Halloween Again? BG Spikes Guaranteed!

Image Credit: Photo by Mary Jane Duford on Unsplash

One of the first blogs I ever wrote was on Halloween, October 31, 2016, marking the beginning of my journey in diabetes advocacy during Diabetes Awareness Month. The title? “Halloween Candy + Diabetes = A Big Challenge.”

Take a moment to read it, and let’s see how far I’ve come in managing my “little ghoul,” type 2 diabetes. Now, let’s dive into that original post.

🎃 With Halloween behind us and November 1st marking the start of #DiabetesAwarenessMonth, here’s a quick PSA.

If you’re anything like me, candy cravings hit hard a few times a year—but Halloween is the worst. At my local #CVS, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups were practically everywhere—displayed at least 14 times from the entrance to the pharmacy!

For anyone with #diabetes: unless you have the ability to walk a lot, eat strictly low-carb foods, and exercise strict self-control, it’s safest to skip candy altogether. For me, with high cholesterol and a history of #heart and coronary artery disease, it’s a definite “no.”

That said, I’ll still be handing out candy to the kids (one piece each), while I snack on a fresh apple. 🍎

For more on diabetes awareness and prevention, visit the American Diabetes Association.

Keep moving. Keep living.

Let’s be real—and forgive me here. Back in 2016, I did pretty well managing my diabetes. I can’t say every year has been better; most have been worse, as I mentioned earlier.

These days, I spend Halloween handing out candy and popcorn at the Bloomfield Lions Club fire hall. Between setup, running the event, and cleanup, it’s quite a workout—and I have others keeping me accountable.

Then comes Thanksgiving…twice! Once in October for Canada, and again in November for the U.S. That’s a lot of turkey, sides, and leftovers. (Yes, Canadians really do cook turkeys—I learned that years ago.)

Which holiday challenges you the most? For me, it’s definitely Thanksgiving. A few extra walks would help—something I need to keep in mind.

Happy Halloween! I’ll do my best to post daily through Thanksgiving. ~msd

Remember: holidays are about celebrating—but they’re also a good reminder to stay mindful of your health and diabetes management.