The first cool breezes hit Los Angeles, Calif. after a perennial 100-degree summer, and it inspires my family and friends to get healthier and fitter, and to take advantage of the change of seasons. (Yes, doubters, we do have seasons in LA.) According to family physician, Andrew Abraham, M.D., an organic food advocate and father of two, the key is to aim for nutritional balance as the seasons change, and as your family returns to a quicker, jam-packed schedule.
Dr. Abraham says it’s more important to jumpstart fall activity than it is to drastically change your diet or start counting calories. “Turn off the TV after dinner. Try hula-hoops, baseball, plenty of ways to entice your spouse or kids off the couch for a little exercise.”
Dr. Abraham recommends the following healthy eating tips :
1. Keep fruits available. Put a bowl of apples on the table. Keep bananas on the counter, and place ready-to-grab grapes on the top shelf in the refrigerator.
2. Make vegetables fun. Turn a cucumber into a caterpillar, cherry tomatoes into a summertime snowman, and green peas into a necklace.
4. Drink more water. When the weather is hot, especially for extended periods, children can get dehydrated. Let them pick out there own water bottle to carry with them.
5. Grow a family garden. Everything kids cultivate in their own garden provides a lifelong lesson in where food comes from, and that is step one in developing healthy lifelong eating habits.
6. Visit a dairy farm. Learn how cows convert pasture grasses into milk for your table.
7. Take family trips that are active – Teach your kids how to enjoy exercise by trying hiking, swimming, or bicycling.
Dr. Abraham helped create a new line of nutritious, gluten-free smoothies, and that also makes a great commuter or after-work snack. I might drink mine on my way to the gym tonight to stoke my own stamina.
What do you do differently in the autumn months when it comes to exercise and diet? I definitely take my walks outside, for starters. And I eat more…
Tags: skinny snacks, studies and research, sustainable green news, yoga and fitness
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