I love this time of year - marked with colorful leaves, crisp air, and candle-lit dinners to cozy up as the nights get dark earlier. However, as the seasons change I also hear people lament the treats that come with the holidays and how hard it seems to be to stay healthy. 

When my kids were small we found so many ways to have fun with holidays and still keep them healthy. One of my friends introduced me to the idea of a Halloween Witch who visits on Halloween night and turns candy into toys. Our Halloween witch is named “Witch Hallie” and our kids were always happy to give up their bag of candy for something better. They each pick a little stash of candy to keep and eat themselves - but the stash usually ends up being thrown away sometime after Thanksgiving. They write Witch Hallie a note and she responds by telling them how happy she is to visit and reminds them to keep eating their good fruits and vegetables. We love this tradition because it allows the kids to participate in the fun of trick or treating with their friends and not consume all of the sugar they gathered. 

We also loved getting together with like-minded friends for a healthy trunk or treat. Families meet at a park and each brings a game to play and provides a toy or healthy treat for participants. It’s a fun and easy way to celebrate the holiday. 

On Halloween my family looks forward to a night full of pumpkin dishes. I make Pumpkin Stew in a large pumpkin (recipe included with this article) and pair it with a big leafy green salad. We have a pot of wassail and end the night with pumpkin pie made with pumpkin from our garden. 

During the holiday season I make sure we have delicious healthy options to eat. High nutrient foods give the body what it needs and we find that increasing our nutrients curbs the desire for junk food. We continue to support the immune system by following Dr. Christopher’s advice to drink a quart of raspberry tea each day and use echinacea tincture, elderberry syrup and the Super Immune Garlic formula as needed. 

It is possible to create traditions that are fun, memorable and keep your family healthy. Here’s to a happy, healthy Halloween!