Hot Tamales & Halloween

October 28, 2011 General Interest

 Did you read my blog title and think you were going to get a list of do’s and don’ts for Halloween? I tricked you! What I would like to do is give you a little homework. While you are out at a Halloween party, trick-or-treating, or passing out candy become an observer. I’ll share with you a personal experience to explain what I mean.

My absolute favorite candy is Hot Tamales. I love love love them. And I’m almost always in the mood to eat them. In fact, I could eat a jumbo box of Hot Tamales fairly easily. However, there is something that I learned a few years ago that surprised me. Hot Tamale #22 tastes nothing like Hot Tamale #2. Turns out our taste buds become saturated as we eat. That’s why the first few bites of anything always taste more amazing than the last few bites! I love Michelle May’s advice to eat the very best bites of your meal first, rather than saving it for last. It will actually taste better and feel more satisfying if you do it that way.

So rather than giving yourself ridiculous rules around eating (or not eating) your Halloween treats, pay attention to how they taste to you. While it may be difficult, notice the physical sensations (how does it taste, how is your stomach feeling, etc.) and do your best to refrain from judgement. Turns out judgement impairs our ability to make healthful choices. So just stick with the objective observations and see what you learn.

I’d love to hear about your Halloween celebrations! Come back and report.