Keep Movin Podcast Transcript - Ep. 003 - Avoid Halloween Temptation
Disclaimer
As always I want to be up front and honest with you and let you know that I am NOT a doctor or a health practitioner. Although the information presented to you on this podcast, and our websites, is well researched, it is open to debate and interpretation. If you have a question about any health related issues, please consult your doctor. If you feel that any information I provide is incorrect or outdated, let us know. I'll do some further research and correct it if necessary. We are here to help you!
Halloween Safety
With Halloween coming up next week I decided I wanted to say a few things on Halloween safety instead of highlighting health news.
I think many people know this already but remind your kids and anyone recieving candy this year to thoroughly inspect the candy before eating it.
Don’t eat any Halloween candy that was hand wrapped. I remember when I was a kid, receiving hand made candy apples that were hand wrapped. You should avoid eating these types of treats. Make sure the candy is commercially wrapped.
Also make sure your kids costumes fit properly and they are able to carry their "extras" safely. What I mean by “extras” are the additional items that come with many costumes these days. Swords, wands, etc. You do not want these things making it difficult for your kids to get up and down porch steps for instance.
Make sure kids stay on side walks and remind your kids to that entering someone’s home is absolutely off limits. Also be really careful crossing the streets. You would think that drivers would be cautious of all the kids walking around but that is not always the case.
If you are handing out candy, its a safe option to keep your door closed in between trick or treaters. Look out the window to make sure there are kids in costumes before just opening the door. Unfortunately there are some dangerous people out there who will take advantage of unsecure doors and your willingness to open doors without precaution. If your kids are passing out candy, make sure you accompany them to the door as well.
These are just a few safety precautions you can take during Halloween. If you would like more information and Halloween saftey tips, visit http://www.cdc.gov/family/halloween/
Topic Introduction
Well we are less than a week away from Halloween and actually the beginning of the holiday season. Once Halloween gets here, Thanksgiving, Christmas and other winter holidays are just around the corner. This is usually when most of us start packing on the weight. Its tough! Halloween parties, Thankgiving, Christmas parties, and others make it very difficult to avoid overeating.
In this episode of Keep Movin’ I’m going to give you a few tips on how to help you avoid temptation during Halloween. As we get closer to the other holidays later this year, I’ll get into specific tips for those, but for now I’m just going to focus on Halloween.
Tips to Avoid Halloween Treats
Halloween is one of those holidays that taunt us with devilish and delicious treats. But don’t be tricked into over doing it. Those ghoulish goodies can turn you into the Great Pumpkin if you’re not careful. Here are a few tricks of your own that can keep you from overdoing it on Halloween.
Buy Halloween Candy the Day Before
Put off buying Halloween goodies until a day before Halloween. Having treats around the house for an extended amount of time is just asking for disaster. Waiting until the day before will reduce this temptation. Don’t wait until the actual day of Halloween though either. You may find yourself passing out apples and grapes because the candy has been picked over. Make sure you buy the day before!
Avoid Your Favorite Halloween Treats
Avoid buying your favorites. If you are a sucker for snicker bars don’t buy them. If you can’t resist caramel cubes, then leave them off of our list. Buy things that aren’t calling your name every time you look at them.
Buy Bite Sized Halloween Goodies
Stick with bite sized treats. There are a variety of candies and chocolates that come in fun and bite sizes. If you just can’t resist temptation, then eating one or two of the bite size may do the trick. Buying full size candy bars may get you kudos from the neighborhood kids, but your gut will pay for it later.
Buy Low/ No Fat Halloween Candy
Stock up on tootsie rolls, suckers, smarties and twizzlers. These are low /no fat items that are bite size. Other types of candy such as chocolate bars pack a lot of fat.
Get Rid of Left Over Halloween Candy
Finally, get rid of the candy once Halloween is over. Do not keep the treats around. When trick-or-treaters are coming less often, put the rest of the candy in a bowl by the front door. This is a sure fire way to get rid of your candy!
Avoid Sugar Cravings
Now these tips can be really difficult if you are having trouble controlling your sugar cravings. Halloween is one of those holidays that everywhere you turn there is some sort of treat staring you in the face. Whether it be all the candy in the break room at work (before and after Halloween) or walking through the grocery store, there always seems to be some piece of candy calling your name.
Well don’t worry. With a couple of tricks and determination not to overdo it on Halloween, you can make it through the day without caving to your sugar cravings.
Exercise to Avoid Sugar Cravings
One way to avoid sugar cravings is to get some exercise on Halloween. Working out has been shown to get your brain chemicals going. Your mood is elevated and you feel better overall. Going for that candy bar may not be as tempting after you just had a good workout.
Eat Regular Meals to Avoid Sugar Cravings
Another way to avoid those sugar cravings is to not skip meals. Make sure you prep your meals the night before and be determined to stick with your plan. Skipping meals is an invitation for cravings.
Eat less at one sitting but eat more often. Constantly eating something healthy throughout the day will keep your mind off of the Halloween goodies. Plus it increases your metabolism which helps you burn more calories.
Have Healthy Alternatives to Avoid Sugar Cravings
Have some healthy sugar alternatives on hand. As soon as you start to crave something sugary, eat some strawberries or eat some healthy yogurt.
Stay Hydrated to Avoid Sugar Cravings
You can also stay hydrated to avoid sugar cravings. Drink plenty of water. Dehydration can also cause you to have sugary cravings. Drinking plenty of water will keep you hydrated and help to keep you feeling full.
Set Feasible Limitations to Avoid Sugar Cravings
Set feasible limitations. Don’t expect yourself to avoid any sort of sweets all together. That could backfire. Instead set some healthy limitations for yourself. Decide to have a small bite sized treat after lunch or dinner.
With these tips you can give yourself a fighting chance to prevent yourself from overdoing it this Halloween.
Closing
Well that brings us to the end of our podcast Keep Movin’. If you want to contact us, you can email us at Contact@MyHealthyLivingHabits.com or you can fill out our site’s contact form. I’d love to hear from you and I will definitely write back. If you have any suggestions, gripes or whatever just let us know. Also be sure to check out my blog at KeepMovinBlogcast.com. If you don’t have time to do that, then you can subscribe to our health information such as our healthy habit of the week or blog posts and updates will get sent automatically to your RSS Reader or even to your email if you wish. I’d like to thank MusicAlley.com for our intro and outro music and I’d like to thank you for listening to Keep Movin’, I’m Shane and I’ll see you next time. Take care.