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| Diets->Dieting Tips: Taking the fright out of Halloween temptations |
Taking the fright out of Halloween temptations.. KEYWORDS: holiday diet tips halloween diet tips what makes us crave candy
Halloween is right around the corner. The mere thought of staying on your diet with a dozen bags of goodies in the house might already be bringing out the witch in you, not to mention the possibility of having to deal with a bunch of kids all hopped up on sweets.
But don't get spooked. It's just candy—and you can handle it!
Before you go out and buy all the goods or unleash your kids on their Halloween goodie bags, take a minute to think about what you're getting, and to devise some strategies for how to handle all of it.
Raising Cane
Sometimes, the best defense against a temptation is to devour it "intellectually," so to speak, so why not get a little background on the sweet stuff? Exactly what is it about candy that makes us go nuts? It's probably not the nuts, really—but more likely, the sugar.
Sugar is simply a simple carbohydrate, and it comes in two types: those made up of one sugar molecule, called monosaccharides; and those made up of two sugar molecules linked together, called disaccharides. The monosaccharides include glucose, fructose, and galactose, and when those are combined in various ways, they make up the disaccharides. Usually, they taste sweet, but when many sugar molecules link together, they form a complex carbohydrate, like in grains or potatoes, wherein the sweet taste is lost (these types of carbohydrates are often referred to as starches).
Tips For Handling Halloween Temptations
• Just say no. Unless you can stick with the motto, "Have one and then be done," don't even think about stealing anything out of your kids' Halloween bag (or that big bowl of candy by your door). Just don't allow yourself to even start. It's simply not worth it.
• Create a safety net. Stock up on fruit and veggies during the next two weeks (carrot sticks, celery, grapes, apples, etc.) so when the Halloween treats abound, they don't trick you into indulging.
• Distract yourself. When it comes to candy, sometimes all it takes to get past the temptation is for you to STOP yourself and get away for a moment. Go take a walk around the block, make yourself drink a glass of water, or brush your teeth.
• Use your noodle. If you choose to indulge, make smart choices, like candies with nuts, which, because of the protein in the nuts, will decrease the impact of the candy's sugar on your blood sugar levels, so you don't store as much fat.
• Freeze it. After trick-or-treat night, throw any leftover candy in the freezer (most candies freeze quite well); that way, you can dole it out to your kids over time instead of being tempted to devour it all at once. |
But no matter what kind of carbohydrates (including sugars) you eat—simple or complex, those naturally occurring in nature or those manually added to foods—your body can't tell the difference (because they're all chemically identical) and they're all broken down the same into one thing: glucose—your body's main energy source.
Your body's cells need glucose to function at their best; however, when there's too much glucose in the bloodstream (for example, from the sudden injection of three Snickers bars), the body adjusts to store the extra. To do this, the pancreas secretes a hormone called insulin, which acts like a messenger to the cells telling them to absorb the extra glucose. The absorption of that extra glucose is basically fat being stored in your body—the very thing dieters are working against!
So...the intake of too much sugar, whether it's from candy or any other high-sugar/high-carb source (like high Glycemic Index foods), raises your insulin level and encourages your body to store fat. The reason candy is worse to eat than say, an apple or a bowl of cereal (which can also contain high sugar levels), is that it offers no other nutritional value. Fruits and grains also offer vitamins, minerals and fiber, but the less natural, more refined sugar sources like candy, don't.
For example, although both may contain sugar, the sweet, artificial "Strawberry Filling" in a bon bon just isn't quite up to par with the vitamins you'd find in the actual berry!
The Buzz On The Candy Buzz
Aside from its sugar content, for years, we've heard that candy and chocolate sweets were not only the cause of weight, but also the root of "wired" or excited behavior. We've all heard about the caffeine in chocolate, or seen a nephew run around the house like a maniac after eating a few too many peanut butter cups.
But in reality, scientific studies have yet to prove a viable link between the intake of sugar and hyperactive behavior patterns. And the amount of caffeine in an average-sized chocolate bar (about 6mg) isn't even close to what you'd find in a Diet Coke (46mg), let alone in a 5 oz. cup of coffee (120mg).
Granted, the sugar in candy is a carbohydrate, which is what our bodies use for energy, but aside from having a little extra zip for an extra lap around the couch or a few more jumps on the bed, your child's excitement on Halloween night may be more about his costume or the visit to the neighbor's house than about how many M&Ms actually melted in his mouth.
Nutrageous, Not Outrageous
Just like with dieting, when it comes to Halloween candy, the trick lies in knowledge, planning and self control. Candy itself, isn't really the evil monster we think it is—we just have to control the little devil inside all of us. But that's doable.
Before deciding to indulge in those little candy treats, take a minute to look at what you're really getting. We've put together a Candy Counter that compares the nutritional values of some of the popular snack-sized candy choices on the market today. But whatever your preferences are, check the labels and watch your portion sizes, too.
You might be amazed at how many calories are packed in that cute little pouch, and if you do the math, just a couple of them can add up to more than half of your calories for the day!
What you choose to eat is always up to you—you're in control—but just make sure you actually are in control when you're around this stuff. Binging happens quickly, and a little impromptu walk or even a ten-minute wait with a big glass of water can do wonders for regaining your wits about what you really want to do.
The best defense is to completely stick to your meal plan on these temptation days. By staying on your plan and eating all your meals and snacks, you'll position yourself best for dealing with the desire for those tricky treats. And when the others around you are reaching for their Three Musketeers on Halloween night, why not grab a bag of NutriCrunch Chocolates and enjoy your own treat along with them?
With a little information, some renewed willpower, and a bit of common sense, enjoying Halloween doesn't have to mean the frightening demise of your diet.
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