10 Wicked Ideas for a Healthier Halloween

All Treats and No Tricks:

10 Wicked Ideas for a Healthier Halloween

By Crave Health Intern, Sarah Altvater

It’s that time of the year again. Supermarket and drugstore aisles are flooded with sugary sweets in preparation for the scariest holiday of the year: Halloween. But it’s not just the temporary invasion of witches, ghosts, and goblins that makes Halloween a freaky time. The link between excess calorie consumption, obesity, and type 2 diabetes is a frightening fact (1). As the prevalence of these conditions in children continues to increase (2, 3), it’s hard to feel good about distributing empty calorie snacks to every kid in the neighborhood on October 31st.

With these concerns in mind we scoured the stores to locate some healthier candy and candy alternatives for trick-or-treat giveaways.

We used the following guidelines to use in the search for our top ten treat picks:

• Dark chocolate. Numerous studies show that polyphenols in dark chocolate are beneficial for cardiovascular health (4). A higher cocoa percentage correlates to a higher concentration of these antioxidants; the higher the cocoa percentage, the better.

*My fav is the 70% dark or darker - more antioxidants! -Ashley

• No High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). Cane sugar and other more natural, less processed sweeteners like evaporated cane juice, fruit juice concentrate, honey, maple syrup, molasses, and brown rice syrup are more desirable.

• Natural colors and/or flavors. Avoiding artificial ingredients is always a good idea. Natural color substances include spices like turmeric and vegetable and fruit juices like black carrot, beet, and currant. Examples of natural flavors include lemon peel and oil of wintergreen.

• “Real food” ingredients. Treats with fruit, nuts, seeds, and/or whole grains like oats and brown rice get a nutritional boost from the fiber, healthy fats, and a variety of vitamins and minerals. The soluble fiber in fruit and oats, plus the protein and fat in nuts actually helps slow down the rate at which sugar enter the bloodstream, preventing sugar “highs” and “lows,” which can be of benefit, especially on Halloween night.

With all this in mind, here are our top ten treat ideas for Halloween 2011. We’re confident all of these items will make your house the hit of the block:

1. Endangered Species chocolate. Kids will love the taste of these heart-healthy dark chocolate squares and, as an added bonus, 10% of the net profits go to a good cause. $6.99 for 20 individually wrapped squares; available at Whole Foods Market

2. Disney Character Playing Cards. Treats don’t have to be sweet, but they do have to be fun! These adorable playing cards featuring the most popular Disney movie characters will do the trick. Available at Costco.

3. Yummy Earth Organic Gummy Bears. These bears aren’t as nutritionally lacking as other gummies as they’re sweetened with real fruit extracts and contain no artificial colors. yummyearth.com; $5.99 for 30 individual packs; available at Whole Foods Market.

4. Organic Brown Rice Marshmallow Treats. Unlike the conventional puffed rice treats which contain nutrient-void white rice and HFCS, these bars contain whole grain brown rice and are sweetened with brown rice syrup and evaporated cane juice. $2.99 for 5 individually wrapped bars; available at Trader Joe’s.

5. 100-Calorie 70% Dark Chocolate Bars. One of these bars is a great small portion alternative to a full size candy bar. $2.99 for a 5 individually wrapped bars; available at Trader Joe’s.

6. Archer Farms Wild Berry Real Fruit Strips. The first ingredient is real organic fruit and the berry color is from carrot and blueberry juices. $5.99 for 24 individually wrapped strips; available at Target.

7. Halloween-themed School Supplies. Kids can put these fun pencils, erasers, and notepads to good use at school and will have fun showing them off in class the next morning. $1.00 for each package or pencils, erasers, and/or notepads; available at Target.

8. Erin Baker’s The Original Breakfast Cookie Minis (Peanut Butter). The whole grain oats and prune puree give this healthier cookie 2 grams fiber while the peanut butter adds to the 3 grams of protein to each one. $3.35 for eight individually wrapped cookies; available at PCC Markets.

9. Kashi Dark Chocolate Coconut Fruit and Grain Bar. This crunchy, high fiber granola bar has a layer of dark chocolate that makes it taste like a candy bar. $3.98 for eight individually wrapped bars; available at Fred Meyer.

10. Play-Doh Fun-sized Cans. Around since the 1950’s, it’s still a blast to play with. $6.99 for 20 mini canisters; available at Fred Meyer.

We wish you a safe, happy, and healthy Halloween and welcome any questions, comments, or concerns you may have about the information in this article.

One last thing: if you’re wondering what to do with leftover Halloween candy, you might be able to bring it to your local dentist’s office and score some loot. Information about the “Halloween Candy Buy Back” program can be found here: http://www.halloweencandybuyback.com/ Enter your zip code in the upper right-hand corner to find a participating dentist.

Sarah

References:

1. Mahan LK, Escott-Stump S. Krause’s Food & Nutrition Therapy. 12th ed. St. Louis, MO: Saunders; 2008: 236

2. Source: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Adolescent and School Health. Childhood Obesity Facts. CDC Web site. http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm. Updated September 15, 2011. Accessed September 24, 2011.

3. Source: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Diabetes Translation. Diabetes Facts Page. CDC Web site. http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/projects/cda2.htm. Updated May 20, 2011. Accessed September24, 2011.

4. Corti, R, Flammer AJ, Hollenberg NK, et al. Cocoa and Cardiovascular Health. Journal of the American Heart Association. 2009;119(10);1433-1441.

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Top 5 Best Uses of Your Time and Money for Health in 2010

Stop Throwing Away Your Money on Useless Healthcare Solutions...

New Year’s Resolutions almost always have something to do with health. Whether it’s to lose weight, get in the gym more, actually get your 2 dental cleanings a year…whatever it may be there are lots of “black holes” of healthcare out there that can drain your time and your money, getting you nowhere close to your health goals. Here are some that you should focus on in 2010…

1) 4 Sessions with a Registered Dietitian: $80-150 per session (less with package deals)
Most insurance companies will cover sessions with a Registered Dietitian if you have a certain diagnosis codes. That can be something like high cholesterol or overweight or even pregnancy or depression. But even if they don’t cover a dime, this is still an investment you need to make each year. Meeting with an RD once per quarter throughout the year provides you with accountability and “insurance” in a way. If you are trying to lose weight they can hook you up with a meal plan, nutrition education and nutrient analysis of the foods you’re eating. There’s a reason why diets don’t work and why people gain their weight back, and it goes beyond “calories in, calories out.” The only ones who know this little secret are RD’s. Not “Nutritionists”, not your sister, not your trainer. And if you aren’t trying to lose weight, take those sessions to educate yourself about new foods, the science behind metabolism and digestion, or just as health check-ins. RD’s take a minimum of 5 years worth of courses about food, chemistry and physiology…so pick their brains!

2) Consistent Meetings with a Personal Trainer: $40-$80 per session (less with package deals)
Three times a week, once a month, I don’t care. If you don’t have a set appointment with someone who’s going to push you and tell you exactly what to do, you probably won’t make it to the gym. Most of us walk into a gym and have no idea what the settings the machines are supposed to be on or even how or which weights to lift. Cardio is safe, but for overall health it’s proven that you need a mix of cardio and strength training. Hint: Make sure you choose a trainer that actually went to college for exercise physiology! Now-a-days you can get a “certificate” online, so be careful and ask the right questions when picking your drill sergeant, oops, I mean trainer.

3) A GOOD pair of running shoes: $60-$200
Your feet support your legs, your back, and your posture and are the first things hitting the ground in the morning. They need customized support based on how your foot is shaped and the way you walk. Colleen Prince, an avid runner and finisher of the Boston Marathon says “Think of your running shoes as a cost saver, if a new runner purchases properly fitted running shoes they help prevent injuries saving the hassle of doctors, massages, physical therapy and time. Every large city has running specific stores with enthusiastic runners who know how to properly fit new runners and veteran runners with the best shoe for their gait.” Check out your local running store and contact a podiatrist for more information on approved running shoes or to be evaluated for pain you may already be experiencing.

4) An Electric Toothbrush: $80-$150
Clinical studies show that some electric toothbrushes can reduce plaque and gingivitis from 1-4% compared to a manual toothbrush after just 4 weeks of use. Oral health tends to be an aspect of our health care that we overlook. Brushing consistently and regularly is key but maybe having a brush that does most the work for you would make you actually look forward to brushing! In fact, according to University of Chicago internist and anesthesiologist Dr. Michael Roizen, keeping your gums and teeth healthy by consistently brushing and flossing can add about 6.4 years to your life!

5) Fill your Health Care FSA (Flexible Spending Account)
So many people do not know about this option! The deadline to fill your FSA’s is around the end of November for the following year. Meaning, you would’ve needed to fill your FSA in November 2009 for the year of 2010. That money can be used on things deemed “medically necessary” which most doctors will surely help you with if you need to lose weight, get your cholesterol down, etc. Dietitian and training sessions can be covered, certain supplements can be covered and also any extra medical expenses that come up during the year unexpectedly. Using this money will save you down the line since contributions to your FSA come out of your paycheck before any taxes are taken out.

Happy New Year - Let 2010 be the year you get healthy and stay healthy!

Blessings,

Ashley

Ashley A Harris, RD, CD is the President and Practicing Dietitian for Crave Health, a Private Practice Clinic in Kirkland, WA.

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