10 Tips for a Healthy Fall

Seeya, summer.

Welcome back, short days, crisp air and colorful leaves. Think of the new season as a fresh start to your healthy habits. Stow away the swim suit and dust off the sweaters forapple picking. Enjoy the seasonal produce that makes this season so tasty. And celebrate the holidays like a health pro – by enjoying foods without overindulging. Here’s how to enjoy your healthiest autumn yet.​

Think beyond pies 
​and jack-o-lanterns.

All hail The Great Pumpkin! The pulp of this fall favorite is dense with vitamins A and C, and its tasty seeds, called pepitas, are rich in phytosterols, which may help to lower cholesterol. With all the health benefits of pumpkins, don’t they deserve to be more than a craft project that rots a few weeks later? Check out Eat + Run blogger Keri Glassman’s recipes for roasted pepitas, pumpkin spread and roasted pumpkin, plum and pecan spinach salad.​

Get your flu shot.

Want to spend a week of autumn cooped up at home, suffering from fever, fatigue and aches? Didn’t think so. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “The single best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccine each season.” And no, no, no, the flu vaccine cannot give you the flu.​

And while you’re at it, steer clear of the common cold, too.

​Hydrate with tons of water throughout the day, and your immune system will thank you. The foods you eat can also help prevent the cold. Yogurt, with all its probiotic glory, has been shown toboost the immune system, and one serving of seaweed packs more vitamin C than an orange. Another immunity booster? The aforementioned autumn favorite: pumpkins.

Sign out of Facebook, ditch the fall lineup and head outside.

The leaves are bright on the trees and satisfyingly crunchy under your feet. The (usually) moderate temperature is a reprieve from the sweltering summer and a gift before the frigid winter. What better season to throw on a beanie and head outside? Plus, spending time outdoors increases your vitamin D levels, makes you happier and improves your concentration, according to Harvard Medical School.​

And while you’re outside, 
​get a workout.

Take in the changing scenery on a run, hike or bike ride. Join an intramural fall sport, such as flag football, soccer or Ultimate Frisbee. Want a workout that’s a little less intense? Consider this: For a 150-pound person, 30 minutes of raking leaves, 30 minutes of planting and weeding and 30 minutes of playing with the little ones each burn roughly 150 calories.​

Scare off those 
​Halloween candy cravings.

Maybe don’t swear off every candy corn kernel – where’s the fun in that? Just don’t morph into a sugar zombie. If you buy candy for trick-or-treaters, buy only enough for the kids. And wait until Halloween day to buy the candy, so the in-house sweets aren’t haunting you throughout October. If you buy the candy sooner, keep it out of sight in a cupboard.

Eat like an athlete – not a couch potato – on game day.

​“My favorite football player outperformed another skilled athlete. I’ll celebrate his fitness by eating five servings of greasy potato chips!” Not this season. Set out raw veggies and dip instead of chips, and you’ll graze much more healthfully. Eat + Run blogger Keri Gans suggests other simpleimprovements to game day favorites, such as cutting pizza into smaller slices, doling chili into cups instead of bowl-sized portions and more.

Buy in-season veggies, such as beets, broccoli 
​and Brussels sprouts.

Not to mention cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, eggplant, kale and squash. An abundance of tasty autumn vegetables makes it easy to reap the benefits of a plant-based diet, such as diabetes prevention, hypertension control, heart health and more. Eat + Run blogger Rebecca Scritchfield believes the best way to enjoy fall veggies is by roasting them with just a little oil, salt and pepper.​

Start Turkey Day with a protein- and fiber-packed breakfast, which will boost metabolism and help prevent sugar cravings, says Eat + Run blogger Heather Bauer. Then make a plan before the big meal, Glassman adds. Don’t mindlessly grab heaps of every dish available. Think through which you could do without, and which you really want – and for the latter, practice portion control.​

Give back

Ideally, we’re giving yearlong, but what better reminder to boost ourgood deeds than Thanksgiving? Giving takes many forms, big and small, so the possibilities are endless. Give your co-workers a sweet surprise by bringing treats to share. Give older people some attention by visiting them at the nursing home. Simply give your fellow driver a break by letting him merge into your lane.​

Source: US News & World Report- Health: 10 Tips for a Healthy Fall