The Halloween Hangover

Well that was a short but sweet half term! Definitely made sweeter by delicious Halloween cookies and baskets filled with treats!

It was a joy to be around good people, dress up in silly costumes and spend our days doing simple things like arts and crafts and watching Halloween movies together as a family. We’re lucky that we now have a fire place, as there’s nothing as wonderful as the fire cracking away and being cosied up on the sofa covered in blankets with a hot chocolate in hand. I really do count my blessings.

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The topic for this week’s Substack, is the impact of all this sugar on our kids.

Now, I’m not going to be the Halloween Grinch and make us all feel bad for having a great week, but I do want us to think about how we can manage this next week to make sure those Halloween Hangovers don’t kill us all on the first week back to school!

First thing I recommend you do, is hide away all the treat baskets!

I do this every year, and every year they forget about them as I move them closer and closer to towards the bin! By the end of the week the house is treat free once again and the Halloween Hangover from all the sugar is finally out of everyone’s system. I would definitely recommend doing this, otherwise it’s mid-November and you’re wondering how the hell you’re still dealing with sugar mood swings.

It’s few days after Halloween, that I really notice the mood changes.

The sugar high from Halloween night tends to crash and burn, and my two adorable angels turn into real Halloween ghouls, with their snappy sugar hangovers.

I find at this time it’s important to have patience, knowing that as adults, we opened the flood gate, and we now have to deal with the sugar crash.

I make endless amounts of hot water with frozen orange slices dropped into them. I find these are perfect for getting their immune systems back into shape and the kids love eating through the warm oranges once they’ve finished their hot water tea! This is a great way to flush it all out of their system.

So a few take aways from their Halloween Hangover to take into this school week;

• Get rid of all the treats asap - hide them out of sight first and then get rid of them! Any chocolates I store away for Christmas time, or for melting down later on. Once they’re out of sight the kids forget about them!

• Detox - Have a break from stocking the treat cupboard. Its been a fun and heavy week and next in line is Christmas! I’m a believer in letting your hair down, but you need to give the kids time to recuperate. Look at your food shop - what can you switch up with a healthier alternative and what can you leave out this week.

• Natural Sugars - The mood swings from the sugar is going to be tricky to navigate, and with the routine of being back to school the kids are going to struggle. Make a banana smoothie after school, some porridge cookies mixed with a little honey or a bowl of nuts and raisins. Top up their sugars with some natural sugar treats so they get a small top up of sugar but in a natural, more regulated way that isn’t going to cause crazy spikes.

• Boost their immune systems - Too much sugar makes the body more susceptible to illnesses and infections. That first week back at school straight after Halloween can be a breeding ground for coughs and colds - boost their immune systems with a multi vitamin, lots of fruit and veg, orange slices, pro-biotics etc.

• Left over pumpkins from your Halloween displays? - Make a Pumpkin Soup - this is so good for the immune system! I have a really good recipe for a sweet potato and pumpkin soup that I will post for you all.

• Sleep - I don’t know about you, but we’ve been staying up late watching stranger things, as well as socialising late into the early hours. The kids (and you!) need rest! Make sure you are getting them to bed early. Baths, book and bed - even for the older ones. Get their sleep regulated and their moods will be regulated too! It also gives the body, much need time to repair itself.

  
  

Now I know that giving chocolates and treats really feels like we’re showering our kids with love, but remember sugar weakens their immune systems, it causes inflammation and it’s the root to a whole host of issues - so tread lightly. Have the blow out, enjoy the traditions, but get yourself and the kids back on track. Give their little bodies a break before we head into the most delicious season of all

Lots of love!

Katy x

P.s Here’s a few photos from our sugar filled week!