Fall Findings.

As the autumn leaves begin to fall to the ground, and we reacquaint ourselves with the extra blanket on the bed, it becomes evident yet another summer has passed. The sounds of kids splashing in the pool are replaced with the purr of the bus engine, and instead of waking at our leisure, we are greeted with the crisp early morning air of fall.

With the onset of a new season, our schedules take a bit of a beating. We seemingly become busier with the advent of a new month, knowing that it brings more than just a flip of the calendar. We can no longer linger over an iced latte and a summer salad; that precious time is now filled with running to meetings, getting kids from school to practice, and narrowly squeezing in our own workout.

Unfortunately, the aspect of our lives that suffer the most when our lives take unexpected turns is healthy nutrition. Ironically, the most important part of balancing a hectic life is to ensure your energy is at its peak, and your body is functioning at its best. Here are some tips and on-the-go food ideas you can take with you on your busy days:

1. Plan Ahead: If you know you won't see the likes of your house for the better part of 12 hours, think about what you and your family will need to make sure your duties are met with vigor and enthusiasm. Grab a piece of paper and write down all the activities, errands and meetings the next day will require and look to see where you will need to fit in a decent meal.

2. Just Call Me 'Sous': (Chef that is) Go Grocery Shopping on Sunday. Make a list of everything you'll need at the grocery store by meal and when you get home from shopping, cut up fresh veggies, make sandwiches, compile fruit salads and do as much prep work as you can for the impending week. This will cut down on the "I-don't-have-time-to-make-a-healthy-lunch,-therefore-it's-vending-machine-cuisine-for-the-week!" excuse.

3. Fruity Fruit: Cupcakes and candies will offer short-term enjoyment, but because these sugary snacks are nothing but refined carbohydrates and nutritionally void, your short term energy burst will crash and turn into a sugar-induced guilt coma. Swap candy for fruit and you can still get a sweet craving satisfied while also incorporating much-needed vitamins and minerals.

• Some great on-the-go fruits include: bananas, apples, raspberries, blueberries and pears. Eat them plain or, combine one or more of these fruits with 3/4 cup of non-fat plain or vanilla yogurt and add a tablespoon of honey and you have yourself a nutritious fruit parfait!

4. Eat Your Veggies!: Your mother wasn't wrong when she told you to eat your peas. Vegetables are a food group that is often ignored, but are so important. It's understandable that you might not have 30 minutes to whip up a stir fry, but here are some great, and fast ways to incorporate veggies:

• Baby Carrots come conveniently packaged and you don't have to worry about measuring either. Eat as many as you like. They are filled with beta-carotene, an important antioxidant for bone development.


• Cut up chopped broccoli, cauliflower and any kind of pepper, toss them in a sandwich bag and bring non-fat dressing for dipping. This snack will fill you up and keep your blood sugar stabilized so you don't see dramatic spikes in energy levels.


• Grab a stalk of celery and cut it up into several pieces. Add 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter or low-fat cream cheese to 5 or 6 mini celery sticks.

5. Go Nuts: Nuts have a bad reputation for being fatty and salty. But they have too many benefits to cut them out of your diet. They have a huge amount of protein which helps you feeling fuller for longer (because they take awhile to digest); they also have plenty of antioxidants which help reduce the production of disease-inducing free radicals; they are very low in sugar; and have the 'good' kind of fats (monounsaturated) which help reduce your 'bad' or LDL cholesterol. The best kind of nut is the almond, which has some of the most nutritional benefits of all nuts. But if you have a hankering for cashews or peanuts, a serving size is approximately 12 nuts, so monitor your ingestion.

6. Green Tea: Instead of dousing your coffee with sugary hazelnut creamer and several tablespoons of sugar, consider switching to green tea. Aside from helping to prevent a host of diseases, it also helps to reduce overall cholesterol levels, and can even increase metabolism. If needed, adding a tablespoon of honey to an 8-ounce cup makes it sweeter on the palate.

7. Great Grains: We can't forget the energy-boosting benefits of whole grains found in bread and cereal. Choose labels that say "100% whole wheat" or have added fiber or vitamins. These products are low in sugar and high in nutrients and will keep your energy high. Spread 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter on a piece of whole wheat toast and top with sliced banana for a quick, nutritious breakfast.

Fall is a great time for change. Add something to your day that will help increase your energy so you can tackle everything with a clear mind and a fully-functioning body. Dig deep and find what works for you, what kinds of foods you like and what will help you get through your day more efficiently.

Keep Climbing,
ELd