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Scare Safe: Best Practices for Trick-or-Treaters

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When someone says Halloween, naturally what comes to mind are costumes, sweets, and of course the phrase “trick or treat.” However, safety should be part of your list.

Every year, there are an estimated 3,800 Halloween-related injuries according to Protect America. So how do we make this spooky night a little safer? Follow these best practices for before, during and after Halloween.

 

  • Before the night begins, homeowners should prepare their home and stock their candy bowls.

Be sure to remove any obstacles from the front yard, restrain any pets you may have, and make sure your house is well lit. When lighting your house, use artificial lights and candles, they are a safer alternative to real candles which can pose a fire hazard. Before putting together your candy bowl, consider providing treats that are individually wrapped or offer kids nonfood treats, such as stickers and erasers.

 

  • While Trick-or-Treating, be aware of your surroundings.

Whether you’re heading to a party or planning to walk around with your children, make sure you’re paying attention. If driving, be sure to watch out for kids crossing the street, drive slowly, and follow the rules of the road. If trick-or-treating by foot, know where you are geographically (try to stick to well-known neighborhoods), only approach houses that are well lit, and avoid taking shortcuts across backyards or alleys.

 

  • When the festivities are over, arrive home safe.

This goes for children and adults. Make sure your children don’t eat the candy they receive while out. When children return home, sort and check all treats. Throw away any unwrapped, opened, or suspicious candy. If you’re heading home from an adult party, be smart, don’t drink and drive. Use a designated driver or a ride share like Uber or Lyft to help you get home safely.

Remember, you can have a fang-tastic Halloween, just proceed with extra caution to help ensure a safe night for everyone.

 

Sweets: Naughty or Nice?

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The holidays are full of special things, decorations, songs, events, parties and gifts.  There are also sweet treats all around.  Holiday treats can be bittersweet – both literally and figuratively.

Whether the holidays serve as a relaxing time or a stress filled environment, finding too much comfort in these treats can be damaging to your health.

Next time the tray of cookies is in front of you, try to make mindful decisions.  Think about if this cookie is truly special, or is it just there in front of you.  Is it the cookie that will bring me joy, or is it that I am surrounded by my family and friends?  Or am I reaching for this cookie because I am stressed, what else could I do to handle my stress?  If you decide to eat the cookie, great, don’t have regrets!  Take time to chew, and savor, and truly enjoy it.  You will feel more satisfied and less likely to mindlessly reach for another.

What if there were healthier options available?  You could be a part of making that available for your family and friends.

There are many options to create healthier alternatives to traditional holiday sweet treats and gifts. You can show your love and keep loved ones healthy!  For example, create your own trail mix, make dark chocolate bark with fruit and nuts, make your own spice rubs or soup kits in mason jars.  Our very own Dr. Julia Snyder even suggested a healthy treat, Almond Grabbers, and their recipe can be found here.

For more healthy holiday treat and gift ideas, check out EatingWell. For all other tips and tricks as to what you should avoid for the holidays, reach out to your R-Health doctor who’s always available for you, even during the holiday season.

Do you have ideas of your own healthy holiday treats?  We’d love to hear. Share them with us on Facebook.

[Healthy] Thanksgiving!

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If you haven’t heard already, there’s a pretty big holiday coming up soon: Thanksgiving. In a time of reminiscing and gathering of friends, family, and loved ones, the main star on this day is the food. With an assortment of people and traditions, there’s always an abundance of dishes available to consume. However, how can we distinguish what’s healthy and will benefit our health? There are a few tips we all can follow without sacrificing our appetites.

Studies have shown that people gain on average, between 5-10 pounds during the holiday season (from Thanksgiving to New Year’s). WOW!!! While just averages, this can mean that people gain less than this range, or in the unfortunate instance, gain more. It’s important during the holidays, especially Thanksgiving, to be proactive in maintaining your health and keeping the extra pounds off, so you may have an easier time with your upcoming New Year’s Resolutions.  WebMD has offered a few tips that won’t impede satisfaction of the yummy holiday feasts.

  • Get active
    • Exercise before eating your favorite foods
    • Increase the number of days, and length of workouts before Thanksgiving
    • Plan a post-meal walk and/or workout the following day
  • Eat breakfast
    • Eating a small meal in the morning can give you better control over your appetite
    • More disciplined appetite makes for healthier food and beverage choices
  • Lighten up
    • Whether preparing the meals, or bringing add-ons, try and make your dishes with less sugar, no added fat, and less calories.
    • Use sugar substitutes, and reduce oil/butter when you can
  • Police your proteins
    • Survey the options and select reasonable sized portions
    • Smaller portions allow you to enjoy whatever you’d like
    • Resist the urge for second helpings
    • Stop eating when you’re satisfied. If you wait til your full, it might be too late 😉
  • Slowly savor
    • Eating slowly allows you to taste every bite while being satisfied after one plate
    • Try eating only two meals on holidays and keep them within 8 hours of each other. So perhaps skip breakfast if you expect to eat a big lunch or dinner. This style of eating is called Intermittent Fasting and has been very helpful in weight loss/weight maintenance.
  • Go easy on alcohol
    • Have a glass of wine or sparkling water in between alcoholic drinks to avoid dehydration and the calories that alcohol provide
  • Be realistic
    • During the holiday times, it’s very difficult to try and lose weight, therefore shifting focus to maintaining weight provides more desirable outcomes.

If you’re looking for which foods to include in your Thanksgiving menu you can turn to the Mayo Clinic and/or EatingWell for an assist. They provide countless recipes that are not only fresh, but contain less fat, sodium, and calories to provide guests with healthy options that are equally flavorful. If you have a particular diet or health plan that you’re on, reach out to your R-Health doctor for any meal suggestions. Otherwise, enjoy the holiday and celebrate this time with your family and friends!