Halloween is here and you know what that means:
CANDY, CANDY, CANDY!
1.) Have your CANDY, and eat it too!
Restriction is the number one indicator of binging. Think of a bow and arrow. The bow symbolizes restriction; the arrow symbolizes binging. The further we pull the bow back the further the arrow flies. The more we deprive our bodies of something, the more likely we are to overindulge. Have you ever tried a fad diet cut out an entire food? You said to yourself, “I am giving up sweets forever” and days later found yourself binging on whatever sweets you could find.
This is a prime example of how the bow & arrow analogy comes to life. If you find yourself reading about a fad diet that cuts out an entire food group or a specific type of food; it is important to remind yourself that you NEED every food group for your body to function properly. When it comes to sweets, it is important to note that although you might not NEED them to function they provide our body with nourishment and comfort and that is OKAY. It is OKAY to eat sweets and not feel guilty.
Today, make a vow to yourself that you will focus on fueling your body with inclusion instead of restriction.
2.) Create a pleasurable experience around the candy.
If you say to yourself, I am allowed to have candy ONLY today it creates an automatic fear of candy. You think…okay today is it. I get ONLY today to eat as much candy as possible and then I am done, Halloween is over and I will move on. In that one sitting you might eat one, two, three, four, and keep unraveling the fun sized treats and think to yourself…well it’s okay because it’s only today.
What if you were allowed to eat that candy every day of the week? Would you feel the urge to shovel as much in as necessary? You do NOT need permission to eat candy, but let me be the one to tell you that if you eat candy your body will break it down into glucose and use it for energy! Yes, candy has sugar but that doesn’t mean that you can’t have it. Knowledge is power. Knowing that your body can breakdown sugar for energy is a powerful fact when making peace with food.
Think of your children…if they see mommy and daddy gorging on candy for one day and one day only, what example does that set for them? If there is no fear of candy, candy will simply be candy. Nothing more, nothing less.
3.) Make memories, not fear!
This may seem so simple, but what do you want to remember Halloween for? Do you want to remember starring at a bowl of candy fighting yourself internally and thinking “NO DON’T EAT IT!” or do you want to remember your cute-as-a-button children dressed as a pumpkin, superhero, or princess?
Live in the moment and cherish the people around you that make the holiday worth celebrating. Put a smile on the faces of the children in your neighborhood that scream “trick-or-treat” while jumping up and down with excitement when they get to pick their favorite candy out of the bowl.
Stop the fear of candy. Eat the damn candy. And tell yourself how amazing you are.
Life is too short to be scared of a fun-sized Snickers bar.
Want a fun Halloween themed breakfast for the whole family?
Bloodshot Eyeball Egg Open-Faced Sandwich
- 1 medium avocado, seeded
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- salt and pepper
- 1 whole wheat English muffin, split and toasted
- 1/2 cup baby spinach leaves
- 1 small tomato, thinly sliced
- 2-3 teaspoons Sriracha sauce (or hot sauce)
- 2 black olive slices
Instructions
- Preheat toaster oven or oven to 400 F. Generously grease the bottom of your pan (see note on pan size).
- Place bell pepper slices in pan and crack an egg into the middle of each bell pepper, salt and pepper. Bake eggs at 400 F until the whites are set. About 10 minutes for metal pans and 15 for glass. Serve eggs warm with hot sauce or salsa.
- For the Bloodshot Eyeball Open-Faced Egg Sandwich blend/mash the avocado, lemon juice, salt and pepper until smooth. Spread the avocado onto each side of the split and toasted English muffin, reserving two teaspoons to make the eyes. Layer each English muffin half with spinach, tomato and a bell pepper baked egg. Use sriracha sauce (or ketchup for little ones) to draw “veins” from the yolk outward. Dollop a circle of avocado in the center of the yolk and top with an olive slice “pupil” to finish the eyeball. Serve warm with a fork and knife.
**Recipe adapted from http://toasterovenlove.com/
