It's inevitable.
On Halloween, while children don fun, festive costumes to go trick-or-treating as their favorite characters, well-meaning adults all across America will entice some 36 million kids into overdosing on sugar-laden candies.
In other words, our nation's children will be hurtled into sugar shock.
Even if parents develop clever schemes to limit the number of candies their children eat, kids -- and many adults -- will often overdose on sweets, in secret if need be.
Unfortunately, Halloween tends to create an unbridled state of sugar obsession, as one of my clients recently revealed to me. But obsession is only a small part of the story.
Sugar overloading on an empty stomach makes your blood sugar leap in reaction. Then, your overworked pancreas will be forced to release insulin ("the master hormone"), which will help move the excess glucose out of your bloodstream and into your cells. But soon, your blood sugar levels will plummet, and you'll get hungry again. Plus, you may experience disorienting symptoms of hypoglycemia, from mood swings to difficulty concentrating.
So, parents, what can you do in advance to counter the effects of all that sugar? How can you prevent your young trick-or-treaters or yourself from getting wired or wiped out, cranky, depressed, unfocused headachy or cantankerous?
Perhaps the best way to prevent sugar shock from eating lots of sweets -- or at least soften that blood-sugar-bouncing whammy -- is to make sure that you and your children eat a healthy, well-balanced meal before going trick-or-treating.
Parents, it's up to you to feed your kids well before they begin ringing your neighbors' doorbells. The key to a fun evening lies in PFFW. By this, I mean, you'll want to serve:
•P = Ample protein (such as a piece of fish or free-range chicken)
•F = Fiber-filled, quality carbs (like a salad, steamed vegetables, a sweet potato and a small portion of brown rice)
•F = Smart fats (such as olive oil drizzled on top of your salad and sweet potato)
•W = Plenty of water, especially before dinner (to keep your kids hydrated)
The benefits of powering up with PFFW are many. You and your children:
•Should have more energy.
•Will probably eat fewer candies, because they're already satisfied from a healthy dinner.
•May be more calm and cheerful, because their blood sugar levels are balanced.
Remember, you're up against an army of charming, enabling "sugar pushers" on Halloween. Healthy meal planning in advance is your best defense against ornery, out of control behavior.