With the onset of Fall and Winter and the seasons’ holidays around the corner, it becomes “indulge into bulge” time for most of us. The end of summer initiates a change in wardrobe to less revealing clothing; shorts are out and shawls are in, allowing for us to conceal the consequences of seasonal overindulgence in feast after feast. Halloween temptation followed by Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hannukah celebration make us vulnerable to spiraling into unhealthy eating patterns that can be hidden by big sweaters, over coats, scarves and the like, which tends to justify excessive holiday indulgence. The end result (other than a larger rear “end” result): packing on unwanted pounds, causing metabolic imbalance and disease, and tucking dangerous toxins deep into the cells, just to name a few…leaving us scrambling to reverse the damage before bikini time rolls ‘round again! Enjoy the holidays safely, and prevent the arrival of the fall season from pushing you to “fall off the wagon”. Summer ’08 will be here before we know it, and the mad rush to lose fall and winter hibernation gain begins…. Avoid this frantic race by establishing a healthy, sustainable eating regimen that serves as a baseline from which to veer off, have fun, and bounce right back with no harm done. Begin by planning for a binge-free, yet festive and sweet Halloween. Here’s how:
If you are one in the majority of those susceptible to throwing all caution to the wind, and disengaging from healthy patterns at the sight of a bag of candy corn, take control NOW! I am certainly not suggesting complete avoidance of candy on Halloween or pie on Thanksgiving, but instead encouraging careful selection of the “treats” that stock your kitchen. Swearing off all candy and treats during this time may lead to a dangerous binge upon access to your child’s high-fructose corn syrup-filled trick-or-treat bag. Avoid visiting these extremes by keeping healthier candy options at hand. Instead of giving trick-or-treaters old-school favorites such as Hershey’s and Reese’s, whose products are jam-packed with toxins, give them a real treat by handing out candies such as Sunspire brand versions of m&m’s candies, chocolate covered almonds and blueberries, chocolate covered coconut bars, etc. If the idea of neglecting Nestle on Halloween sabotages fond memories of sugar-rushes and toothaches, simply trade the classic Nestle and Hershey’s milk chocolate versions of old favorites for the newest dark chocolate versions of Raisinets, Hershey’s kisses, Milkyway dark, Snicker’s dark and Dark chocolate M&M’s (almond version as well). Stock up on Dagoba, Newman’s, Endangered Species and Green Black’s brand70% or darker dark chocolate as treats to satisfy your own cravings and to keep your hands out of the candy bags. Darkness is not always spooky…especially on Halloween!
Preparation and prevention ensure smooth sailing in the future when it comes to the challenges of maintaining health. Most of us aren’t inclined to kick or change bad habits until those patterns have gotten the best of us. Don’t fall into this trap in the fall!! Establish and maintain a healthy eating regimen as a baseline, which will allow for a few indulgent bouts of “three polite bites”; a moderate dip into the “sins of the season” without embarking on a downward spiral. Take time to plan ahead for smooth sailing through black and orange striped candy bars, cane sugar-filled pumpkin pie, wheat-doused gingerbread cookies and all of the other goodies that lead to bad things…. Refer to the featured recipe to kick off the season and get your wheels turning to “think outside the cane sugar box” to replace old favorites that spark unfavorable cravings. And look for healthy Thanksgiving recipes in the next Hall center newsletter to help keep your momentum in maintaining your baseline to experience “Thanks-giving without gaining”.
This information is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to treat or diagnose any health condition.