Even more frightening than Halloween itself can be the mountains of leftover candy that will take over offices across the country on Friday, November 1st. Many co-workers, trying to keep temptation out of their houses, bring candy into the office. You can run, but you can’t hide from the candy temptation.
“Not only does candy play tricks on your waistline it also turns productive workers into zombies. A sugar high leads to a few minutes of initial alertness and provides a short burst of energy. But beware of the scary sugar crash. When the sugar high wears off, you’ll feel tired, fatigued and hungry,” said Emily Tuerk, MD, adult internal medicine physician at Loyola University Health System and assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.
Tuerk gives a few tips to help you not be haunted by leftover candy:
• Make a pact with your co-workers to not bring in leftover candy.
• Eat breakfast, so you don’t come to work hungry.
• Bring in alternative healthy snacks, such as low-fat yogurt, small low-fat cheese sticks, carrot sticks or cucumber slices. Vegetables are a great healthy snack. You can’t overdose on vegetables.
• Be festive without being unhealthy. Blackberries and cantaloupe are a fun way to celebrate with traditional orange and black fare without packing on the holiday pounds. Bring this to the office instead of candy as a creative and candy-free way to participate in the holiday fun.
• If you must bring in candy, put it in an out-of-the-way location. Don’t put it in people’s faces so they mindlessly eat it. A study out of Eastern Illinois University found that office workers ate an average of nine Hershey’s Kisses per week when the candy was conveniently placed on top of the desk, but only six Kisses when placed in a desk drawer and three Kisses when placed two feet from the desk.
• If you have to have a treat, try to limit yourself to a small, bite-size piece. Moderation is key.
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