Trick-Or-Treat Tips

Halloween is a time of fright filled fun, but sometimes the amount of sugar and fat from candy can be scary. Follow these simple tips to keep those dreaded pounds off:

Eating fat-free or low fat candy:

Eating candy that does not contain fat can significantly lower the overall calories. But beware, candy that normally contains fat but is made fat free may contain a lot of added sugar to replace lost flavor. Stick to candy that is naturally fat free or low fat to avoid haunting Halloween mistakes. Some good candies that are naturally fat free or low fat are twizzlers, gummy bears and skittles.

Get Nutty:

While nuts are high in fat and calories, the fat from nuts is much healthier than the fat from chocolate. While you may not be doing you physique a favor by chowing down, your heart will thank you.

Hard-nosed Dieting:

OK, so eating candy might not be hard-nosed dieting, but sticking to hard candies can be better than eating other candies. A tootsie pop, for instance, is 60 calories and fat free. Tootsie pops take longer to eat than soft candies, so that sugary flavor over time may keep you away from eating more and more candy.

Staying Hydrated With Electrolytes

Everyone preaches that you need to drink water while you're working out to stay hydrated, but thats only half of the equation. The reality is that if you are sweating while you are training, you are not only losing water, but electrolytes as well. Electrolytes are the minerals sodium, chloride, magnesium, calcium and potassium. While sources of these minerals should always be included in your diet, sodium and chloride need special attention as they are excreted in large amounts during sweating. This means that if you are active and sweat alot, the DRI for salt (2300mg) is not enough for you. Don't be afraid to eat salt, just don't go overboard with it.

There are many easy ways to ensure that you have enough electrolytes in your system to perform at your best. For instance, in the meal you eat before you train, consider eating slaty foods such as salted nuts or pretzels. During training, drinking Gatorade is a great way to replace the electrolyted you have lost in sweat. After you train, go ahead and salt your meat to mak sure you are getting enough sodium and chloride!