By David Saunders, Health Editor | UPDATED: 08:28, 26 June 2020
We get it, you don’t want to be a killjoy, but you also don’t want to cause havoc on your kid’s blood sugar levels – or yours for that matter (if like most of us, you can’t resist the temptation of having a bag of sugary goods). Dr Sarah Brewer shares her top tips to help keep the sugar rush at bay whilst still having all of the traditional Halloween fun.
Although it may be easier to let your kids run wild at Halloween remember you’re their role model – “we don’t just inherit genes from our parents, we inherit lifestyle preferences, too. People growing up in a household that exercises a lot, cycles at weekends, going for family walks, eating healthy food choices, avoiding snacks and watching little TV are likely to make healthier choices in later life, too. If you grow up in a household where sitting in front of the TV eating lots of snacks and drinking fizzy drinks is the norm, then you will tend to continue this in adulthood, too.”
1. Make the most of being outside
“Walk or cycle when going ‘trick or treating’ don’t take the car – exercise helps to offset the effects of eating extra sweets, to reduce blood glucose spikes.”
2. Prep
“Enjoy a good, healthy meal before going out trick or treating so you are less likely to overindulge in sweets.”
3. Pick wisely
“Forget milk or white chocolate goodies – opt for dark milk chocolate instead – the higher the cocoa solid content, the better. Dark chocolate has a lower sugar content and more antioxidant polyphenols that have protective effects on the circulation.”
4. Make a healthier swap
“Consider offering fruit – small clementines, apples – or nuts instead of traditional sweet Halloween treats.”
5. Give yourself a pumpkin perk
“Use pumpkin parings to make a delicious pumpkin soup by whizzing up with a vegetable stock, onions, coconut milk with added spices such as turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.”
6. Show your glucose levels some support with CuraLin
If you’re planning on taking your little ones out for trick or treating this year, but you’re worried that it’ll get the better of you and your lifestyle condition, give yourself a helping hand. CuraLin (£59, www.curalife.co) contains a blend of 10 traditional Ayurvedic medicinal herbs, including bitter melon, fenugreek, amla fruit and turmeric. These herbs are prescribed by Ayurvedic doctors to help support glucose balancing. By combining different herbs, which work in different ways, glucose tolerance can improve through different mechanisms. This combination approach can produce a synergistic effect while using lower doses.
“The supplement isn’t an excuse to over-eat sugar, cakes and carbs every day. I do watch what I eat and make sure I exercise, but the supplement seems to allow me to enjoy the odd treat without worrying too much,” explains CuraLin customer, Janet Husdell.