Halloween - Keeping Your Kids Safe!

Fall is the time of year for ghosties and ghoulies and things that go bump in the night. Sometimes those bumps are intended to be scary. Other times they are unintentional and terribly serious. Whether your children are out trick or treating or helping with the traditional fall garage cleaning, there are dangers lurking.
According to Prevent Blindness America, emergency room statistics indicate that a child is more likely to be injured on Halloween than on any other day of the year.

A Word To The Parents
No child should trick-or-treat alone.
Plan and discuss the intended route. Stay in familiar areas.
Accompany children under twelve on their rounds.
When crossing the street with a child under ten years of age, always hold the child's hand.
Cars pose the biggest threat to children after dark. To be seen, dress children in light colors, or sew or tape on reflectors or reflective tape to make them more visible.
Costumes should be loose and comfortable, but not baggy or long enough to cause falls or to catch fire. No high heels.
Purchase only costumes, wigs, and props labeled as flame resistant. Note, however, that these items may still burn.
Capes and other costume accessories that might pose a strangulation hazard should be fastened with Velcro rather than fabric ties.
Avoid costumes with wigs, floppy hats, or eye patches, which block vision. Beards should be fastened so they do not hamper the child's vision or breathing.
Wear makeup (nontoxic and FDA approved) instead of masks, which block vision. Follow instructions to remove the makeup.
Do not put makeup near a child's eyes, and do not let a child sleep with makeup.
Dab the makeup on a child's arms for a couple of days before Halloween to be sure they are not allergic to the makeup.
Avoid pointed props such as spears, swords, or wands that could endanger children's eyes.
For young children, pin a slip of paper with the child's name, address, and phone number inside a pocket, in case the child gets separated from the group.
Inspect the candy before allowing a child to eat the treats.
For children younger than six years of age, eliminate choking hazards, such as hard candy, jelly beans, or peanuts. Do not let a child stuff his mouth.

Some Reminders Before They Go
Establish a return time.
Obey all traffic signals.
Never dart out between parked cars or hidden corners such as alleys.
Walk, do not run, from house to house.
Stay off the lawns. Unseen objects or uneven terrain could trip them.
Carry a flashlight or light stick so they can be seen.
For better visibility, wear masks on top of their heads between trick-or-treat locations.
Refuse to enter strange homes or apartments.

Hosting Trick-Or-Treaters
Around your home, remove any items children could trip over. Turn your outside lights on.
Do not put candles in pumpkins. Use a flashlight for illumination.
Secure all pets, especially dogs.
Do not give out choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, or hard candy.

Watch Your Weight This Halloween

For those of us looking for quick weight loss, Halloween can be a scary experience! While just one night of indulgence in Halloween candy might not be enough to break your belt, dipping into the leftover stockpile for weeks on end will surely derail your diet or weight loss program.

In 1921, in Anoka, MN, the United States enjoyed our first recorded instance of a Halloween celebration. Annual candy consumption has climbed almost unabated since then. According to the Census Bureau, Americans eat nearly a half-pound of candy each week for an average of 25 pounds of candy a year. Candy is big business, with the United States boasting 1,040 manufacturing establishments producing chocolate and cocoa products in 2001. These establishments employed 45,913 people and shipped $12 billion worth of goods that year. Another 616 U.S. establishments manufactured non-chocolate confectionery products in 2001. These establishments employed 26,400 people and shipped $7 billion worth of goods that year (source: census.gov).

The overwhelming popularity of the South Beach Diet, Zone Diet, and Atkins Diet has prompted low-carb weight watchers to eat less candy. Overall consumption has actually declined over the last few years; as recently as 1997 the average annual candy consumption was a sky-high 27 pounds.

The Problem:
Most people on a diet plan or weight control program look at candy as little brightly-colored fat bombs. That assessment isn't far off the mark, either, with most candy packing little nutritional value and a ton of calories.

Some of the more popular Halloween candy has too many calories to be included in any healthy diet:
Twizzlers 1 treat size pkg.= 45 calories
Almond Joy 1 snack size bar = 90 calories
Milk Duds 1 treat size box = 40 calories
Butterfinger 1 snack size bar = 100 calories
Milky Way 1 snack size bar = 90 calories
SweetTarts 1 treat size pkg. = 50 calories
1 Tootsie Pop 1 pop = 60 calories
1 Tootsie Roll 1 small roll = 13 calories

Note: Calorie content is based on 1 serving of Halloween 'snack' or 'fun' size packages, not full size servings found in the candy aisle.

While just a few pieces of Halloween candy won't obliterate your diet program or weight loss plan, it's the temptation to keep having 'just one more' that will pack on the pounds. It only takes nine small fun-size candy bars to put on a quarter-pound of fat. Besides candy, Halloween threatens many other high-calorie treats like Caramel apples (243 calories), 8-oz. apple cider and a cake donut (319 calories), or a slice of pumpkin pie (240 calories).

The Solution:
Is it possible to cope with the menace of Halloween candy without taking all the fun out of the holiday? Absolutely! If you're looking for fast weight loss, and don't want Halloween to bring your fat loss to a screeching halt, consider these healthy Halloween tips:

1. Walk with your kids while they're trick-or-treating. A 165-lb. woman strolling along (walking slowly) for one hour will burn approximately 150 calories (source: caloriesperhour.com).
2. Out of sight, out of mind. When the kids have unloaded their stash, store it in an airtight container and put it in the cupboard. A bowl full of candy on the counter is an open invitation to have 'just one', but a stockpile you can't see is less tempting.
3. If you're going to give out candy to trick-or-treaters on Halloween, don't buy it until October 31st. Having a candy supply in the house before Halloween only entices you to have some early.
4. If you must buy candy before Halloween, buy a kind you don't like. Again, this will reduce the temptation for you to dig in.
5. Hosting a Halloween party? Supply vegetables, healthy dips, and low fat snacking alternatives instead of candy.
6. Set a Halloween candy deadline by which all Halloween candy must be either consumed (by the kids) or it will be thrown away. Saving that candy for weeks, or even months, only keeps temptation in the house.
7. Put more emphasis on dressing up in a great costume, and less on candy. This is especially true for the kids, who often view Halloween as a candy free-for-all dream come true.
8. By hosting a party on Halloween night, you can control the menu and have fun with friends at the same time.
9. Focus on Halloween activities other than eating. There are lots of options available, from hayrides to haunted houses to bonfires.
10. Candy has a long shelf life, and there's no reason why you couldn't put some of it in airtight bags and store it in the freezer. Allow the kids to take out one bag every two weeks until it's gone. This tactic will at least space out the temptation and minimize candy binge eating.

Of course, the absolute best way to avoid weight gain, and perhaps even achieve some easy weight loss, during the Halloween season is to bump up the amount of exercise you're getting. There's no better way to lose weight fast than a healthy diet and regular exercise.

Make sure the workout you're doing includes both aerobic and resistance training, as it is critical to get both types of exercise to maximize weight loss. It's also important to exercise for at least thirty minutes, three times per week, which is the most recent recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (source: cdc.gov).

A fantastic strategy is to find the best weight loss program for you now, before Halloween hits. The reason is that the last three months of the year are packed with holidays, special dinners and seasonal treats. Starting with Halloween candy and ending with Christmas fudge, many people find that they're packing on more pounds during this period than they do any other time of year.

Joining a gym is an excellent way to combat Halloween and holiday weight gain. Finding a good gym to join now will not only help keep off those holiday pounds, but will even make you slimmer by New Years.