It’s almost Halloween and you know what that means…

This weekend officially kicks off the Holiday Season in the US! It’s a time of family, friends, love, laughter…. oh, and MASSIVE sugar highs, colds, and sometimes hangovers. 🙂

Have you ever felt like it’s impossible to stay healthy around the holidays? Especially one that revolves around candy, sweets and parties? Trust me, I am right there with you. It can be tricky, but fear not, my friends!

Here are a few tips and tricks that will keep you healthy this Halloween weekend.

1. Eat a low-glycemic meal or snack right before you go to a Halloween party or Trick-Or-Treating.

Yes, that’s right, eat before you go. It might sound crazy, but hear me out on this one. So many people fall into the trap of “saving calories” for the party, but when you do that you’ll arrive with low blood sugar and then wind up eating everything in sight.

Eat a healthy, low-glycemic meal or snack before you go to stabilize your blood sugar so you can enjoy a few treats, instead of the entire table. Use this trick for yourself and kids before trick or treating, too. You will feel a LOT better afterwards!

2. Drink a ton of purified water each day – at least half your body weight in ounces.

Water will flush the sugar, alcohol and other bad stuff out of your system. Not to mention, it keeps your body hydrated during these ultra dry Fall/Winter months. Also, the hunger and thirst signals in your body are the same, so oftentimes when our mind is tricking us into thinking we’re hungry—our body is actually in desperate need of some H2O. 

The point is, don’t forget to drink your water! If you’re not typically good about this, investing in a gallon jug can be super helpful in making sure you drink at least a gallon of water of day.

3. Be smart with your alcohol. Never drink on an empty stomach.

Alcohol and water are the only 2 things that can be absorbed through your stomach lining straight to the bloodstream (everything else is absorbed in the small intestine). So, drinking on an empty stomach sends alcohol straight to your system.

If you consume alcohol on Halloween weekend, stick to red wine (organic if possible) and have a glass of water in between each drink.

Organic red wine is your best bet, but if you want to have a mixed drink, a high-quality vodka with club soda and a splash of real lemon or lime is best. Avoid dark liquors, tonic water, and sugary mixed drinks. 

4. Don’t kill your good bacteria this Halloween. Wanna know a secret about that cold you know you’re going to get?

You probably already have it. It’s living in your gut, and it’s dormant because you have enough good bacteria in your belly to keep it that way. High amounts of sugar and alcohol kill off your good bacteria, allowing the bad to flourish, and potentially make you sick.

So, limit your sugar and alcohol intake as I mentioned, but also take a really high quality probiotic every morning to keep the good guys going. Good gut bacteria is essential in ensuring that you gut flora thrives! 

5. Understand sugar addiction. Sugar is like nicotine; the more you have the more you want it.

Remember that if you have a bunch of sugar on Halloween, you are going to want a lot more the next day. It’s science! Stick to low glycemic eating and the sugar cravings will pass. Get to know your body and the difference between a sugar attack and actually being hungry.

A sugar craving is much easier to get over than a nicotine craving, so just keep drinking water and eat your low glycemic meals and snack and it will pass. (Click here to see the video I made on Sugar Addiction.)

Look for more tips for staying healthy through the holiday season coming your way in the next few weeks.

Have a fun and safe Halloween Weekend!