Healthy Morsels, II

How to Avoid the Trap of “Fall Eating Festival” by Lynn O’Hara

Here we are in Fall. What a great season! There’s just something about the cool, crisp air that makes me want to get outside and do just about anything. I also love the cooking in the fall and, of course, the eating! It’s time for the crockpot and heavier, warmer foods like soups and stews. Cooking can get really easy in the fall if you use a crockpot. Ironically the downside to fall for some is all this wonderful eating or perhaps I should say, overeating.

Halloween starts off the “fall eating festival” and sometimes it doesn’t feel too good. Why is it that we can start with the Halloween candy and not stop until “Auld Lang Syne” is finished being played on the first of the New Year? I have a theory and it starts with sugar. If we start eating Halloween candy we are setting ourselves up for a three-month binge. Sugar is toxic and eating too much of it leads to hormone fluctuations, blood sugar fluctuations, inflammation in our bodies and a seeming inability to stop eating sweets and other simple carbs. The result is weight gain, sluggishness, body pain and a months long food hangover. Combine that with all the traditional yummy foods of Thanksgiving and Christmas and it is the start of an eating marathon.

So what is a person to do? Is there any way to avoid the sluggish, yucky feeling of eating too much over the holidays? Absolutely and it starts with the Halloween candy. If you bought your candy early and have been nipping at the bag for the past few weeks it’s time to quit cold turkey. I am serious. If you want to avoid the trap of the “fall eating festival” it’s time to unload that candy. This is not about punishment AT ALL. This is about feeding yourself with delicious foods that make you feel good. Do you even know what foods make you feel like garbage after you eat them?

Lynn O’Hara, MS, RD, LPC Licensed Psychotherapist Registered Dietitian (732) 899-9312 www.lynnoharalpc.com If not, it’s time to start paying attention because I guarantee there are foods that don’t sit well with you and if you stop eating them you will feel better. Sugar is one of those foods for everyone. We have grown so used to eating foods that aren’t good for us that we don’t even notice when we do it. We just go through life feeling pretty crummy. Why do we do this? Well, for one thing the food industry and government like it this way. This isn’t a conspiracy theory it’s a truth. There’s tons of research out there showing how far the food industry and its lobbying efforts go to make sure we buy the cheap junk food so they make money. In past columns I urged you all to watch a show on Prime called “Fed Up” and I’ll encourage you to watch it again. You’ll see what I mean pretty quickly. But I digress….

In any event, cut out as much sugar as you can from your diet and see what I mean about feeling better. You’ll skate through Thanksgiving and the winter holidays feeling just great if you keep the sugar intake to a minimum. It all starts by cutting out that Halloween candy. It may feel painful at first but I guarantee you’ll feel better, look better and function better without it. Don’t let the Halloween candy lead you down the path of sugar overload. It’s simply not worth it.

Until next time, eat healthy, be happy!

Healthy Morsels, II

How to Avoid the Trap of “Fall Eating Festival”

Here we are in Fall. What a great season! There’s just something about the cool, crisp air that makes me want to get outside and do just about anything. I also love the cooking in the fall and, of course, the eating! It’s time for the crockpot and heavier, warmer foods like soups and stews. Cooking can get really easy in the fall if you use a crockpot. Ironically the downside to fall for some is all this wonderful eating or perhaps I should say, overeating.

Halloween starts off the “fall eating festival” and sometimes it doesn’t feel too good. Why is it that we can start with the Halloween candy and not stop until “Auld Lang Syne” is finished being played on the first of the New Year? I have a theory and it starts with sugar. If we start eating Halloween candy we are setting ourselves up for a three-month binge. Sugar is toxic and eating too much of it leads to hormone fluctuations, blood sugar fluctuations, inflammation in our bodies and a seeming inability to stop eating sweets and other simple carbs. The result is weight gain, sluggishness, body pain and a months long food hangover. Combine that with all the traditional yummy foods of Thanksgiving and Christmas and it is the start of an eating marathon.

If not, it’s time to start paying attention because I guarantee there are foods that don’t sit well with you and if you stop eating them you will feel better. Sugar is one of those foods for everyone. We have grown so used to eating foods that aren’t good for us that we don’t even notice when we do it. We just go through life feeling pretty

Lynn O’Hara, MS, RD, LPC Licensed Psychotherapist Registered Dietitian (732) 899-9312 www.lynnoharalpc.com

crummy. Why do we do this? Well, for one thing the food industry and government like it this way. This isn’t a conspiracy theory it’s a truth. There’s tons of research out there showing how far the food industry and its lobbying efforts go to make sure we buy the cheap junk food so they make money. In past columns I urged you all to watch a show on Prime called “Fed Up” and I’ll encourage you to watch it again. You’ll see what I mean pretty quickly. But I digress….

In any event, cut out as much sugar as you can from your diet and see what I mean about feeling better. You’ll skate through Thanksgiving and the winter holidays feeling just great if you keep the sugar intake to a minimum. It all starts by cutting out that Halloween candy. It may feel painful at first but I guarantee you’ll feel better, look better and function better without it. Don’t let the Halloween candy lead you down the path of sugar overload. It’s simply not worth it.

So what is a person to do? Is there any way to avoid the sluggish, yucky feeling of eating too much over the holidays? Absolutely and it starts with the Halloween candy. If you bought your candy early and have been nipping at the bag for the past few weeks it’s time to quit cold turkey. I am serious. If you want to avoid the trap of the “fall eating festival” it’s time to unload that candy. This is not about punishment AT ALL. This is about feeding yourself with delicious foods that make you feel good. Do you even know what foods make you feel like garbage after you eat them?

Until next time, eat healthy, be happy!