Description

Even though the ghouls and goblins have disappeared, don't let leftover Halloween candy and naughty treats haunt you. If your sweet tooth keeps souring your diet goals, don't fear, nutritionist Martha McKittrick shows how to exercise those demons away for good.

Transcript

Vivia: If you’re like me and you’ve got a real sweet tooth, Halloween can be a dream and then a nightmare. I’m Vivia Cognani and I’ve got loads of Halloween candy laying around my house. I’m just trying to keep the Halloween spirits from haunting me so let’s go behind the burner and meet the nutritionist. So I’m here with nutritionist Martha Mckittrick. Martha, Halloween has come and gone but look what I’m left with? Martha: Vivia, that’s a lot, that’s trouble. That is trouble. Vivia: This is trouble right in front of me. What happens is all this candy gets left in my house and I take a whole handful that I bring in from work and I start snacking on it which is not good. So if I’m going to snack on it, what’s the right portion? Martha: I usually tell people about 100 calories a day, maybe 150 tops and that would be actually one of these is 100 calories. A typical little chocolate is 80 calories. This is for a mini chocolate and a mini sugary treat like a gummy bear or sugar patch kids is about 70 calories for a small one so really I’m recommending about two a day. Vivia: So only two, that’s my limit, most of it, I’ve got to give away or I’ve got to get rid of it. Martha: I usually tell people to get rid of it. Give it to your spouse to take to work. Don’t have it in your office. Give it to your doorman, give it away, don’t have it around because a lot of people, myself included, once you start with something sugary, you keep going, it’s really hard to stop. So I tell people just get rid of it. Vivia: So what’s the effect sugar has on your body. People often say that once you eat something sweet, you just start craving more things to eat because you get hungry. Your blood sugar goes up and your blood sugar goes down, is that true? Martha: That actually happens to a lot of people. What happens is when you eat a lot of sugar at one time, what you said was correct, your blood sugar shoots up and then it comes down and you want more. So it’s like an addictive type of thing so I usually tell people don’t start and if you do, let it go. The next day, move on and just eat a healthy diet. Vivia: So if I have some of this candy which I know I shouldn’t have, what does that mean for me in terms of exercise. Martha: That’s a good question, think about it, if you have two little candies and let’s say that comes to 160 calories, you’re going to have to walk for 40 minutes of speed walking to burn that off. Vivia: For like two minutes of joy, it’s 40 minutes of exercise. Martha: Okay, it gets worse, if you have four little candies which is over 300 calories, you have to take an extra spinning class for 45 minutes, a hardcore spinning class to burn those calories off. Vivia: That’s too much work for four pieces of candy? Martha: Is it worth it? Vivia: I don’t think so. So what are some great ideas? Martha: The first suggestion I would have for you, the first tip would be don’t buy the candy that you really love. For example, I’m a chocoholic, so for me to buy little pieces of chocolate to keep to give out to kids, it’s not a good idea because I’m going to get into it. So if you’re a chocoholic, maybe buy something that’s sugary, like the gummy bears or something more like this which is sugar so you’re not as tempted to eat it. Vivia: I’m not a --, I like the good stuff, I like me a piece of good dark chocolate, I enjoy that in my desk. Martha: So that’s something you could do. If you wanted to buy something healthy, you can buy little blocks of raisins or you can give out apples. Vivia: I don’t know what the kids are going to feel about getting raisins from me and they would be like, that’s the woman’s house we’re not going back to next year. Martha: You will be a second rate candy giver. But the main thing I would say is to buy candy that you don’t love and to get it out of your house as soon as trick or treating time is over. Just get rid of it. Give it away. Vivia: That’s what I’m going to do. So Martha on that note, I’m going to leave all this candy here for you. Martha: I don’t want it Vivia. Vivia: Stay tuned to Behind The Burner where we give you the tips, tricks and techniques that are lighting the culinary world on fire.