How to Have a Healthier Halloween

When you think of October, people of all ages tend to think of Halloween and candy. You can celebrate in a healthy manner without giving up all the treats. You must learn to balance your intake with exercise and plan ahead for healthy meals/snacks. You should also view this holiday more as a time to dress up in costume, play games, participate in Halloween crafts, and celebrate with friends and family rather than a candy celebration.

It is important to work with your family on healthy eating throughout the year. Encourage healthy snacks but don’t battle over it. The most important habit to keep is eating a healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Don’t allow Halloween candy to substitute for fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains. Also, try to dispose of the Halloween candy after a week or give it away.

Yale University’s Center for Eating and Weight Disorders conducted a research study to see whether children would choose toys over candy when offered both on Halloween. The researchers observed 284 kids between the ages of 3 and 14. They found that children were just as likely to choose toys as candy, regardless of gender!

(J Nutr Educ. Behav. 2003 Jul-Aug; 35 (4): 207-209)

Non-food treats, such as money, Halloween-themed stickers, temporary tattoos, bracelets, shoe laces, hair accessories, erasers, coloring books, comic books, puzzles, crayons, bubbles, and seed packets can be a hit with children. This Halloween, think healthy, instead of candy!!

Here are some ideas for healthier Halloween treats:

• Fresh fruit (apples, oranges) or fresh vegetables (small bag of baby carrots)
  
• Lunch-size bags of pretzels or whole-grain crackers
• Instant oatmeal packets (try Quaker Oats Lower Sugar Instant Oatmeal)
  
• Individual packages of raisins
• Whole-wheat Fig Newtons
• Low-fat graham crackers
• Granola bars (try Clif Kids Organic Spooky S'mores)
  
• Freeze-dried fruit bags (try Crispy Green bags)
  
• Fruit leathers (try FruitaBu Organic Smoooshed Fruit Products)
• 100% fruit juice boxes
• Individual bags of Lesser Evil Popcorn
  
• Sugar-free gum
• Organic lollipops (try Yummy Earth Organic Lollipops)

Have a happy and healthy Halloween!!

Motivational Quote of the Week

Fad Diets: Facts and Fallacies

Common Characteristics of Fad Diets:
-They promote quick weight loss (due to dehydration)
-They limit food selections and dictate specific food rituals
-They often come with expensive supplements
-They make no attempts to permanently change eating habits
-They are critical and skeptical of the scientific community
-They promote diets that are extremely low in calories
-They use liquid formulas instead of real food
-They attempt to make clients dependent on their special foods

Fad diets are not the best way to lose weight and keep it off. These eating plans often promise to help you lose a lot of weight quickly, or tell you to cut certain foods out of your diet to lose weight. Although you may lose weight at first, they can be unhealthy because they often keep you from getting all the nutrients that your body needs.

In order to lose one pound of body fat, a deficit of 3,500 calories must be created. A program that advertises 30 pounds in 30 days is either lying or promoting an extremely unhealthy practice. Think about it: a 30-pound weight loss is a deficit of 105,000 calories!!

Fact: It is the amount of calories consumed and calories burned that determines weight loss. Fad diets do produce an initial weight loss, but research has shown they most often do nothing in the long run. Create a healthy lifestyle, give it time, and you can expect to receive desired results.

Registered dietitians recommend adopting healthy eating habits permanently, rather than impatiently pursuing fad diets or detox diets in hopes of losing unwanted pounds in a few days. Seek your local registered dietitian for the truth about nutrition!

References:
http://www.eatright.org

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Research findings suggest that physical activity, a low fat, high fiber diet, and a healthy weight may help reduce the risk of breast cancer and the recurrence of breast cancer. Eating a plant-based diet, consisting of mostly fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, and whole grains, helps reduce the risk of chronic disease and enhances overall quality of life. Fill your plate with approximately 50% vegetables, 25% protein, and 25% whole grains.

Guidelines for a Healthy Eating and Exercise Lifestyle:

• Plenty of fruits and vegetables (especially dark, green leafy vegetables)
  
• High fiber – whole grains, beans, and legumes (eat 25-35 grams of dietary fiber per day)
  
• Low fat diet with emphasis on healthy, unsaturated fats (avocado, walnuts)
  
• Limit processed and refined grains, flours, and sugars (choose whole grains over refined grains such as white flour)
  
• Decrease saturated and trans fats (limit red meat and high fat dairy products; avoid hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils)
  
• Drink plenty of non-caloric fluids (water is best; try green tea)
  
• Avoid/limit alcohol (no more than 2 drinks per day for men and no more than 1 drink per day for women)
  
• Be physically active to help achieve and maintain a healthy weight (aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week)
  

References:
American Cancer Society, http://www.cancer.org
American Institute for Cancer Research, http://www.aicr.org