Let맥스카지노�s face it: October is a tough month to stick to a healthy eating plan. Long before Halloween arrives on Oct. 31, buckets brimming with chocolate and candy are literally everywhere 맥스카지노� in the grocery store aisles, on your kitchen counter, at the office 맥스카지노� and the temptation is hard to pass up. The trouble is, Halloween treats don맥스카지노�t treat you very well. Even if you're maintaining your workout plan, consuming too much of the sweet and fatty stuff can still raise your blood sugar and triglycerides (blood fat levels) and damage your dental health. A diet high in refined sugar also increases your risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression and sleep disorders.That said, no one wants to hand out kale chips for Halloween. Registered dietitian Dr. Matthew Kadey gave advice on how to make healthier choices when indulging in store-bought candy this season. Don맥스카지노�t just count caloriesWhen selecting Halloween candy, it맥스카지노�s easy to fall into the mindset that treats with less calories are always the healthier option. But that맥스카지노�s the wrong way to think about it, Kadey explained, because some candies are lower in calories simply because they맥스카지노�re made of pure sugar and lack fat. 맥스카지노�By eating them, you맥스카지노�re just setting yourself up for a bad sugar crash,맥스카지노� he said. Without enough fat and protein to help stabilize your blood sugar, pure sugar candies (such as Skittles and candy corn) spike your blood sugar levels rapidly before causing an inevitable crash. 맥스카지노�Instead of just looking at the calorie count, you should be looking at where those calories are coming from,맥스카지노� Kadey said. If there aren맥스카지노�t many real whole foods in the ingredients 맥스카지노� such as peanuts or cocoa 맥스카지노� that맥스카지노�s a good sign it won맥스카지노�t be very nutritionally beneficial. For example, Skittles, which have 60 calories and 14 grams of sugar in a fun size pouch, are comprised of sugar, corn syrup, hydrogenated palm kernel oil, various artificial flavors, dyes and 맥스카지노� believe it or not 맥스카지노� wax. Mini Airheads, which also clock in at 60 calories but with 9 grams of sugar, share similar key ingredients, including sugar, corn syrup, artificial flavors and dyes, and also contain partially hydrogenated soybean oil 맥스카지노� a source of bad-for-you trans fats (even though the candy wrapper reads 맥스카지노�trans-fat free,맥스카지노� that technically means it contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fats per serving). And bad news for candy corn fans: The waxy, tri-colored kernels contain more than 12 ingredients, including sugar, corn syrup, confectioner맥스카지노�s glaze (a food grade shellac that comes from the secretion of an insect called a lac bug) and food dyes. In short, nothing you really want to be putting in your body.Instead of noshing on these highly processed treats, if you맥스카지노�re going to eat candy, Kadey suggests opting for chocolate candies or chocolate candy bars. Choose the right chocolateWhile they맥스카지노�re higher in calories than the pure-sugar alternatives, chocolate candy bars tend to be more nutritionally balanced with fat, protein and some antioxidants. Even better, studies have linked the high cacao (or cocoa) levels in dark chocolate to health benefits such as better endurance and a decreased risk of heart attack. But beware: Kadey warns that sometimes chocolate is sneakily labeled as dark chocolate, even when it isn맥스카지노�t. 맥스카지노�If the first ingredient listed on a chocolate bar is sugar, it맥스카지노�s not dark chocolate,맥스카지노� he said. For example, Hershey맥스카지노�s Special Dark contains 45 percent cacao and its first (primary) ingredient is sugar, while chocolate comes in second. A good rule of thumb is to seek out dark chocolate that맥스카지노�s at least 70 percent cacao, with sugar making up the remaining 30 percent of the bar. The higher the percentage of cacao in a bar, the less sugar it has, thus the better it is for you. Kadey recommended a bar like Alter Eco맥스카지노�s Dark Blackout Organic Chocolate, which is 85 percent cacao and contains cocoa beans, cocoa butter, raw cane sugar and vanilla beans. One serving size (40 grams or half the bar) has 230 calories, most of which come from fat: 22 grams, 13 of which are saturated fat. But before you freak out about those numbers, remember that the fats in dark chocolate come from cocoa butter and are mostly healthy, made up of oleic acid (a monounsaturated fat also found in olive oil), stearic acid (a saturated fat that has a neutral effect on cholesterol) and palmitic acid (a saturated fat that can affect cholesterol; however, it only accounts for a third of the fats).On the bright side, the bar has 3 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and only 6 grams of sugar 맥스카지노� less than half the amount that a fun size Skittles contains. It also contains 40 percent of your daily value of iron.In most bags of Halloween chocolate, however, you won맥스카지노�t find Alter Eco products. So how do classic milk chocolate candy bars like Reese맥스카지노�s, Snickers, 3 Musketeers and Almond Joy stack up? A five-piece serving of Reese맥스카지노�s Miniature Cups is slightly lower in calories and fat than Alter Eco 맥스카지노� 210 calories, 12 grams of fat, 4 grams of protein, but is loaded with 19 grams of sugar. Similarly, one serving of mini Snickers (four pieces) totals 190 calories, with 19 grams of sugar, 8 grams of fat and 3 grams of protein. Miniature Almond Joy candy bars are one of the healthier picks of the bunch, as a serving size (two bars) contains 160 calories, 9 grams of fat, 16 grams of sugar and 1 gram of protein. 맥스카지노�Chocolate candy bars containing ingredients like nuts are going to be better options, because the protein and fats will help keep you from crashing later,맥스카지노� Kadey said. 맥스카지노�Also, they맥스카지노�ll fill you up faster, so you맥스카지노�re less likely to overindulge.맥스카지노� Milk chocolate candy that doesn맥스카지노�t contain nuts tends to rank higher in sugar levels. Filled with a fluffy nougat, 3 Musketeers mini bars have less calories than those listed above 맥스카지노� just 170 calories for a seven-piece serving 맥스카지노� and only have 5 grams of fat, but pack in 27 grams of sugar and just 1 gram of protein. For a similar calorie count, you would be better off eating a serving size (seven pieces) of Hershey맥스카지노�s Milk Chocolate Kisses, which have 9 grams of fat but only 18 grams of sugar. 맥스카지노�You should aim for about 120 calories and less than 10 grams of sugar,맥스카지노� Kadey said, when asked what basic guidelines to follow when choosing candy. For example, you could eat three Hershey맥스카지노�s Special Dark miniature bars, which total 120 calories and roughly 11 grams of sugar. Indulge your sweet tooth after your workoutIf you're thinking, "If work out, can맥스카지노�t I afford to eat some candy?" Kadey said that while exercise doesn맥스카지노�t make you immune to the bad effects of candy, if you맥스카지노�re craving the sweet stuff, it맥스카지노�s alright to reward yourself with a few pieces right after you run. 맥스카지노�When you finish running, your body needs to replenish its fuel stores anyway, so the sugar and fat won맥스카지노�t be as detrimental,맥스카지노� he said. Of course, candy shouldn맥스카지노�t be all you맥스카지노�re refueling with 맥스카지노� make sure to eat a balanced meal.Still, it맥스카지노�s best to limit the amount of candy you eat. The easiest way to avoid temptation? Keep it out of sight. 맥스카지노�Don맥스카지노�t leave candy buckets out in the open,맥스카지노� Kadey said. Instead, he recommends storing it in the cupboard or freezer, then taking out just a few pieces before returning the bag to its hiding place. 맥스카지노�Think of Halloween treats like a reward, not a routine,맥스카지노� Kadey said.The bottom line: It맥스카지노�s OK to treat yourself to some candy at Halloween or any other occasion. Just be smart about what you choose, when you indulge and enjoy it in moderation. From: Runner's World