During the holidays, staying healthy while working travel PT jobs may get a little more difficult. This can be especially true during the month of October, when colleagues and patients are bringing in treats for the staff to enjoy. However, just because the temptation to snack on empty calories is there doesn't mean you have to make poor choices. Instead, opt for energizing foods and treats that aren't so bad for you.
Choosing Halloween candy
Whether you are baking cookies for your co-workers or grabbing a bag of goodies off of the shelf to hand out to your trick-or-treaters, there are a few things you can do to avoid gobbling on the sweets yourself. If you pick an item that you don't especially enjoy, the temptation to indulge will be much easier to avoid. When making homemade treats, find recipes with fewer calories. Perhaps you can pick an item from the cookbook that's full of fiber and will keep you as well as your fellow travel therapy professionals energized throughout the workday.
Passing out treats
On the evening your city has trick-or-treating, be sure that you take precautionary measures to avoid overeating and potentially getting sick while passing out candy. Discourage any temptation to snack on the bowl of candy by enjoying a full and healthy meal ahead of time. If you must have a snack, pick an apple or other piece of fruit instead. The natural sugars will help to satisfy your cravings. Once each group of goblins departs, be sure to wash your hands – it is flu season after all. And remember, it's in the best interest of the children not to eat any homemade products, so stay away from offering these to those who come knocking. Save handcrafted treats for your friends and co-workers instead!
Enjoying the sweets
Some of the Halloween treats you come across will be worse for your health than others. So, when you are allowing yourself to stray from your diet, be sure that you are picking the best items. For instance, most chocolate coated candies are better options than fruit-flavored sugar confections. Additionally, chocolate bars that contain a wafer in the middle are better than options filled with caramels and saturated fats. And, this one may be surprising, candy apples are a better choice than the caramel variety. This is because the caramel coating consists of sugar and butter, making for a high calorie count. Candy coating, on the other hand, is likely that have 70 fewer calories, although the dye may be unhealthy.
All in all, Halloween is the start of the holiday season, when it becomes increasingly difficult to keep up with regular workout routines and healthy eating – on top of a hectic travel physical therapy schedule. Although it's OK to indulge in hefty meals and sweet treats from time to time, don't let your cravings get the best of you. If you focus on keeping up with positive health trends that you dove into in the summer months, you'll be much happier once swimsuit season rolls back around.