SPECIAL: Halloween edition!

Halloween can be a daunting time for many people, especially those who have a difficult relationship with sugary foods.  I want to give you a few things to reflect on before going into it. You may recognize some concepts from my previous posts!

• Give yourself permission to eat candy! Remember: there are no "bad" foods. Candy is one of the main symbols of Halloween, and brings back wonderful memories from our childhood. Restricting yourself only intensifies your desire to eat it and increases the guilt that can accompany its consumption. The vicious circle of restriction and deprivation often leads to excess.

• Take the opportunity to tune into your hunger and satiety cues. In the days after Halloween, pay attention to the signals that your body sends you. All foods are often more enjoyable when consumed on a slightly hungry belly. By savouring your favorite candy/chocolate slowly and one at a time, you will become more aware of flavours, textures, smells, etc. This will bring you greater satisfaction.

• It's totally normal to eat more candy than usual after Halloween. It is a special occasion after all!

KIDS CORNER

Candy management around Halloween is tricky (no pun intended). Should we limit the amount of candy our kids eat? Should we hide their candy after it's over? Should we let them eat the chocolate but not the sugar-coated candy? What about switching the candy for toys?

 I'm going to give you my top tips when it comes to the night of and the days following Halloween. It's important to note however that every household is different, and what works for one family might not work for the other.  Whatever makes everybody happy and at ease in your home is the way to go.

• Have a good meal before going out trick or treating.

Something that will keep the kids full for a while and usually something appreciated by all.

• After trick or treating, let the kids go through their bags and eat everything they want.

Yep, you read that right.  Some kids might eat over and above satisfaction, and some might also feel sick, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Let them explore those feelings.

• Make it a family activity!

Eating and enjoying candy with your kids shows a great example of a healthy relationship around food. The way you talk about food and act around it (whether that's broccoli, bread or chocolate) around your kids has a big impact on their perception of that food.

• The next day, put the candy away but don't hide it.

Trust your kids. Remember that restricting foods puts them on a pedestal. The more a food is forbidden, the more attractive it becomes. By including it in our diet from time to time, it becomes a normal food just like any other and our behaviour towards it changes.

Look at it this way: We eat a lot more strawberries in the summer months, so it's totally normal to do the same with candy at Halloween. Our consumption usually goes back to normal when it's over ;)