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Health Nutrition

How to Avoid Halloween Candy Temptation

Erin Zeggert October 24, 2013May 4, 2016

My kids love Halloween. They come home with more candy than they could eat in a year. I love Halloween candy. I could eat what they bring home in a couple of weeks. None of it is good for their teeth or my waistline. Especially since my self control is shaky when chocolate is so readily available!
Last year I stumbled upon the perfect solution – bring it to The Smile Lodge on Moe Road.
These pediatric dentists have teamed up with Operation Gratitude, a program that sends holiday care packages to our troops overseas. Each year, they buy back Halloween candy from the kids (last year it was $1 per pound – my kids made $5) and send it to Operation Gratitude. According to the Operation Gratitude website, they sent 127.5 TONS of candy last year! This year, they are planning on sending their 1 millionth package overseas in December.
As much as my kids enjoy candy, they enjoy cash even more, so it wasn’t a hard sell for me. I let them each keep 10 pieces and they packed up the rest. I was happy because the temptation was out of my house and my waistline was safe. They were happy because they had money. And hopefully some of our dedicated soldiers were happy to receive treats from home.
Look for signs outside The Smile Lodge offices for dates and times to bring in your candy.

Trying to find the time to be healthy and get in shape when you have a family and a job can seem challenging. It doesn't have to be. The key is to find the right balance between your life and your fitness.

A few years ago, I took a look in the mirror and wasn't happy with what I saw. Gone was the athletic body I had growing up. Instead, I was overweight and completely out of shape. Not to mention, my latest physical showed that my cholesterol was too high and my doctor wanted me to start taking medication to lower it. My excuse up until then for not working out what that I had two kids and worked full time; that this was just something that happens as we age, right?

That day I decided that I wasn't going to give in gracefully to age and the demands on my time. I set out to get back my athletic body and to improve my overall health. I started watching what I ate, going to the gym, and getting out and being more active in general. I managed to lose (and keep off) 30 pounds, and lower my cholesterol back down to healthy levels.

Since then, healthy living has become an obsession of mine. I compete in local taekwondo tournaments, run 5k races, and even competed in a figure competition in 2009. I started my own business, Balancing Life and Fitness, where I offer Wellness Coaching services. I believe that a holistic approach works best - every person is unique and their entire lifestyle should be taken into consideration when making changes to live healthy and fit. My posts are intended to provoke thought about the barriers holding you back, and the information you need to break through them.