JLove’s Interview: Halloween Healthy Style!!
Halloween
is this week and kids of all ages are getting ready to do one of their all time
annual highlights >> dressing up in costumes, going to parties and
getting lots of treats. Tis' the season for candy! Parents are you concerned
with how to encourage your kids to make healthy choices and how to manage the
sugar intake?
Latham
Thomas, a maternity lifestyle maven, wellness & birth
coach, and mommy shared her thoughts, with me, on how to successfully navigate
through this fun-loving holiday.
JLove:
Halloween is a fun time of year that kids love and cherish.
Yet, it can be a parent's nightmare. What do you see as the biggest challenges
for parents during Halloween?
Latham: Parents are faced with the candy
craze and sorting through the plethora of sweets laden with behavior altering
chemicals, additives, and an enormous amount of sugar. When I was growing up
parents were concerned with the sweet factor, but now you have to think about
the chemical dyes- some of which are known carcinogens, as well as high
fructose corn syrup- which is in everything and it's making our kids
hyperactive and obese.
JLove:
Yes! Today we really do have to read what's in our foods and ask questions
about how they are made. Sometimes we don't even know what is in our foods
simply based on the label alone. For example, genetically modified food (GMOs)
are not required to be labeled, so buying organic or buying food that is
verified non-GMO is becoming increasingly important. What are your thoughts on
how to create a healthy Halloween experience?
Latham:
My healthy Halloween entails baking homemade cookies,
granola, "caramel" popcorn with brown rice syrup, and integrating
these treats- making pumpkin soup with cinnamon- my son loves that! There is
nothing wrong with trick-or-treating and getting candy, but as parents we do
need to sort through the candy and teach our children what's inside so they are
aware.
JLove:
Wow!!! I want to come over to your house for Halloween. That all sounds
amazing. Sorting through candy and having a conversation about food with your
kids is a great idea. What do you think are the best treats to give out as
trick-or-treaters come by?
Latham: I like to give
out Health Warrior Chia Bars, they are small and pack a lot of protein. The
best is the teeny NibMor squares though- it's just enough chocolate and it's
actually good for you.
JLove:
Oh, you mean NibMor's 'Daily Dose of Dark'. Yes, I couldn't agree more and each
piece of chocolate only has 3g of sugar. So, how can parents best manage their
kid's sugar rush?
Latham: A few ways you can manage the sugar
high- make sure your kids eat a healthy fortified meal before going to any
Halloween festivities. Dole out the candy overtime- award them with a piece of
candy after completing a task instead of letting it be a candy free-for-all.
Select better quality sweets and have those on hand.
JLove:
Great ideas. We hear a lot about moderation, how can parents manage this with
their kids during Halloween?
Latham: Yes, moderation is important- but
kids get enough sweet in their daily lives because most of the foods targeted
towards them are sugar laden. So I don't make it a big deal in my home. If you
can set the tone your kids will follow. Create a healthy dessert that they can
make with you at home. Alternatively keep the approved sweets on hand and give
them a treat once or twice a week, that way they don't go crazy when Halloween
comes.
JLove:
That sounds reasonable. Ok, Latham, what are the key take-away points for a
healthy, happy and fun Halloween experience for kids and parents?
Latham: Know what's in the candy, have fun,
swap out the bad stuff for the better stuff. It's only on day per year- but you
are teaching healthy lifestyle habits so be mindful.
JLove:
Thank you so much Latham. We here at NibMor love and adore all of the amazing
work you do. Latham is helping to green the planet
one belly at a time. In fact, Nibblers...Latham has a new book
coming out that you do not want to miss >> "Mama
Glow: A Hip Guide to Your Fabulous Abundant Pregnancy" , foreword by Christiane
Northrup, M.D. in November of 2012 with Hay House.
About
Latham Thomas:
Latham Thomas is a
maternity lifestyle maven, wellness & birth coach, and yoga teacher on the
vanguard of transforming the maternal & women's wellness movement. A
graduate of Columbia University & The Institute for Integrative Nutrition,
Latham is the founder of Mama
Glow a holistic lifestyle hub for women to
explore their creative edge through wellbeing. Her practice provides support to
pre/postnatal women along their journey to motherhood offering culinary and
nutritional services, yoga, and birth coaching services. She is co-founder of
the Mama
Glow Film Festival- a platform for
maternal advocacy through film and philanthropy. Latham recently launched the Mama Glow Salon Series- a platform for birthing conversations around cocktails, panels,
and discussions. Bridging the gap between
optimal wellness, spiritual growth, and radical self care Latham Thomas is
emerging as the go-to-guru for modern holistic lifestyle for women during
pregnancy and beyond! A sought after nutrition and lifestyle expert, her
television appearances include The Dr. Oz Show, Fox News LIVE, CBS
News, ABC Eyewitness News, NBC-LXTV, and Inside Edition. She
has been featured in the New York Daily News, New York Post, Time Out
New York, Vogue.com, Whole Living, Essence
Magazine, the cover of Experience Life Magazine, and VegNews
Magazine. Latham contributes to: Positively Positive, The Daily Love,
Huffington Post, Crazy Sexy Life, Mind Body Green, and New York Family online. She
lives in New York City with her son Fulano and their turtle Climby.
Twitter: @GlowMaven
www.NibMor.com
