Who doesn’t love Halloween! Getting creatively dressed up and going out with the kids trick-or-treating or going out to parties is lots of fun. For those of us with a sweet tooth, this may be quite a challenging time of the year to juggle the cravings and our health goals.
Candy, sorry to say, basically contains no good nutrients at all. It’s made up of mostly processed sugar, artificial coloring, gelatin, and many other ingredients that bring no nutritional value to our diet and is also known to be a major tooth decay food item.
But they taste so good, right?
Here are a few ways to curve those cravings and stay on your personal fitness track during the trick-or-treating season.
Stay Active
Staying active will definitely keep your mind off of those yummy treats that are everywhere during the month of October. Keeping your regular gym program and maybe even adding some other activities to your schedule may keep you out of the stores and away from the temptations that abound on the shelves.
Being physical will also raise your serotonin levels naturally and keep your brain from tricking you into going for the candy bars. Your natural high will keep you energized and your body will not feel the need for any other substance to feel invigorated. Talk to your trainer at Pinnacle Training and Fitness Training and Fitness about your sweet tooth and that you may want to add some exercises to your routine during the month of October to help you cope with the cravings.
Drink Lots of Water
Of course, drinking water is always recommended and should be a staple in your day, but adding a few more glasses or drinking a glass of water when you feel a craving coming on can help your body stave off the signals it is temporarily sending to your brain that it wants candy.
Eat Naturally Sweet Foods
Plenty of non-processed foods have natural sugars that can easily be exchanged for the temptation of the sweet artificial treats. Fruits are a perfect example of this. Stock up on seasonal fruits, if possible, and try to add more of these items to your daily diet to quiet the hankerings you may get during the day for candy.
Don’t Let Yourself Go Hungry
Don’t let yourself get hungry during the day. We all know that the worst dietary decisions are made on an empty and growling stomach. If you let your body starve then it will send mixed messages to your brain that it is ok to eat anything, including things that are not good for you. Feed your body with nutritional foods and you will always make better decisions.
If All Else Fails, Choose Wisely
Depriving yourself of an occasional treat is not always necessary. We at Pinnacle Training and Fitness believe that balance is key to a good body and a good spirit. If occasionally having a treat makes you feel good and this is what you choose to do, then consider all your options and try to go for the most nutritional choice that you can. Overindulging in foods that are not good for us will most certainly have a negative impact on our health and our mood. Having an occasional treat and choosing it wisely will provide satisfaction and a feeling of fulfillment. Look at the ingredients and try to choose the most natural ingredients over artificial ones….and of course, limit the quantity to a piece or two and not the whole bag.
Happy and healthy trick-or-treating!