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Trick or Treat - 2003 |
Traipsing back from a night of taking candy from strangers (parental mixed message #1, followed “Never lie… but there is a Santa Claus.”), kids gather around their bags of high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oil and strategize their first act of commerce. Investors in the current market should take note of these grammar school day traders as they masterfully export their cheap-mini-candies for name brand chocolate bars; dumping the unwanted junk on to a less experienced investor, usually a younger sib. Gee, why does this scenario sound so familiar?...
It’s that time of year again – Halloween; twenty-four hours of unrestrained sugar-smackin sensations. But now we don’t have to feel so bad about giving our little sweeties an extra dose of fructose – I just found out it’s really not that bad after all. In fact, according to the Corn Refiners Association, high fructose corn syrup is… natural.
Are they crazy? Yes, it’s sugar and corn, but its not as ‘natural’ as the ads would have us believe. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is corn syrup that has been modified to increase the level of fructose. Enzymes are used to convert cornstarch into HFCS. The highly concentrated fructose is then mixed with pure corn syrup. The final form is a liquid product that is cheaper and lighter weight than refined sugar and easy to transport. That’s good for the food manufactures bottom line, but not ours.
The body processes HFCS much differently than white ‘table’ sugar (sucrose) or the sugar in fruit (fructose). Table sugar is made of equal part of sucrose and fructose. Sucrose is absorbed by all the cells in our body where as fructose is processed in the liver only and does not release the appetite suppressing hormone insulin. As a result, the body is tricked into wanting more, leading to overindulging. When too much sugar of any kind is consumed, the excess is eventually converted to fat and stored for later use. But with the consumption of HFCS, the body assimilates the high fructose corn syrup mostly through the liver, making it more difficult for the body to convert it to fuel and easily storing it as fat. Even though there is a mere 5% more of fructose in HFCS, that’s enough to shift the metabolism and change the absorption of this highly processed, what I believe to be, chemical. And the fact it is found in so much of our food makes the correlation between weight gain, high blood sugar and obesity a strong connection.
Fruits, and root vegetables, contain natural vitamins and fiber, just as corn eaten from the cob. The body must work longer to assimilate fiber, this is good; the slower process allows the fiber to clean the digestive system and slowly transform the fiber into fuel.
High fructose consumption has been linked to weight gain, heart disease, increased blood levels of cholesterol, and an acceleration of the aging process. It’s no coincidence the American waistline has expanded along with the 12 billion pounds of HFCS annually consumed in the U.S. . The worst offender is probably soda. A single 12-ounce soda can contain nearly 13 teaspoons of sugar in the form of high fructose corn syrup. The ubiquitous ingredient is in everything from a slice of bread to salad dressing. Per pound per year, we now eat 30 more pounds a year than we did in 1970. It’s in so many foods, it is difficult to avoid. The American palate, especially our children’s, have grown (literally) accustomed to eating foods that are ultra sweet. In fact, kids over the age of 2 consume on an average 150 calories per day just from high fructose corn syrup.
This Halloween, make it safe for your kids not just by carrying a flash light and only going to homes of friends, but make sure their bag of goodies are HFCS- Free. Get together with your friends, decide together (there is safety in numbers) what candies are on your HFCS-Free list. Better yet, visit the new Kara Cupcakes over at Town & Country for a dozen of her yummy, nearly organic, local ingredient cupcakes; you’ll never go back to HFCS again after eating one of her naturally homemade treats.
- Don’t buy foods with HFCS.
- Look for organic alternative for packaged items.
- Natural doesn’t mean good; read the label.
- Be sure Halloween candy is HFCS-Free and eat a meal with protein about 1 hour before. This will slow down the sugar surge. Dump the junk and don’t be tricked by the treats this Halloween.
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Ghost, goblins, witches, bats and spiders…
All the things we dread any other time of year, but on this one
fantasy filled evening, we wait with our candy for the next brief
mini show of entertainment to knock at our door and fill us with
sweet memories from our own mystery filled nights of the past. Enjoy
these ideas and tips, make them your own and share them with your
kids and friends.
Turn off all the lights and turn on spooky music to set the scene.
The “It” person gets a small flashlight while the others
hide in the dark. Count to 50 and set out to “tag” as
many with the light of the flashlight as you can before the end
of the song. Great indoor game for kids that are not afraid of the
dark, 8 years old and up!
Kids of all ages, especially little ones, love this. Line your hallway
of living room with candle lit pumpkins, witches, any type of Halloween
decoration that is meant to hold a candle. Turn off all the lights
and at the end of the Cat Walk, have one person hold a flashlight
pointed at the feet of the model as the Wicked Witch, Spiderman
or princess walks the catwalk. Turn on your favorite rock and roll
or hip hop music and do a little jig at the end of the cat walk.
Have the audience vote for their favorite costume, best performance,
most creative dance, best smile, just make sure the little goblins
all get a prize.
Yummy blueberries and strawberries make this nutritious and delicious
sauce over vanilla ice cream
Who thought pumpkins seeds could look so ghastly and taste so full
of flavor — and fiber!
One of the all time favorite “good” junk foods! Rice Crispy,
chocolate and marshmallows make these darling and delish treats.
Your Fit Gourmet Tip: All these ingredients are available at Whole
Foods and other independent grocery stores in organic without processing.
Look for Barbara’s Rice Crisp Cereal and natural organic marshmallows
— once you try an organic marshmallow — you will never
go back to the processed marshmallows again!
The above treats are located on the www.ivillage.co.uk
My good friend Julie has came up with this light, nutritious and
low cal muffin. A perfect way to begin a kids Halloween morning,
and it looks great at the party table also!
Prep: 20 minutes Cook:
30 minutes
12 muffins
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh cranberries (or frozen whole, unsweetened
cranberries) — Cut them in half
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1 (8-ounce) carton of vanilla low-fat yogurt
1 large egg
Cooking spray
1 1/2 teaspoons turbinado sugar or granulated sugar (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 375°F
2. Combine cranberries and 2 tablespoons of flour, tossing gently;
set aside.
3. Lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups, and level
with a knife. Combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and
salt in a large bowl. Whisk together oil and next 5 ingredients
(through egg) in a medium bowl. Make a well in center of the flour
mixture; add oil mixture, stirring just until flour mixture is moist.
Fold in cranberry mixture. Spoon the batter into 12 muffing cups
coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle sugar evenly over muffins. Bake
at 375°F for 33 minutes.
4. Remove muffins from pan immediately, and place on a wire rack
Calories 238
Serving size: 1 muffin
Recipe from Shape magazine — altered by Julie Stevens 
- 1 cup shortening
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 egg
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 recipe Brown Sugar Glaze (see below)
1. In a medium mixing bowl, beat shortening with an electric mixer
on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.
2. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking
powder, and baking soda. Beat until combined, scraping sides of
bowl.
3. Beat in the egg and pumpkin. Beat in as much of the flour as
you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour.
4. Drop dough by a rounded teaspoon 2 inches apart onto an increased
cookie sheet. Bake cookies in a 375°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes
or until tops seem firm.
5. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool. 6. Spread cooled cookies
with Brown Sugar Glaze.
Brown Sugar Glaze
In a small saucepan combine:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon milk
Heat and stir until butter melts.
Remove saucepan from heat.
Stir in:
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Makes 42 cookies.
As your guests arrive (this is great for little ones) take a Polaroid
picture of them in their costume. Have them write their name on
the bottom of the picture and place it at the head of their party
place setting. It makes a wonderful memory and it breaks the ice
at any Halloween table.
Crumple up a piece of tissue paper into a ball. Place it into the
center of a flat piece of tissue paper. Pick up the corners of the
flat tissue and twist it around the ball. Tie a twist tie or a piece
of string around the ghost’s neck. Draw a face with a felt
pen. You can hang them up all over the house! You can also glue
on yarn, and make a black hat and cape from colored paper to make
a witch!
Start with a piece of cheesecloth 2 yards long and 1 yard wide.
Place a helium filled balloon (white is best) in the middle of the
fabric and gather loosely around balloon. Draw a horrid mask on
the cloth with a felt pen. You can put some ghosts in a box and
when people open the box the ghosts will float up and scare everyone!
Or, you can place them on string in front of an open window or a
fan and watch them gently move in the breeze. You should have a
very dim room for this. Just before the victim arrives you can hold
a bowl of water up to the string and get it wet. When people walk
in the wet, slimy string will brush across their foreheads and scare
them!
Cut some string into 4 foot lengths and tape them to the ceiling.
You should have a very dim room for this. Just before the victim
arrives you can hold a bowl of water up to the string and get it
wet. When people walk in the wet, slimy string will brush across
their foreheads and scare them!
You can record several scary sounds and play it back during the
festivities. A very large sheet of poster board or sheet metal makes
great thunder. Uncooked rice poured onto a cookie sheet sounds like
rain. Crinkle a handful of cellophane for a roaring fire. To get
a good scream you can, well -- scream. Snap carrots in half for
the sound of breaking bones. Flap a plastic bag in front of the
microphone for the sound of bats. Slowly blow bubbles with a straw
into a bowl for that bog sound. Hunt around your house and the garden
to find a squeaky hinge somewhere and tape it before someone gets
to it with a can of oil.
When you have everything so dimly lit it's a good idea to have some
reflective tape over the exits. A black light bulb is always a good
effect, especially if you are dressed as a skeleton!
Halloween
marks the beginning of the holiday season, a day and evening filled
with make believe, fantasy, mystery and….cavities? meltdowns?
and tummy aches? Here are a few tips to help set some reasonable
guidelines to make sure you kids have a good time and don’t
get too much sugar.
- Feed them first: Make sure your kids eat a nutritious
dinner before trick or treating so they won't be ravenous while
they’re out and when they get home. This will help naturally
limit how many sweets they eat. If they’re really excited
about the night’s festivities, they may not be in the mood
to sit down for a super nutritious meal like fish and broccoli,
so think about treating them to one of their favorites instead.
- Set guidelines: Decide before trick or treating how many
goodies your kids will eat that evening and each day after. Try
to make sure your kids consume their treats after they have had
a snack or meal containing protein, this will help reduce their
craving for the sweet stuff
- Mindless Consumption: If they are going to watch a movie
after trick or treat, make sure you have some back-up. Popcorns,
nuts, sliced apples and cheese are nutrition, yet fun nibbles.
Before starting the movie, let them choose 2 or 3 pieces out of
their goodie bag, Tuck the bag away for the evening. Let them
know ahead of time that “that’s it” for the evening.
No negotiation! You will sleep better and so will they. Make sure
there is plenty of water on hand to wash down and absorb the sugar.
And most importantly, no sweets within 2 hours of bedtime. Too
difficult to digest and will lead to a restless night of sleep.
- Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Now you may consider this
unfair tactics, but this next tip works really well with the young
one. I always put the goodie bag on top of the refrigerator. Each
evening, I throw away a few pieces. I don’t offer the candy,
I only give the goodie bag when asked for. The guidelines for
how much and when are tucked inside the bag on a piece of paper,
so each time the bag is open, the rules are there. The guidelines
are set before trick or treating begins. After a few days, I throw
the goodies away, keeping only 2 or 3 pieces. Why? It got stale
and was not good to eat any more. Young kids seem to accept this
pretty well. And more importantly, you are teaching your kids
moderation, delayed gratification and the ability to make choices,
all important for healthy eating when they are on their own.
Safety
Remember — we turn our clocks back on Sunday, October 30th
at 2 a.m. That means it will get much darker earlier, leaving many
drivers a bit on edge if they are not use to driving during dark
hours. If you have young kids, make sure you keep them close and
guarded and help them traverse the intersections as well as dark
neighborhoods. Here a few tips to keep your kids, and yourself safe
during this years Halloween.
- Educate your children about the risks of being on the road
- Accompany them trick or treating if necessary.
- Don't overestimate your child's ability to negotiate traffic
independently.
- For older children, an adult escort may not be necessary, but
ensure that they go out in groups of at least three.
- Plan your child's trick or treat route in a well-known, well-lit
neighborhood.
- A little torch is a good idea for those dark streets or gardens
- it will also help add to the atmosphere of the occasion.
- Make sure your children wear bright, reflective or fluorescent
clothing to make them more conspicuous to cars and other pedestrians.
- Use reflective tape on your children’s costumes. The back,
arms and legs are good places.
- Encourage your children to use face paint instead of wearing
a mask. If your child does have a mask, make sure it fits properly
and the holes for eyes and ears don't obscure vision or hearing.
- Children should avoid wearing long, baggy costumes, or oversized
shoes to reduce the likelihood of tripping.
- Tell your kids to stay on the pavement and instruct them to
cross the street only at marked crosswalks.
- Make sure they are familiar with street crossing and aware that
cars don't necessarily stop just because someone is on the road.
- Be aware that drivers may find it harder to see you in the dark.
- Under no circumstance should children enter the house of a stranger
when trick or treating.
In addition to sharing these tips with your children, check out www.hedgehogs.gov.uk,
launching on 18th October in conjunction with their 'Be Safe, Be
Seen' campaign aimed at children between ages 7 and 11. As part
of this initiative, this new site will include interactive games
that teach kids about road safety and awareness.
Many of these safety tips may be found at www.ivillage.co.uk.
Some of the Games, Treats and Party Planning ideas may be found
on www.celebrationcorner.com
Enjoy a safe and fun Halloween and make sure to brush your teeth
before you go to bed! |
