What Will You Do With All That Halloween Candy

Amidst all the fun and festivities of Halloween comes some stress. No, not the stress of finding Halloween costumes. Stress in the form of nutritional toxicity! Each year, we are inundated with Halloween candy and junk galore as our wee ones are given every Halloween “treat” imaginable.

Back in the day, I can remember receiving chocolate bars, Rice Krispies treats, brownies and licorice. Every once in awhile, a neighbor would throw in an apple or an orange, just to really send us kids over the edge! These days, I can’t even imagine what frightening ghouls live inside those candy wrappers – ” highly toxic things like high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and colors, trans fats, hydrogenated oils, excitotoxins/neurotoxins and all sorts of chemical concoctions.

Gone are the days when sugar was the worst thing that could happen to a kid!

Our kids have not yet even ventured into the world of Trick-or-Treating. I’m not saying they won’t at some point in their childhood! I’ve just been able to side-step and downplay the issue thus far. It helps that no one goes trick-or-treating in or neighborhood, so it’s not in their faces!

That’s not to say my children don’t end up with their fair share of Halloween candy. Grown-ups find a way to get candy to children at Halloween, no matter what!

We normally attend a party or two to enjoy the costumes and festivities with friends. Lots of “treats” at the party to sample, as well as the always-present goodie bag to take home.

So how do we deal with all the toxicity in our family, and keep the potentially negative side of Halloween to a minimum?

1) We don’t call candy or junk food a “treat”. We call them “tasty toxins” – tells you exactly what you need to know! Sure, it tastes great, but it’s toxic. Why would we call something a treat if it subtracts from our health? Sounds kind of funny to knock on someone’s door on Halloween night and say “Trick-or-Tasty Toxin” though!

2) Like any other time of the year, tasty toxins are limited. First, all toxins are handed over to mom and dad for proper care and feeding! Depending on the size and toxicity level of the tasty toxin, as well as the current state of health of toxin consumers, we may say they can have one per day for a few days following Halloween maybe more, maybe less. Depends.

3) I try to steer our kids in the direction of sweets that were made in someone’s kitchen rather than in a chemistry lab. No, they don’t build health either, but it’s probable they don’t move us away from health as quickly as the serious toxins in packaged foods. On our end, I’ll either bake less toxic sweets and/or purchase simple goodies that lack the serious aforementioned offenders that are the most harmful to our health.

4) They must fill up with Health FIRST. Every other meal and snack throughout the day needs to meet the innate genetic nutritional requirements for health: protein, healthy fats & oils, fresh fiber (veggies & fruit) and lots of pure water. In other words, if they’re going to be adding any increased amount of toxins to their diet for a few days, they need to keep things clean and healthy otherwise. If not, the body will always let us know when it has reached its limitations!

5) Finally, we give the kids the option to turn their Halloween loot in for a gift from The Halloween Fairy. After they select one “must-have” item from their goodie bags, they simply hand over the Halloween candy for mom and dad to put out for the Halloween Fairy that night. The Halloween Fairy in turn leaves the kids a special gift they’ve been wishing for – a special experience with mom & dad, a toy, a book, a game, craft stuff, whatever works!

It’s a win-win. No overloading on toxicity, therefore no “sick” kids for days to come. The kids are happy because they were still able to enjoy the spirit of Halloween, sample some of the traditional toxins, and they got something new and fun!

Dr. Colleen Trombley (“Dr Mom Online”) is a leading expert in Natural Health & Wellness. Discover why health-seekers turn to Dr. Mom for practical tips regarding healthy lifestyle, nutrition, exercise, weight loss, parenting, life balance and more. Check out the Healthy School Days Menu for easy nutrition tips & ideas! Visit http://DrMomOnline.com for all your wellness needs. Nutrition and health.

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