HEALTHY EATING TIPS FOR THE FALL
Here are a few tips to keep you mindful of how the fall can impact your healthy behaviors.
Be Mindful: Eating Increases in the Fall
It's that time of year when it starts to get dark earlier, the days get cooler, football and school begin—in other words, it's the beginning of fall. And something else happens as well: we start eating more.
People show a marked seasonal rhythm, with increased total caloric consumption, especially from carbohydrates, that's associated with an increase in meal size and a greater rate of eating. (Interestingly, alcohol intake has a different seasonal pattern, with the highest intake occurring in the summer and the lowest in the fall.)
According to John de Castro, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the University of Texas, El Paso, "We have a tendency to eat about 200 calories more per day during the fall...We tend to blame much of this 'fall' weight gain on the holidays; however, there are other causes," says de Castro, who excluded the holiday periods from his research.
Why do we eat more in the fall? More than likely it's biological—putting on weight in preparation for the potential winter famine our ancestors faced.
"It all makes sense—the fall harvest, storing up for the long winter months," explains de Castro. Historically, we have had a tendency to eat when food is plentiful, because we never knew when our next meal was going to be available.
Kurt Krauchi, Ph.D., a scientist at the Psychiatric University Clinic in Basel, Switzerland, studied patients with seasonal affective disorder (SAD - a type of mood disorder that is caused by lack of light). He found that they ate more carbohydrates, particularly sweets but also starch-rich foods, during their depression in winter, and that their intake could be reduced with light therapy.
"There seems to be a relationship between light and depression, which leads to consumption of additional carbohydrates," says Krauchi. De Castro, however, found an increase in fall eating independent of decreased light and/or depression.
Perhaps we eat more simply because bathing suit season is over, and we can start hiding excess calories beneath our winter clothes. Whatever the reason, it's important to realize that fall foods (soups, stews, breads, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, apples, pumpkins and all types of greens) can actually be healthier than foods of other seasons. They are typically packed with great nutrients, such as fiber, protein, beta carotene and vitamin C.
Health Tips
Here are a few tips to keep the fall tasty and healthy:
Soups: Soups are great if they're not made with cream or cheese. Just watch serving sizes, because we tend to eat whatever's in our bowl.
Stews: Stews can be hearty and also fattening. Use loads of fresh vegetables, and go light on the meat and potatoes.
TV and Food: Avoid unconscious eating while watching football and the new fall TV lineup. Never bring the whole bag or bowl of anything to the couch or coffee table; pre-measure it in the kitchen beforehand. When it comes to chips, make sure they're baked, not fried.
Harvest: Celebrate the fall harvest in other ways, not just by making pies. Apples are low in calories when they're off the tree, not in a pie.
Pumpkin: If you must have pie, try making pumpkin pie with artificial sweetener, egg whites and low-fat milk. And, of course, just have one piece.
Turkey: Turkey is healthy, as long as you keep it lean and white.
Time Change: Keep in mind that once we set the clocks back, it gets darker earlier, so there are fewer outdoor options for physical activities in the evening. Make adjustments by joining a gym, planning evening walks at the mall or becoming an early riser.
Eat More Protein This Fall to Boost Heart Health
A study appearing in the Journal of Nutrition, reveals that people who eat high levels of certain amino acids found in meat and plant-based protein have lower blood pressure and arterial stiffness. And the magnitude of the association is similar to those previously reported for lifestyle risk factors including salt intake, physical activity, alcohol consumption and smoking.
Shorter Days, Sleep More; You're Less Likely to Catch a Cold
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center found that people who sleep six hours a night or less are four times more likely to catch a cold when exposed to the virus, compared to those who spend more than seven hours a night sleeping.
Set up your environment for sleep success. Make sure the temperature is correct (experts say approximately 65 degrees) and you have the proper bedding. If your mattress is more than 7 years old, it may time for a new one.
Don't skimp on your mattress; you spend a third of your life sleeping. Other tips: Have a regular bedtime. Get rid of the TV in the bedroom. And make your sleep environment quiet—aesthetically and in terms of actual noise.
Enjoy the Fall
Go to museums, go hiking, take long walks and bike rides. walk your kids to school. Make it interesting by using smartphone apps such as MapMyWalk.com, which will keep track of the distance.
Also, check out the following sites for hiking and biking: TrailLink.com, AmericanTrails.org, TrimbleOutdoors.com (offers thousands of day hikes, and a 7-day free trial), LocalHikes.com (lists local hikes around the United States), Trails.com (has more than 52,000 trails. Charges $49.95 but also has a free trial) and Recreation.gov.
Take Advantage of the Fall Bounty
Eat apples, pears, sweet potatoes and butternut squash. Apples have been shown to reduce the risk of some cancers as well as cardiovascular disease, asthma and diabetes. Apples are loaded with flavonoids such as quercetin, which is important for keeping blood vessels healthy and reducing inflammation throughout the body.
Butternut squash and sweet potatoes are excellent sources of vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene, which is said to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. One medium pear has 5.5 grams of fiber, 212 milligrams of potassium and is a good source of vitamin C. All these fruits and veggies are also very low in calories and loaded with nutrients.
According to the Better Health Foundation's Fruits & Veggies—More Matters, these are the vegetables that are in season in the fall:
Chayote Squash
Chinese Long Beans
Crab Apples
Cranberries
Delicata Squash
Daikon Radish
Endive
Feijoa
Garlic
Ginger
Grapes
Guava
Huckleberries
Jalapeno Peppers
Jerusalem Artichoke
Jujube
Key Limes
Kohlrabi
Kumquats
Muscadine Grapes
Mushrooms
Passion Fruit
Pear
Persimmons
Pineapple
Pomegranate
Pumpkin
Quince
Radicchio
Sapote
Sharon Fruit
Sugar Apple
Sweet Dumpling Squash
Sweet Potatoes
Swiss Chard
Turnips
Winter Squash.
That's some list! Try something new, and be sure to check out your local farmers market.
Pack a Healthy Lunch
It never hurts to pack your own healthy lunch. What are some good brown-bag choices for you and your kids?
Make sure to avoid processed foods with added sugar and always include a fruit, such as an apple, orange or pear. Avoid fatty lunch meats like salami, bologna, roast beef or ham.
Opt for lower-fat proteins such as white-meat turkey or chicken breast. Make sure to use 100 percent whole-grain bread instead of white bread for sandwiches. See more brown-bagging tips here.