Oh, Sugar, Sugar: Some Tips on Surviving Tonight’s Candy Onslaught

Avi Glickstein -

Tonight is Halloween and my neighborhood takes the holiday VERY seriously. One could argue that Flatbush is to Halloween what Dyker Heights is to Christmas. (Maybe not that extreme, but pretty close!)

Multiple neighborhood parades, actual porches for candy distribution, homeowners bitten by the holiday bug — there’s no shortage of spirit around here. And nowhere is that on better display than in the crowds streaming up and down those porches. The creativity people bring to their costumes around here is sometimes genuinely astounding. I mean…

PPS stanchion costumes, created and shown off by Amanda Kavanagh and Jim Dougal. (Photo by Nathan Thompson)

That tradition of dressing up in costume originated with the ancient Celts, who covered themselves in animal skins to hide from spirits they believed broke through from “the other side” and wandered around the Earth this time of year. Now, we dress up less as a way to hide and more as a way to be seen.

But one thing I think we all definitely wish we could hide from is that candy. The influx from Candy Mountain never stops and sticks around well into November and December. Just try to avoid it!

Assaf Gal at Crunch Flatbush puts it really well. “Halloween is GOING to happen,” he says. “You are GOING to eat more candy than you want.”  But Gal has some great tips for how to handle the sugary tidal wave that’s set to hit tonight:

  • DRINK WATER: Always a good thing to keep in mind when faced with the possibility of overdoing things, whether it’s candy, alcohol, or any other temptation/nutritional danger zone. Have a large glass before you eat candy and even alternate in between treats. You’ll fill up more quickly and will find fewer empty wrappers at evening’s end.
  • TAKE IT AWAY: This doesn’t mean deprive yourself. It means take a few pieces that you want to eat out of the candy bucket/pile and literally take them away — go eat them somewhere else! That way, you (not the bucket or bag) are setting the limit for what you want to eat.
  • MAKE BETTER (CANDY) CHOICES: Yes, it’s candy, but some of those treats are less tricky than others. Dark chocolate like Mounds or Almond Joy, Peanut M&Ms, and small items like Tootsie Rolls are good suggestions.
  • THERE’S ALWAYS TOMORROW! Listen, even if you wake up with a sugar hangover and a little guilt on November 1, Assaf and his staff are waiting to help you get back on track. You only live once and, c’mon, it’s CANDY!

So whether you’ve spent weeks on sewing that amazing Justice League group costume or cobble something together out of scotch tape and felt in 20 minutes, get out there and enjoy the night!

Crunch Flatbush will be there for you in the morning.

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