It’s October already and that means Halloween is coming up! I was never a fan of Halloween because once the day comes, I always end up eating so much junk, from candies to cookies to cupcakes. My blood sugar rises and eventually, I hit a sugar crash. Anyone experience that before? Well, to avoid this situation, I have 4 tips for managing your blood sugar for Halloween.
Limit intake
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This is a no brainer, but limit your intake! You can still enjoy your favorite sugary desserts and yummy treats but just limit how much of it you eat. Unsure of where to start? If you don’t prefer using that method, you can try portioning out some sweets and putting the rest away. Instead of eating a whole bag or container of candy, eat a few pieces of candy or get 1-2 serving sizes.
Try alternatives
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If you don’t know where to start and it’s extremely difficult for you to cut or limit the sweets, try alternatives. Try buying alternative sweets that taste similar to the real dessert, but are low-fat and/or low-sugar. Buy desserts based on what’s on the nutrition label, such as the ingredients, amount of sugar and the number of saturated fats. Look for tags on the food product, such as low-sugar, no added sugar, reduced sugar, or sugar-free.
If you’re curious and interested in sugars in general, the American Heart Association has a brief article that discusses types of sugars, healthy sources for sugar and different terms for sugars.
Engage in mindful eating
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As well as limiting your intake, it’s also important to listen to your body and your mind. I know, it’s an amazing feeling to indulge, but we have to be mindful of what we eat and how much we eat. Your body isn’t perfect. It needs other foods with more nutrients. I recommend time your eating habits, find a distraction, be occupied and eat other meals first before any desserts!
When you eat something you’ll be half full and you won’t have much room left for dessert at that point. When you time yourself, you are developing self-control over your eating patterns. If it’s too difficult, find a distraction or be occupied. It makes time go by so much faster! Remember to eat when you’re hungry, not when you’re bored or emotional. That leads to fast weight gain and increased intake of sugar and unhealthy fats.
Exercise
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Your diet is much more important and effective in lowering your blood sugars than exercising, but sometimes your blood sugar levels might be too high and you might have a sugar crash. What usually helps me avoid that situation is exercising, whether it’s intensely or casually. You can go for a walk or run or do some jumping jacks. Just keep your body moving! It will allow your body to use that for energy, thus lowering your blood sugars.
Remember, eating sweets is not bad! It’s good to indulge in sugary snacks from time to time. However, we must do so in a balanced way. As long as we eat moderately and have an active lifestyle, that is more important. If you slip up and eat more sweets than expected, that’s okay. We all have our days. Enjoy what you’re eating and try your best to treat your body with care.