It's that time of year when extra calories lurk around every corner. Halloween candy is spread throughout your house and at work. It feels like you face temptation at every turn.

These extras can add up, so we need to keep our health goals top of mind as we head into the Halloween season.

We compiled these tips to help you avoid overindulging at your next Halloween party:

• Don’t arrive hungry. Don't go to a party when you're starving. Instead, try to have a nutritious OPTAVIA Fueling beforehand. If you do arrive hungry, drink some water to fill up before filling your plate.
• Pace yourself. Chewing more slowly will fill you up with less food so try putting your fork down between every bite, and put yourself in control.
• Outsmart the buffet. When dinner is served buffet-style, use the smallest plate available and don't stack your food; limit your helpings to a single story. Go for the simplest foods on the buffet. Fresh vegetables, and shrimp cocktail are good choices. Watch out for sauces and dips.

For those greeting trick-or-treaters on Halloween, follow these tips, which keep health top-of-mind:

• Give out something other than candy to trick-or-treaters. Halloween treats don’t need to be edible! Try glow sticks or small glow-in-the-dark toys, crayons and coloring books (or intricate coloring pages for older kids), or stickers or stamps.
• Donate excess candy to troops overseas. Afraid you’ll be dealing with an excess of Halloween treats after the big day passes? Donate extra candy to our service men and women serving overseas!
• Avoid trick-treating all together! Dress your family up in costumes and go see a movie or deliver healthy Halloween treats to your local police or fire station, nursing home, or children’s hospital.

These tips are guaranteed to make your Halloween season more enjoyable and guilt free. Ask me, your OPTAVIA Coach, about other ways I can help you push through the Halloween season.

Now that the temperature has begun its yearly decent, farmer’s markets, produce stands, and gardens are becoming scarce. Are you faced with frequent trips to the grocery store to source produce? Don’t give up on fresh, local produce just yet!

Whether you are an experienced gardener or you have never touched gardening tools, why not spice up your lean and greens with your own homegrown vegetables? Who knew the growing season could last a few more weeks?

But, not just any vegetable will survive the frost. Try planting some of these delicious GREEN, and LEAN, vegetables this fall:

• Kohlrabi. A great source of vitamin C, folic acid, calcium, and fiber. On the Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan®, enjoy a ½ cup serving, raw or cooked!
• Radishes. These red bulbs can be harvested within 30 days and are high in vitamin C. They are also one of the low carbohydrate vegetables to choose from so enjoy a ½ cup serving size on the Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan!
• Turnips. Turnip roots are an excellent source of vitamin C. Did you know that you can even eat the leaves? Turnip leaves are an excellent source of vitamins A and K and folate. Turnips are also low in carbohydrates!
• Mustard Greens. These yummy greens are a great source of fiber, folate, manganese, and vitamins A, C, and K. Along with being low in carbohydrates, mustard greens are yet another great vegetable that is harvestable within 30 days of planting. As an added bonus, they add a naturally peppery taste to food! Why add pepper when you can just eat more mustard greens?
• Kale. A cabbage family member, kale is high in both vitamins A and C. It is also a good source of calcium and potassium and one of the moderate carbohydrate greens on the Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan. The serving size for kale is a ½ cup.

Vegetable gardens have other benefits than just the healthy vegetables that they produce. They are also a source of beauty and tranquility along with a great healthy activity. Have a happy green fall, and ask me, your OPTAVIA Coach, about other fall vegetables you can add to your garden this year.

Life of My Dreams.

“My transformation story began about three years ago.”

At 44 years old, Lesley had lost all HOPE of ever feeling healthy, having energy and/or being fulfilled again.

“I used food, especially chocolate, to numb my stress and to freeze the feelings of grief I felt from my brother’s passing 27 years before.”

Lesley had tried and failed to lose weight so many times with other weight loss programs, and various diets. She didn’t know where to turn.

“Then I reached out to a friend on Facebook one day, and she shared the OPTAVIA Program with me.”

A week later, Lesley liked the OPTAVIA Program so much; she decided to become an OPTAVIA Coach, “because this time it already felt different.”

“That one decision to become a part of OPTAVIA changed the entire trajectory of my life.”

Lesley lost 76 pounds* and has kept the weight off. She has since found a job as an OPTAVIA Coach, which she hesitates to call “work” because she has found her passion and true calling. “OPTAVIA Coaching never feels like a job to me.”

“I also found the support of an OPTAVIA Community that supports and truly cares about one another.”

When Lesley started as an OPTAVIA Coach, her finances were even worse off than her overall health. “So much has changed because of this program** – I don't even recognize who I was three years ago.”

“Now, I get to live in the moment. Now, I dance for joy because of the OPTAVIA Program.”

Lesley says she can never thank her OPTAVIA Coach enough or repay her for this gift.

“At the end of the day, I credit Dr. Wayne Andersen with giving me back a life I could never have dreamed of leading before OPTAVIA.”