Have a Happy Halloween in London! Growing up, my parents tried to downplay the scary Halloween experience by focusing on the fun of dressing up and visiting our neighbors. It was fun, but as we got older, we wanted to venture further from home to gather as many goodies as possible. My parents did not like the idea of getting bags of candy laden with artificial flavors and colors that could cause some behavioral outbursts.

So whether or not you “celebrate” Halloween, most of us do take advantage of the abundance of single-serving little treats available for a good price at all the stores from the beginning of September to the end of October. I am reminding you to be careful.

Avoid the high sugar/sugar high disaster for you and your kids by following these 8 simple strategies and welcome in a happier, healthier fall season.

1. Keep the enemy out of your house. Do not keep candy or sugary treats in your house. Even healthy treats can become unhealthy if you overdo it.
2. Feed your kids. Before your kids head out to collect their stash or to a party, be sure they eat a balanced dinner with protein, lots of veggies, whole grains, or slow carbs and smart fats.
3. Stand out with your handouts. When the trick-or-treaters knock on your door, hand out non-candy alternatives, like fun toys, stickers, fake tattoos, nuts, etc. Here’s a list of great ideas. (https://wellnessmama.com/128061/alternatives-halloween-treats/ )
4. Host a healthy Halloween party or event. Have fun at your house with games or take in an experience like a trip to a haunted house or corn maze
5. Assess the goods. When your child returns from trick-or-treating or from a party, help them toss out anything that they won’t eat. Let them eat three small things. Then, they can have one treat a day. Hide the rest so that you and they are not tempted.
6. Freeze it. If you want to keep the incoming candy and ration it out over a period of time, then freeze it. In the freezer, it’s less tempting because it is out of sight, and it takes a lot longer to eat, so you probably won’t eat as much.
7. Some parents offer to buy the candy back from their kids, for money or toys, books, etc, then toss it out.
8. Replace the bad with the good. Provide healthy “sweet” alternatives to Halloween candy.

Reasons not to give out candy at Halloween

1. Food allergies/sensitivities may cause behavioral problems, irritability, and fatigue in some. [1] As well, some food allergies could prove lethal.
2. Too many refined carbohydrates can cause blood sugar swings and negative behavioral responses. [2]
3. It can play havoc with energy levels. [2]
4. Some people may be sensitive to the food additives and colors in some candy which can lead to behavioral changes. [3]
5. Every year, around Halloween, especially, patients with orthodontics are treated for candy-related emergencies, like popped wires or broken brackets.
6. Sugar can impact the immune response in a negative way and lead to colds and ear infections as you head into the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. [4]

What strategy do you use so you and your kids don’t go on sugar overload? Share yours on our Facebook page. References…
1. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022347647801453
2. https://www.drgreene.com/relationship-sugar-behavior-children/
3. http://www.jaacap.com/article/S0002-7138(09)60913-4/pdf
4. http://www.dummies.com/health/avoid-sugar-an-immune-suppressor-to-boost-immunity/