You’ve come so far this year. Don’t lay off the throttle now.

BY ROBERT IRVINE

No one is immune to nature’s instructions. With the onset of fall—and just the slightest bit of chill in the air—comes a natural desire for heavier food and drink and a little more rest. We aren’t cavemen (or bears) so there’s no need for us to fatten up for the winter, but our evolutionary commands can be hard to ignore. It is fall, and so the rich colors have come to signal rich food, as well.

You can satisfy these urges and stay active without adding a “winter coat”. Here are a few tips.

1) Eat with the season.
All root vegetables from carrots to turnips to radishes are in season, not to mention the ubiquitous pumpkin and squash. The density of these veggies makes them ideal for throwing into a crock pot with some chicken or a lean pork loin.

It’s not even difficult to make delicious meal.

TRY THIS:
Brown some chicken thighs and put them in the slow cooker surrounded by potatoes, carrots, celery, parsnips and/or any other dense root veggies that you like. Add a cup of chicken stock, some poultry seasoning and rosemary and turn it on high for an hour, then turn it to low heat for another five hours. Add salt and pepper to taste and you’ve got some very healthy fall grub.

2) Make this healthy dessert.
Yes, you could enjoy the season with a pumpkin spice latte, but I can think of much better ways to consume 500 calories. Can’t you?!

Here’s a completely idiot-proof way to enjoy a sweet fall treat: BAKE AN APPLE. Just set your oven to 375 degrees, cut an apple or two in half, cut out the cores, and dust with cinnamon. Thirty minutes later you’ve got a warm soft treat that’s akin to apple pie filling without the added sugar and fat.

3) Enjoy the weather.
The chill in the air is not a good reason to slow down. Take it as a cue to speed up! Go hiking, mountain biking, or trail running and enjoy the outdoors while you still can. Look up state and county parks near you, put some trail mix in a pack and make a day of it. You’ll wind up burning more calories than you would in a regular gym session and jolt your creative juices while you’re at it.

Yours in health,

Robert