Hello and happy fall, y’all! (Southern millennial coded, I know. Can’t help myself) 🍁 

Quick note—I’m traveling for a dear friend’s wedding this upcoming week, so we’re probably going to skip next week’s newsletter! Unless I have something I just can’t WAIT to share with you, I’ll be back in your inbox in two weeks. 🫡 

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🎃 How to stay healthy this Halloween without ghosting the candy 👻

The last few months of the year are so joyous. It’s by far my favorite time of year. So much food to enjoy and festivities in which to partake!

But basically every year (I have over a decade of Fitbit data tracking to prove it), I tend to gain significant weight over the holiday season, and I’d be kidding myself if I said it’s just muscle.

The combination of more sweet treats and palatable food 🤤 alongside the transition to more chill, cozy social activities means my energy balance equation usually tips positive this time of year. More calories in and fewer calories out for a few months.

Disclaimer: If you don’t care about gaining some weight or losing some fitness over the holiday months, great! Nothing wrong with that either.

But if you’re like me and proud of the progress you’ve made this year, I want to both thoroughly enjoy these next few months and stay in good shape. Have my pumpkin- and Christmas tree-shaped Reese’s and eat it too, if you will.

How to enjoy the candy (and everything else) without the consequences

Maybe you plan on filling up your bucket going door to door dressed as Barbie and Ken (very original). Maybe you plan to fill up your cart when all the Halloween candy is half off on November 1. Either way, here’s how you can enjoy the slew of candy without spooking yourself when you look in the mirror.

1. Clothe your carbs like a mummy

   “Naked carbs” are foods that are primarily carbohydrates/sugar with minimal other nutrients, like protein, fat, and fiber. Eating a big dose of carbs alone can send your blood glucose and insulin sky high, only to come crashing down after. This can have countless negative effects on our health, both short and long term.

   The solution? “Clothe” your carbs. Either eating more mixed-nutrient candy (think Snickers (carbs, protein, fat) vs. Skittles (all sugar)) or adding other high-protein, -fat, or -fiber foods alongside—preferably before—your candy can significantly reduce this spike in glucose and insulin. Your body will have a much healthier response and avoid the crash!

2. Of course I’d offer this solution. Because it works! When you eat—particularly high-carb—and remain sedentary in the hour or two following, the aforementioned blood sugar spike occurs. Our bodies have no use for all that sugar, so it easily gets stored as fat rather than utilized in the moment. A singular effect of this is small. The repeated effect of this over a long time is tremendous.

   Our muscles have been described as a “glucose sink.” They are built to absorb and utilize what we eat for energy. Studies have demonstrated that even a short bout of movement within 60-90 minutes after eating significantly reduces the chaotic spikes and crashes that occur if we stay put.

   Truly, I believe one of the best things you can do for your health is to move after eating. Whether it’s a 10 minute stroll to look at leaves and decorations or a dance party in the kitchen, giving your muscles a chance to use up the energy you just ate can drastically help your body regulate its systems and stay healthy.

3. Maintain gym habits for at least the minimum effective dose.

   It may be bulking season if you’re able to go all in. But if the busyness of the fall schedule doesn’t leave you much time for resistance training, make your goal doing enough to maintain what you’ve got.

   Cardiovascular-wise: That means daily walks and a minimum non-negotiable step goal for you. Whether that’s 5,000, 10,000, or more, pick one you’ll hit 90% of days. Two to three 30-minutes low intensity cardio sessions a week will be great for maintaining fitness. And if you can get just one high-intensity workout of 20-40 minutes per week, you can probably maintain your peak aerobic capacity.

   Muscle-wise: I’m borrowing Marcus Filly’s evidence-based 2×2 rule. For every muscle group (e.g. chest, back, legs, etc.), hit two hard sets (meaning near failure) twice a week. This frequency, intensity, and volume should be enough to carry your gains through a less active season when you’re crunched for time (but not mini Crunch bars).

✅ Take Action

Every newsletter's Take Action section will invite you to take small steps to improve your health. Recognizing that we all have different capabilities, I'll offer three different levels of action you can choose to take.

Level 1: Clothe your carbs!

Level 2: Take walks after meals & candy!

Level 3: Follow the 2×2 rule!

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✍️ Drew's Picks:

Nothing new for this week, sorry :)

See y’all most likely in two weeks. BUT FIRST! Click the button below to share this with a friend if you found it helpful!

Keep moving,

Drew

The content in Move to Improve is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. It is always a good idea to consult with a trusted health professional before making any major lifestyle changes that could have a significant impact on your health. This is not a medical resource, and any opinions and articles are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. They are not substitutes for consulting a qualified medical professional. Please think critically and take what I say with a grain of salt (aka don’t sue me).