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Make
the change to fall a time to rethink your diet
Aug 28, 08
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
Cool mornings and school buses
are signals that fall is on the way. The seasonal transition
is a natural time to rethink your diet and exercise routine.
In fact, many of us don’t have a choice.
For people with children at home, a new school year brings
increased demands on everybody’s time. There’s
less free time and more pressure to pack lunches, fix dinners,
and juggle busy schedules.
As the days shorten, there are also fewer daylight hours for
being active outdoors.
On the other hand, seasonal change brings opportunities, too.
There is less structure in the summer, and vacations interrupt
diet and exercise routines. As a new school year begins, it
can actually be easier for some people to eat well and exercise
when they have a more predictable weekly schedule to maintain.
Cooler temperatures also make it more comfortable for many
of us to be active outdoors.
Make a conscious effort in the next several weeks to refresh
and restructure your routine. Focus on these strategies:
* Menu makeovers. Think ahead to ways to incorporate more
fall vegetables into your meals more frequently: corn, beans,
eggplant, squash, greens, herbs, cabbage, and root vegetables,
such as carrots, beets and turnips. Serve more soup. Stock
the staples you’ll need, and start batch-cooking again.
Freeze half so you’ll have a quick meal ready to reheat
when there’s no time to cook.
If you’re in a rut, trying shopping at a different grocery
store. Stop yourself and resist the temptation to reach for
the same frozen lasagna you always get. Spend more time in
the produce section and keep at least three or four different
kinds of fruit on hand at home.
Peruse cookbooks for new ideas. Take a cooking class, but
keep it simple. Look for lessons in preparing more vegetable-
and grain-based meals using fresh, whole ingredients that
don’t rely on butter, cheese, sour cream and salty condiments
for flavor.
* Ease back into exercise. If you fell away from your exercise
routine, give yourself a week or two to get back up to speed.
Designate three or four days a week to walk, ride a bike or
go to the gym. Add these to your calendar and arrange for
child care if you need it.
Others may prefer a different tack. Try this: Plan to be physically
active every day. If you have to skip a day for any reason,
it’s OK. Most days, you’ll be active, and that’s
enough.
And just as it’s possible to get into a diet rut, you
may find yourself tired of the usual exercise routine, too.
If so, mix it up. Reconsider the type of exercise you’re
getting and find something that’s appealing to you.
Replace the flat tire and tune up your bike. If you’re
bored with the gym, start walking.
Progress at your own pace, but work at increasing the frequency
and duration of whatever activity you choose to do. Consider
a consultation with a personal trainer if you need help with
technique or advice on increasing the intensity of your workouts.
* Seek out support. It’s a good time to keep a food
diary for a week or two. Food diaries increase awareness of
what you eat and the circumstances surrounding your meal habits.
A food diary makes it easier to spot problems and intervene.
Several Internet tools are available to help you assess the
quality of your diet. I’ve mentioned these in previous
columns. (See www.onthetable.net/diet_eval_tools.html.)
Now is also a good time to enlist friends, family members
and coworkers in reviving diet and wellness goals for the
fall.
Take advantage of the change in seasons to renew your commitment
to good health.
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