Ways to Stay away from Halloween Candy
When it comes to halloween it’s tough to stay away from eating handfuls of candy in one sitting. Here are a few ways I mitigate the allure of Reese peanut butter cups:
#1 - Don’t have bowls of candy out in the kitchen/living room, simply don’t allow yourself easy access. Use the top cupboard that you need a chair to get to and only use it for patio non-breakable wine glasses.
#2 - If you’re handing out candy for the neighbourhood… Buy the type of candy that you don’t like. Pick up the kind of candy that as a child you used to throw to the way side whilst hunting for the ones that sang sweet melodies to your taste buds.
#3 - Eat high protein & healthy fat meals and have naturally sweetened snacks ready on hand. By having something to take care of that craving, you won’t be thinking about other sugars as much. This week we are including new flavours of energy bites (chocolate almond & lemon coconut) in our deliveries on the Sunday before Halloween so that our clients can have them in the fridge. They are high in fibre and will help satiate your craving and make you fuller for longer with the healthy fat from coconut oil and almond butter.
#4 - If you want to have some candy.. Do it. If you don’t want to have some candy… Don’t. Either way, you have to make a decision. For many years I kept telling myself NOT to eat the candy, yet inevitably my ‘willpower’ would break and I would eat copious amounts of mini chocolates while feeling mopey about my lack of control. I realized that it was because I hadn’t made a choice. Choose to do something, or choose not to do something. Regardless of which choice you land on, you’ve at least told yourself that you are going to do the thing. Then do it, and do it with joy knowing that you predetermined this moment of bliss or restraint. Both have benefits, one more short term than the other. Give yourself the respect to take the time to ask questions, especially when it comes to a habit that you’re really struggling to shift.
#5 - If you don’t want your kids to eat the candy that they collect from trick-or-treating, I’ve seen a few parents exchanging the candy that their children bring home with more natural treats so that the kids can still enjoy treats from the holiday without such high levels of sugar. I’m not a parent myself yet so I am not an expert in the least but I thought that it was a good compromise!
This year I decided to celebrate Halloween by learning more about it's origins - Instead of binging on a bowl of candy, I'll cozy up with a cup of tea and learn how the Celts celebrated "Samhain" as their New Year's Eve and wore costumes to ward off the bad spirits. If you're interested in reading more check out these resources: Samhain: The Celtic Roots of Halloween