Halloween doesn't have to be scary!

I’m not talking about haunted houses, or scary movies, or the crazy displays in those seasonal Halloween shops.  I love all that stuff!  Although I have to admit this whole clown situation has me a little freaked out.
I’m talking about the aisles full of Halloween candy in practically every store you go into this time of year.  There is something so appealing about fun size candy bars in seasonal packaging. You buy some for the trick or treaters, or to put in a cute jar on your kitchen counter, and end up eating it all yourself.  And feeling crappy.
Been there, done that.  But the jar did look really cute!
So that’s the scary part of Halloween…dealing with all the candy.

And that’s why I am sharing a valuable list…my top 5 tips to avoid eating too much Halloween candy and feeling like crap:
1. Savor the season in non food ways, like visiting a pumpkin patch or going for a long walk when the leaves are starting to fall and are all crunchy.  Take a drive to look at the gorgeous fall colors.  Go on a hayride.  (Confession…I love the concept of hayrides but don’t like how itchy I feel afterwards.)
2. Enjoy all the seasonal flavors…things like crisp apples, ripe pears and baked winter squashes.  Beets are awesome this time of year too.  Go to your local farmers market and pick up some fresh produce.  In other words, it’s not just about the candy!
3. Don’t bring giant bags of your favorite candy into the house if you can’t resist it.  Why set yourself up to fail?  If it’s not in the house, you are that much less likely to eat it.  If you feel you have to shop for Halloween candy early, buy the stuff you don’t really care about.  And while you’re at it, make sure you are well stocked with real food.  You wouldn’t want to tear into those mini bags of m & m’s just because you were starving!
4. Make your own healthier versions of your favorite treats…like whipping up a pumpkin spice latte in the blender with coconut oil and some collagen peptides.  I’m working on this one…will report back!  Also working on a super easy pumpkin chia pudding.
5. And finally, my fifth tip…go ahead and have a piece of candy!  Yes, I’m telling you to eat candy.  Plan a special Halloween indulgence.  What is the one thing you really want…the candy that brings back happy memories?  Maybe it’s Reese’s peanut butter cups.  Or  a big caramel apple rolled in those little chopped peanuts.  Or a Twix bar.
For me, it’s a full size Hershey bar.  There was a house that always gave away full sized Hershey bars on a silver tray when I was a kid.  I thought this was the best thing ever.  (Actually, I still do.)

Whatever your special treat is, buy it, bring it home, and allow yourself to truly enjoy it.  Sit down and focus on it.  Don’t check email or Instagram.  Don’t even read your favorite lifestyle blog (it’s happy, healthy and hot, right?)  Just enjoy that treat, and move on.
This last tip was inspired by the book Food Freedom Forever by Melissa Hartwig.  Once you know which foods work best for you, there’s nothing wrong with having a treat from time to time!  One of Melissa’s particular weaknesses is for Cadbury Creme Eggs.  And even the creator of the Whole30 needs to splurge now and then.
If you missed my recent review, here you go:  Food Freedom Forever
So there you have it!  And of course you are wondering… can these tips help you feel happy, healthy and hot?  You already know the answer…of course they can!
You will be happy truly enjoying the season…not just your special treat, but all of the sights, sounds, tastes and smells.  You will be active and enjoying some fresh seasonal produce, which will help keep you healthy and in shape.  And with that fit, healthy body, you’ll be very hot!
Thanks for reading!  What are you doing to keep Halloween from being too scary?
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Food Freedom Forever