Today I opened my inbox to find a slew of emails touting the best tips to undo the damage from the Halloween indulgence…

At first, I didn’t think anything of it. We’re all familiar with the tricks, the treats and the guilt and self loathing that quickly follows. It wasn’t until I came across one blog post titled “How Bad is That Halloween Candy Anyway?! (Infographic)” that I really stopped to think about what I was reading. Those infographics. Clickbait, I tell you.

Said infographic went on to detail a fun sized piece of candy, caloric and sugar content and a recommended exercise to “burn it off.”

Example: A fun sized Snickers contains 80 calories, 8.5 grams of sugar and would take 8.5 minutes of jumping rope to burn off. 

First. What is FUN about a fun sized piece of candy? What is FUN about getting less? Nothing. ESPECIALLY if it’s a Reese’s. That’s false advertising.

Second. This may sound a bit harsh, unless you’re calculating the “damage” the rest of your dietary decisions causes, isolating Halloween candy isn’t going to do make much of an impact. It’s just not. This is no different than any other indulgence, worst case scenario, binge. You make your choice and you start fresh the next day. There is no going back.

Third. IMO the best part of a healthy lifestyle is freedom to afford such indulgences. If you analyze the amount of work you accrue for every treat you consume, it’s going to be a long holiday season, and an even longer life! Food guilt is natural, we all have it. If you tell yourself that you can’t or shouldn’t have particular foods or treats, it can lead to deprivation that can build into uncontrollable cravings. With a consistent, well rounded fitness program you build lean muscle and increase your metabolism. If you’re working out and eating clean most of the time, the less a slip here and there matters. That’s not to say you should throw your lifestyle out the window any day of the week. It’s why balance is so key. You work hard so you can enjoy your life and still feel great inside and out.

Still feeling the post-trick-or-treat blues? Do this:

• Start your morning with the “morning elixer.” SPOILER ALERT: This tastes like sh*t. It will make you gag. It might even make you cry. But it will act as a diuretic and an inflammatory. Hash tag, worth it.
  • 1 TBS apple cider vinegar
  • 8 ounces water
  • Juice from half a lemon
  • 1/4 TSP pink Himalayan sea salt
• Throughout the day drink half your bodyweight in ounces of water
• Don’t consume sugar, that includes processed or natural
• Compose your meals of lean protein and fibrous green veggies
• Eat only when you’re hungry, don’t feel handcuffed by societal norms of when you should eat
• Finish the day with the “CALM elixer” for regulation and stress relief
• Carry on with your life and don’t look back

End scene.