This is a fun time of year for many families. From finding the perfect costumes to selecting the coolest home decorations - we tend to get lost in tradition.

Food Allergies this Halloween in Dubuque

More often than not, the excited anticipation of dressing up and of heading out to trick-or-treat comes with choosing which bag of candy to offer those little hands that knock on our front doors. Surely, it is impossible to let anyone down with mixed chocolate bars, right? Wrong. Our seemingly delicious choice of candy may be less than thrilling for children with severe food allergies and their parents.

What Can You Do About Allergies this Halloween

Have you ever heard of the Teal Pumpkin Project? Neither had we! Recently, a patient of ours brought this phenomenal movement to our attention.

By painting a pumpkin teal and placing it on your doorstep for passersby to see, you are signifying that you have non-food items available, such as glow sticks or small toys. Not only can this be a fun activity for you and your family, but it can make the night of a small child that is unable to participate otherwise. Be sure to add your home to the Teal Pumpkin Project map and spread the word!

About the Switch Witch

Some children do not suffer from severe allergies, but they do, however, react poorly to added sugar in their diets. We all know that kids ingest plenty of sugar throughout the day without the bonus of Halloween candy, and unfortunately, extra sugar has been tied to increased bodily stress. For a child experiencing fight or flight mode, unnecessary sugar intake can feed that response and keep them locked in it. For this reason - whoever came up with the concept of the Switch Witch is brilliant!

Similar to the Teal Pumpkin Project, the Switch Witch helps make for a healthier holiday. When trick-or-treating is over, rather than eat every last bite of candy, children can collect their candy and leave it in a basket for the Switch Witch to swap out for a game, book, movie, or toy. A win for the whole family!

Family First Chiropractic Wellness Center is dedicated to keeping our patients healthy through and through. Check out our Perfect Storm workshop for more information on the health benefits of avoiding excess sugar. Have a fun and healthy Halloween, everyone!

At Family First Chiropractic Wellness Center our team is here to assist you with all your chiropractic needs. Please feel free to call at (563) 556-6921, we are happy to speak with you.