Tricks for Helping Your Little Monsters Enjoy Their Treats

NEWS PROVIDED BY
Captive Ink Media
Oct. 16, 2019

GREENVILLE, S.C., Oct. 16, 2019 /Christian Newswire/ -- Each year Americans purchase almost 600 million pounds of Halloween candy. On average, trick-or-treaters take in approximately three cups of sugar and consume up to 7,000 calories (equivalent to thirteen Big Macs!) on this ghostly night. Among our youth, 193,000 people age twenty and younger were living with diabetes in 2015. Type 2 diagnoses in America are expected to increase 165 percent by the year 2050. Dr. Orlin Sergev and Ana Hill R.D., authors of the upcoming work "Diabetes Academy," shed some light on taking the spookiness out of diabetes management on Halloween.

Don't take away a holiday from your child due to diabetes. As they age, they will need to learn how to manage diabetes in various circumstances. This is a great learning opportunity.

Take time with your child to learn carbohydrate counts of his or her favorite candy.

When hosting a party, provide treats that are not food. Items such as temporary tattoos, pencils, and glow sticks are great alternatives to candy. Know which guests have dietary restrictions.

Portion out your child's candy. No child should have unlimited access to Halloween candy.  Allow one to two pieces per day.

Give your child the opportunity to use candy as currency to cash in for other items or privileges. Donate extra candy to police stations, homeless shelters, or other local groups.

Consider that walking while trick or treating may cause hypoglycemia depending on how far you plan to walk. The bonus is you can treat it with a sugary candy if needed. Avoid chocolate or candy with nuts to treat lows; they take longer to bring sugar up.

Make sure you and your child get plenty of rest the night before. Not enough sleep makes you more prone to snack on foods that are higher in carbohydrates.

Set a good example for your child. Take it easy on the spiked witches brew. ADA recommendations are one drink or less per day for women and one to two drinks or less per day for men. Mixed drinks may contain extra carbohydrates, so be sure to count those and monitor blood sugar closely. Risk of hypoglycemia can last up to twenty-four hours after drinking. Symptoms of hypoglycemia and intoxication are similar. Be sure someone in your party knows you have diabetes.

SOURCE Captive Ink Media

CONTACT: AnnaMarie Cantrell, 864-504-5616, Anna@CaptiveInkMedia.com

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