Halloween Tips

It’s Halloween this weekend and all the kids are excited but too much candy can lead to more than just toothaches… I thought your readers might be interested in  these useful tips for a healthy Trick or Treat:

Nutritionist and registered dietician Mary Gocke from the Center for Health and Healing in New York warns against feeding kids too much candy as overconsumption of sugar can lead to decreased immune function, mood swings, anxiety, depression and fatigue. Mary suggests the following tips for parents to make sure their kids enjoy Halloween without suffering from the effects of too much sugar:

·         Have a Big Dinner – make sure your kids have a healthy dinner before going out trick or treating, being full means they’ll be less likely to gorge on candy later that night

·         Nuts and Cheese – keep tasty treats such as almonds and string cheese handy will trick or treating and make sure your kids snack on these low-glycemic foods throughout the night, it’ll help lower their blood sugar.

·         Drink water – water not only helps wash away the sugar from the teeth, helping kids avoid cavities, but it also helps combat blood sugar levels

·         Avoid sticky candies – these sweets linger longer on your teeth and increases the risk for cavities.

·         Try these instead! -  plain chocolate bars (especially if they contain at least 65% cocoa), Sweet Tarts, Smarties and Pixy Sticks are better for your teeth.

Disclosure:  I did not receive any form of compensation for this post.