A Happy, Healthy, and Guilt-Free Halloween

If you’re wondering why I’ve been writing so much about eliminating food-guilt lately, it’s because I, myself, struggle with it every day.

As someone who’s spent many years mentally and physically recovering from bouts of disordered eating in my youth (binging, restricting, and all the other unhealthy, food-related coping mechanisms that are deeply unhealthy for you), I have a lot of personal experience in this area and, though I’m not a medical authority (as you should always consult your doctor if you believe you have a problem with serious disordered eating patterns), I feel compelled to share my experiences and how my guilt “flare-ups” sometimes occur around indulgent celebrations, like Halloween and other candy-and-treat-filled holidays.

All that said, let’s dive in—

You should never associate guilt with food.

You need food to power your body and mind, period. Did nothing but lay in bed all day? You still need to eat food. Ate “too much” yesterday? You still need to eat more today. You need food, full-stop, and though diet-culture has spent many years trying to tell us otherwise, it’s a biological and chemical fact that food is fuel.

There is no such thing as “good” and “bad” food— it’s all just food. Though some foods are more highly nutritious than others, food is just food, is food, is food. And guess what? It’s not that big of a deal if you indulge in healthy ways sometimes!

During times of celebration (or any time, really, but especially during holidays and other special occasions), it’s a-okay and encouraged to indulge in tasty treats that will enhance in your enjoyment of the season. I’ve talked before about my love for Reese’s Pumpkins (the best chocolate candies in the world, IMO), and guess what? If I want to eat them all Halloween season long, I can! As long as I’m not using them to fuel an emotionally-induced binge (a symptom of disordered eating) and I’m genuinely just eating them because I want to and they taste good, that’s perfectly fine.

Food and guilt should never be associated with one another, full-stop. You’re not “bad” if you spend Halloween evening indulging in sweet treats and your kids’ trick-or-treat haul (after they go to bed, of course). It’s a holiday— a special occasion— and the occasional, moderate consumption of sweet treats or high-fat or whatever foods won’t instantly make you “unhealthy”. If anything, it’s far more unhealthy to go overboard on restricting your diet, which can lead to poor nutrition, GI tract issues, mental health issues (such as developing disordered eating habits), and more than to occasionally indulge in a full-fat pumpkin spice latte or a bowl of yummy candy on Halloween.

So, what’s the lesson here? 1.) That food should never be associated with feelings of guilt, and 2.) The diet industry has lied to us all for years to peddle weight-loss products (so what they say is basically bologna, anyhow).

A healthy, balanced diet includes the occasional indulgence in some foods that aren’t highly nutritious (but are highly delicious!) and that’s perfectly fine. Enjoy your Halloween and, if you want to eat that candy, then eat that candy, sis.

Xoxo, MM.