Life keeps changing and so does the world around you. Let’s talk about one of the four lovely seasons: fall. As we transition from summer to winter, there’s a month or two when the cool breezes feel so refreshing to the skin. In fall, you can venture outside without shades and not worry about lathering yourself in sunscreen. Enjoy it, and before you get your wool hats and winter coats ready, take time to pay attention to your body’s requirements.
The season of bright berries, fresh and succulent fruits, crisp salads and tanning is behind us but don’t worry, there are plenty of other yummy foods to focus on during the fall. It’s the season when pumpkin spiced lattes make a comeback (but better stay from those because they are full of sugar). Unless you want to end your year with 15 pounds of weight gain, we recommended that you get your sugar fix from something more natural.
The following are four tips that will help boost your health this fall:
Start your day with a bowl of chia seeds and a fruit cup or Greek yogurt. Chia seeds contain boatloads of nutrients, dietary fiber, protein, fat, calcium, manganese, phosphorus and antioxidants. A super foods breakfast is hydrating, easily digestible and slows down the conversion of carbohydrate calories to simple sugars.
Here’s a simple recipe: combine ¼ cup of Chia seeds, 2 cups of milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract in a bowl. Top the mixture with your favorite fruits and nuts.
According to The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), getting flu shots every season helps lower the risk of contracting diseases such as cold, flu and cough by 60%. If you are a former smoker or have any kind of autoimmune disease or diabetes, then you need to get your shot as soon as the season starts. Year after year, the nature of every disease can change, meaning that your last flu shot will no longer be effective in fighting off the new strain. This is the reason why it is recommended that you get your flu shots yearly. This brings us to our third tip:
Antibiotics are for bacterial infections, not viral infections. When you take antibiotics unnecessarily it can increase resistance in the bacterial population, making the bacteria stronger and harder to kill. Therefore, it’s worth paying a visit to your doctor to find out whether your illness is viral or bacterial, and follow the proper treatment plan.
How about a quick detox cleanse? Set aside the junk food for a while and clean your body by eating raw foods. A great way to start your detox is to go on a smoothie diet. It doesn’t necessarily have to be for a whole month. Aim to detox for at least a week and you will definitely feel changes in your condition. The raw vegetables will help keep you satiated, the natural sugar in fruits can take the edge off of your sugar cravings and you may notice you have a more sustainable energy level after detoxing. Moreover, you will be able to drop a couple of pounds and wear those cute jeans that you had stuffed in the back of your closet.
A raw food detox can be helpful because of the way your digestive enzymes get react to food heated above 115°F. If you want to balance out your good and bad gut bacteria, then consuming food items that have not been heated above 115° during your detox cleanse can be a good start.