Hallowe’en is a time of year when all the cravings for sweets and sugar are reinforced in our society, and can lay the devastating groundwork for years to come.

I remember making myself sick eating the Hallowe’en treats, and wanting more. When my sons were little, I did let them go trick-or-treating and eat the candies and chocolates they got. But I would try to balance it out with healthy treats of fruit and vegetables.

Here is an excerpt from an email my friend Diana Herrington sent. We think very similarly. I think this is a great writeup and wanted to share it with you.”I am passionate about reducing sugar consumption in this world. I never give out anything with sugar in it at Halloween as I simply do not see it as a treat for children. Below is an article I wrote and post everywhere I can think at this time of the year.

Do you ever wonder about this thing called Treats?

Whenever Halloween comes around; in the past I would wonder what to do. I used to buy packets of peanuts but now we know many children are severely allergic to them so that is not good choice.Other years I found small boxes of raisins but in the past few years have not been able to find them. So last year I found little milk chocolate bars without chemicals in them but still loaded with sugar!

The last couple of years I have been making sure that my actions show how much I care for the welfare of the children in the community.

I invite you to join me in this endeavor to increase the wellness of children by not giving them candy filled with chemicals in the form of colour and artificial flavorings and of course sugar.

Here are a few ideas to fill the baskets of trick-or-treaters:

• Little pocket notebooks, erasers, coloured pens, and stickers
• Party favors, playing cards
• hair things for little girls
• small toys like little trucks and cars
• Key chains (cartoon character), hair bands, or caps for boys.
• mini bubbles,set of100 (packaged for weddings) may come open but are usually secure.
• bouncy balls you can usually buy for pretty cheap in large packages for party supplies.
• Rubber ducks and boats for the bath for the very little children

Much of this can be found inexpensively at from a discount or Dollar Store. When the children first see that there is no candy; it is fun.most of them are very excited to be getting something different and I even hear them yelling to their parents about the surprise. The only ones who are disappointed are the teenagers as the best that they get is a little notebook or pen and they are so addicted to sugar that it is a disappointment for them.

I put it all in a few different baskets for the categories in terms of age.

If you think you are spoiling the children’s fun by not giving them candy then here are some facts to consider.

Among school age kids, the number who are overweight has doubled and the number who are obese has tripled over the past 15 years (Tremblay MS, Willms JD. Is the Canadian childhood obesity epidemic related to physical inactivity? International Journal of Obesity 2003; 27: 1100-1105.).

1 in 3 school age kids is either overweight or obese in North America today.

Obesity is a major factor in Type 2 diabetes, which can lead to blindness, … A child who develops Type 2 as a young teenager will be coming down with complications at the peak of his or her productive life.

Studies also show that most organ systems are harmed by obesity in childhood. If a child has obesity, then she raises her chances of suffering the same health risks as obese adults. This means she may have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, increased heart rate, osteoarthritis, insulin resistance and glucose intolerance, diabetes, gallbladder disease and heartburn.

Every Canadian must play a part in battle against childhood obesity – NEWS RELEASEJune 12, 2002

OTTAWA -With a rise in the prevalence of childhood obesity comes an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, asthma, hypertension, and several other chronic conditions.

“The way to reduce the incidence of these conditions in children and youth is for physicians, families, and communities to work together,” adds Dr. LeBlanc, chair of the CPS Advisory Committee on Healthy Active Living for Children and Youth. “We have a responsibility to ensure they are equipped with the knowledge, opportunities, and facilities they need to stay healthy and active throughout their lives.”

Also, we know that sugar promotes tooth decay.

Sugar’s major drawback is that it raises the insulin level, which inhibits the release of growth hormones, which in turn depresses the immune system. Just eight teaspoons of sugar lowers the immune system 25% for 12 hours… that is the amount of sugar in one can of pop.

Let’s show our care for children’s health by reconsidering what we give them this Halloween.
Let’s join together in this.
To your health and our children’s health,

Diana (and Diana)

HAPPY HALLOWE’EN

Diana Walker, Cravings Coach