's October 31st. It's Sunday. It's not a reason to completely gorge yourself.
So what can you do?
Here are 4 tips to help you not overdo it this Halloween:
Don't set your self up for failure.
Don’t buy your halloween candy to give out until the day of! And try not to buy your favorite candies. That is just asking for temptation and setting yourself up for failure. Buy candy that is less desirable to you so you won’t crave it as much.
If you have a favorite candy, don't keep it in the house. Enjoy one or two pieces and truly savor and enjoy them. Then give away the rest (plenty of organizations collect unwanted extra candy after Halloween).
Lose the all-or-nothing mentality.
Feeling like you can’t have candy and must avoid it at all costs can just lead to wanting it more. Then if you do have it, you can be left with feelings of guilt and shame which ultimately lead to binging. Knowing you CAN have candy can help to eliminate the desire to overdo it.
Be sure to fill up on healthy foods.
Avoid low blood sugar (which will make your body crave more sugar) Also, when you are hungry and the candy is there, it can be a recipe for disaster. Fill up on healthy meals and have healthy snacks as well. Start your day with a healthy breakfast of egg whites, yogurt and fruit or oatmeal before heading out trick-or-treating with the kids.
Hide your candy.
Out of site is out of mind. Don't keep candy in plain view to tempt you every day. If you don’t get rid of the extra leftover candy, be sure to put it up in a cabinet where it can’t be seen daily and won’t tempt you.
Track your food intake.
Food journaling will make you aware of everything you put in your mouth and help you to stop and think before you eat. too often we just mindlessly pop pieces of candy into our mouth with no realization of how much we have consumed.
Remember that Halloween only comes once a year.
Eating a few pieces of candy won’t undo all of the other days of the year.
Enjoy the holiday and don’t give it so much power over yourself.
Everyone deserves a sweet treat, so eat a couple candies, savor and enjoy them and focus on the celebration of the day with family and friends.
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