Nutrition with Nancy Adler
By Nancy Adler
The basics of healthy eating do not go away during the holiday season. Just because it’s a “sweet” time of year, doesn’t mean you throw away everything you’ve been doing to stay healthy. Strive to eat 5-6 small meals a day so that you never reach the point of being really hungry. I find when I’m eating small meals throughout my day, I’m never starving, and therefore are less tempted to grab something unhealthy. Planning is the KEY to keeping your overall daily calorie goal in check.
Stay hydrated. Often, thirst can masquerade as hunger. You may be tempted to grab a Halloween treat when really, you just need a glass of water. Have a glass or bottle of water with you at all times. When you feel the urge to eat a treat, drink a bottle of water first.
It seems like every store brings out the treats by September . Buy candy late. There is no need to buy candy the second it comes out in the stores. Wait until a day or two before Halloween to buy the treats you are giving out. By storing the goodies for 24-48 hours instead of a month, you can save yourself a lot of temptation. Buy candy you don’t like! Don’t buy the stuff you really love, that’s just asking for trouble. Personally, that means I need to stay away from chocolate. Instead, I buy the hard candies that are not as appealing to me. This way, I’m not tempted to eat it.
A big tip , Store Halloween treats out of sight. Don’t keep a box of candy in a place that you’re going to see it every day, like your pantry or snack cupboard. Instead, store it somewhere you won’t see it. I store our treats in the front closet area. I NEVER go in that closet, so I never see the treats until it’s time to put them out on Halloween night.
Take time to enjoy your Halloween treats. I’m not saying NEVER enjoy a Halloween treat…you still can, just in moderation. Only pick out your absolute favorite treats, and then savour them. By slowly eating your treats, you’ll have a better handle on how much you’re eating, plus you’ll really appreciate the treat. Just as you would for a meal, sit, eat, and savour the treat. I like to give myself a certain number of treats I will eat. For me, it could be 5 treats..PERIOD. This is not 5 treats every day, just 5 treats TOTAL! Then I savour those treats over the next 5 days. And when they are gone, they are GONE!! A really helpful tip is, each time you enjoy a treat save that wrapper. By the end of the week you can count just how many sugary treats you enjoyed for the entire week with the wrapper accountability.
Enjoy Halloween parties for the atmosphere, not the food. Don’t waste your allotted indulgences at one Halloween party. Enjoy your friends and have fun without overeating. Here are some bonus tips to help you with that:
•Have a healthy meal or snack before you go to the party.
•Plan ahead on what you’ll allow yourself to eat/drink at the party and stick to the plan.
•Choose a small plate, allow yourself one trip to the spread, and savour each bite.
•Position yourself away from the food table.
•Bring your own Halloween treat. A Halloween party is going to full of unhealthy food temptations, so why not bring your own healthy dish! That way, you know there will be at least one healthy food you can enjoy at the party.
•Handle Halloween temptation at the workplace. There are always one or two co-workers who feel the need to bring in tons of leftover candy to the workplace. If you just can’t resist, then allow yourself ONE treat and cut it off there. Or else, ward them off by filling the communal candy dish with a bag of treats that you don’t like. If you find you are still being tempted, then move the candy to a place where you won’t walk by it every 5 seconds.
•Last but not least, in case of an emergency, have a pack of gum with you. When you are faced with temptation, chew on a piece of gum instead. This Halloween don’t be tricked by the treats !
