With Halloween right around the corner, the supermarket shelves are filled with candy for the trick or treaters.  But at Halloween, the only thing scarier than some of the ghoulish costumes you will see is the nutrition fact panel on the back of some of these sweet treats.  So, if you are concerned about how much sugar the kids are eating or if you are concerned about what will happen with the extremely-tempting-left-over candy, the following can give you some tips for how to make this holiday a healthy one.

Keep in mind that healthy snacks can be just as tasty as some of the high-sugar, high-fat ones.  So, try dried fruit or 100% fruit juice boxes for a treat with some nutritional value.  Get creative…you don’t have to give out food, instead give out cool pencils or other small items that kids like. 

The following are some items to try:

• Small boxes of raisins
• Fruit leathers made with 100% fruit juice
• 100% fruit juice boxes
• Packets of sugar-free gum
• Small bags of pretzels or animal crackers
• Cool pens, pencils and/or erasures
• Stickers for the younger kids

Have fun this Halloween and treat yourself, and the children, to good health.

“There is at least as much sugar in several kids’ cereals as there is in as a glazed doughnut from Dunkin’ Donuts”.  This is what consumer reports found when they analyzed the top 27 cereals marketed to children.  In fact, they found that “2 cereals are more than 50% sugar, and nine others are more than 40% sugar”.   What’s even worse is that “several cereals sold in the U.S. had more sugar and sodium than the same brands sold overseas”. 

Since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it is time to take a closer look at what we are serving our kids and ourselves (because we all know that kids aren’t the only ones eating these cereals).  The following kids’ cereals rated best and worst according to Consumer Report’s nutrition score:

Highest rated:

• Cheerios (General Mills)
• Kix (General Mills)
• Life (Quaker Oats)
• Honey Nut Cheerios (General Mills)

Lowest rated:

• Cap’n Crunch’s Peanut Butter Crunch (Quaker Oats)
• Cap’n Crunch (Quaker Oats)
• Rice Krispies (Kellogg’s)
• Apple Jacks (Kellogg’s)
• Fruit Loops (Kellogg’s)
• Golden Crisp (Post)
• Honey Smacks (Kellogg’s)
• Corn Pops (Kellogg’s)

How can you determine if a cereal is a good choice or not?  Take a look at the nutrition label and the ingredient list for the following things:

• Always look at the serving size. (A serving often ranges from ¾ cup – 1 ¼ cup)
• Try to choose a cereal with a minimum of 2 gm of fiber per serving
• Pick cereals with no more than 9 gm of sugar per serving
• Look for the word “whole” in front of the first ingredient on the label (i.e. whole wheat, whole grain oats)
• For weight management, take a look at the calorie level and try to choose the cereals that give you more volume for the calories

If you are having trouble switching from a sugary cereal to a healthier variety, try adding fruit to cereal for a natural sweetness.  Or, gradually reduce the sugary cereals by mixing half of a sugary cereal with half of a lower-sugar variety (i.e. mix Frosted Flakes with Corn Flakes or mix Cocoa Puffs with Kix).  If you just can’t seem to switch the type of cereal you eat, then portion control is the key.  Use smaller bowls to keep serving sizes down and add a piece of fruit on the side for volume and to add nutritional value to the meal.

Reference: Better Breakfasts: Some Cereals are More Than 50 Percent Sugar.  Consumer Labs.  November 2008: 16-17.

We all have days where we feel like we’re dragging a little, and that is normal.  But what do you do when energy levels stay low?  In addition to making sure you are getting an adequate amount of sleep, the following are 10 tips to help increase energy levels:

1.)    Get a physical checkup to make sure there are no underlying reasons for loss of energy.  In particular, you will want the doctor to check your thyroid function and your iron levels because one of the symptoms of hypothyroidism and anemia are feelings of lethargy and fatigue.

2.)    Drink plenty of fluids.  Even mild dehydration can cause feelings of fatigue.  Drink water throughout the day.  Beverages with caffeine like sodas, coffee and energy drinks do not hydrate you as well because they have a diuretic effect.  (Hint: To tell if you are well hydrated, monitor the color of your urine.  It should always be clear to light yellow and odorless.)

3.)    Eat regularly throughout the day.  Start the day off with a balanced breakfast, and try not to skip meals throughout the day.  When you skip meals blood sugars and energy levels drop.  Planning for snacks can also help improve energy levels.

4.)    Limit sugary foods/beverages and refined grains.  These products may give you a quick burst of energy but it does not last.  Often people crash and feel more tired after the initial energy burst wears off. 

5.)    Replace the simple sugars with complex carbohydrates found in whole grains, starchy vegetables and fruits.  These foods will fuel your body with long-lasting energy throughout the day.  (Examples: try brown rice instead of white rice, whole wheat bread instead of white bread, popcorn instead of pretzels)

6.)    Limit caffeine.  While caffeine has been found to temporarily increase alertness and energy levels, it can have a rebound effect later in the day. 

7.)    Watch alcohol consumption before going to bed.  Alcohol can decrease the quality of sleep.  Therefore, even if you sleep for eight hours, you won’t wake up feeling as rested when you consume alcohol before going to sleep.

8.)    Eat a well balanced diet to help ensure that you are meeting your nutrient needs.  Many nutrients play a roll on energy levels.  For example, people often feel tired when they do not get enough iron or magnesium in their diets (see below for good sources of these nutrients).  You can meet nutrient needs by eating foods from all the food groups and including a variety of foods within each food group. 

a.      Iron Sources: See “Iron in the Diet”

b.      Magnesium Sources: Whole grains like bran, barley and buckwheat.  Yogurt, spinach, lima beans, garbanzo beans, soybeans, pumpkin seeds, trail mix, halibut.

9.)    Exercise can help increase energy levels.  As little as a 10-minute walk can help to increase energy levels.  Try to be as consistent as possible to maximize the benefits

10.)    Practice Stress Management techniques.  Stress can be a mental and physical drain.  So, avoid stressful situations when possible, and try some stress management techniques to deal with the unavoidable stressors.  (For ideas on how to reduce stress see “Stress: Is it Causing Weight Gain“)