October 29, 2012

I have nothing against Halloween.

In previous Halloweens, I've been the Genie from Aladdin (left, painted completely blue)…

…Pinnochio (wearing embarrassingly short red overalls)…

…Kermit the Frog (painted completely green)…

…an old man in a wheelchair…

…and a baby wearing nothing but a diaper and a pacifier (below, and probably not a surprise to those of you who watch my YouTube videos).

And as a matter of fact, my 4 year old twin boys (pictured as Ewoks above) just won first place in a Halloween costume contest, in which they came away with oodles of prize candy (which I'm going to teach them how to convert into cold, hard cash using one tip you'll discover in this article).

But sometimes, when it comes to candy, sugar, and carb cravings, things can get a bit out of hand on Halloween.

So in this article, you're going to get 3 ways to have a healthy Halloween, how to fight candy cravings, and how to win my favorite sugar burner nutrition supplement. Let's jump right in:

1. Join A Halloween Fun Run (or do a Demon Dash)

Physical activity can keep you more insulin sensitive and less likely to convert candy carbohydrate into fat for up to 24 hours after a workout. So why not join a Halloween Fun Run? Here in my hometown of Spokane, we have the “Monster Dash“, a 5K fun run where people show up decked out in their Halloween costumes to walk, jog or run and raise money for childhood obesity.

I'll wager that you can easily find a Halloween fun run in your area by simply Googling your city name, and the words “Halloween run”.

But let's say you just can't find, you don't have time for, or you simply don't want to hop into a Halloween fun run. This is where a cool new free phone app called “Demon Dash” comes in.

With Demon Dash,  you’re running from vampires, mummies, witches, ghosts, werewolves, and zombies! You can run, walk, or jog using your iPhone or iPod touch’s GPS to stay away from all of those scary Halloween monsters. Your daily exercise won’t be some mundane trip around the block on Halloween, but will instead be an epic adventure where you have to stay alive.

You can use your compass and GPS to dodge the monsters and get audio notifications when they’re getting too close to you. If you make it home alive, you can share your monster out-running adventures on Twitter, Facebook, or store to Evernote. Just remember that constant use of your GPS will drain your battery quicker than a zombie would eat your brains, so use Demon Dash judiciously.

2. Give Out Something Other Than Candy

I'm really not a party-pooper – and I'm not against kids having a little bit of “extra” sugar now and then on holidays such as Halloween, Easter or Christmas. But in reality that, for most kids, the extra loads of candy from Halloween actually lasts for weeks and is simply added to the soda, sugary cereals, cookies, processed foods and French fries most kids are eating everyday.

So why not do your little bit for children's health and give out something other than candy at your house? Just think about it. You can try the following to still bring a smile to little trick-or-treaters' faces:

-Temporary tattoos or stickers

-Glow bracelets or necklaces

-Toys from the dollar store

-Dried fruit and nuts

-Mini-playdoughs

Obviously, at the time this post is coming out, it's a bit close to Halloween to make a last-minute order, but for any of this stuff for future Halloweens (or Easter, or Christmas…), visit the Oriental Trading Company website.

3. Participate In A Candy Buyback

I used to save all my Halloween candy until about 4 or 5 months after Halloween, then sell it back to my brothers, friends, and the neighborhood kids. But your kids may not be keen on the idea of stashing candy under their bed for several months after Halloween…so you may want to consider a candy buyback instead.

So here's an interesting candy buyback story I found about a local dentist here in Spokane, Washington. Here's how it works: on Nov. 1 from 4 pm-7 pm, kids can bring their excess candy to his office and get $1 for each pound of candy. In past years, Evans says each child left with around $5 – and last year, his dental practice sent more than 1,000 pounds of candy to Operation Gratitude, a California-based organization that puts the treats in care packages, along with other items, that are sent to troops overseas.

I recommend: do a Google search for “candy buyback” or “candy trade in” and the name of your city.

What To Do About Halloween Candy Cravings

Finally, if you personally need help resisting the candy and carbohydrate cravings that may accompany holidays like this, then you should check out the following BenGreenfieldFitness articles:

–5 Powerful Calorie Control Tricks To Help You Eat Less Food

–How To Stop Carbohydrate Cravings In Their Tracks

–5 Ways To Suppress Your Appetite Without Taking Any Special Pills or Capsules

–Inner Circle Free Episode: How To Stop Sugar & Carbohydrate Cravings In Their Tracks

–A Simple Six-Step System for Eliminating Food Cravings

How To Win A Bottle of Thermofactor

I understand that sometimes you may need a little bit of help accelerating candy carbohydrate burning and controlling carbohydrate. And this is where a nutritional supplement like Thermofactor comes in.

Thermofactor addresses major issues associated with weight gain. The ingredients provide powerful thermogenic (metabolism-boosting)  support and help control both your appetite and blood sugar balance. This one is especially good for controlling carbohydrate cravings and increasing insulin sensitivity.

Thermofactor ingredients are as follows (and you just pop 1-2 capsules 30-60 minutes prior to your 1-2 primary meals of the day):

• Citrus aurantium Extract (Advantra Z) – Advantra Z is extracted from the dried immature fruit of the bitter orange. More effective than ephedrine upon thermogenesis, it increases metabolic rate without the side effects. It helps suppress appetite and increase the release of fatty acids from storage. Athletes benefit from the ability to exercise longer without exhaustion or lean tissue loss.
• Green Tea Extract (Camellia sinensis) – Green tea works synergistically with Advantra Z to increase thermogenesis. It is recognized as an overall health tonic containing powerful antioxidants.
• L-Tyrosine – The amino acid L-tyrosine increases the appetite suppressing abilities of Advantra Z. It is a precursor to a number of neurotransmitters and hormones. L-tyrosine is a minor stimulant for the release of growth hormone (GH) and thus important for metabolism (including thermogenesis).
• Chromium – Insulin plays a major role in fat storage. Chromium is a trace mineral that potentiates the effects of insulin, causing less insulin to be needed. Blood sugar levels are thus stabilized, and less fat is stored. Perhaps 90% of all Americans are deficient in chromium. It helps decrease LDL, cholesterol and triglycerides, while raising the levels of desirable HDL.
• Vanadyl Sulfate – Vanadyl sulfate mimics many of the activities of insulin. It is biologically active even in the absence of insulin. It possesses anti-catabolic properties: reducing the breakdown of muscle protein for energy. It also prevents the storage of excess carbohydrates as fat.
• Manganese – Manganese is another mineral that plays an important role in carbohydrate metabolism. It is a cofactor with many of the enzymes that affect sugar metabolism.

OK, so how do you win a bottle of Thermofactor?

Easy! Simply post a photo of yourself in your Halloween costume at the BenGreenfieldFitness Facebook page. I'll personally vote for the best, most creative, most entertaining costume, and then put a bottle (or two if I'm feeling generous) of Thermofactor in the mail and send it straight to you.

OK, post your photo here, and leave your questions, comments or feedback about 3 ways to have a healthy Halloween and combat candy cravings below!