Fall Into Better Health

Start the new season with a commitment to self-care. Here are four items to add to your health checklist.

Gone are summer vacations and half-day Fridays.

Gone, too, are long, hot nights, pool parties and blond highlights (seriously—it's time to go brown). As we enter a new season, it's a good time to transition from summer's "care-free" living by taking time for some key "self-care." Since it's already a busy time of year—back to school, back to work, the looming threat of a busy holiday season—here's a checklist of me-first needs you may want to address, like, now:

Annual Schmanual

When was the last time you saw your primary care doc or other healthcare practitioner for a preventive health checkup? Getting annual check ups is important for more than just "down there," as it provides you and your MD with baseline levels from which to assess needed change.

-Consider checking vitamin levels (namely D, B12 and iron), your sed rate (a test that measures the health of your red blood cells), CRP (a test for inflammation in the arteries, if that's a concern), cholesterol and even your three-month blood sugar management test (called hemoglobin A1C or HgbA1C).

-Have your doc also check your breast and skin for changes like growths and abnormal moles (behind your ears and between your toes, too, please).

-Discuss your routine(s) and any changes. No, not what new flame you're shacking up with, but your poop, your sleep, your fitness schedules— these things say a lot about how you're managing (or not managing) life's stresses, both physically and mentally.

-Update your doc on any family history changes (recent strokes, heart attacks, etc.). Though it may not be comfortable to admit, you do share a gene pool with mom and dad.

Related: Fall Warm-Up

Wardrobe Woes

While it's not for me to judge fashion (and as I write this I realize "Project Runway" is featuring styles from the 80's, so what do I know?), your clothes actually say a lot about your health.

- Do you fit into your clothes and shoes from 1, 4, 10 years ago? Or do you look at them with longing, dreaming of a fitter, smaller you? If the answers are no and yes, then it's time to do one of two things:

1) Consider what health commitments you can make today, not waiting until after the holidays hit.
2) Get some new shoes and clothes that fit, as ill-fitting clothes can do more harm than good—physically and emotionally.

Past Due in the Kitchen

Are there foods and supplements in your cupboards, fridge and freezer from decades ago? Or even a few months past due? Don't let your body pay the late fees, honey. Get rid of anything old, recycle containers and then consider replacing or skipping new products altogether. If you haven't consumed it by now, why stock it again?

Where or Where Did My Workout Go?

Don't lie—you'd much rather sip that pumpkin spice latte than sweat bullets at the gym. Primal fall energy is slower, which means you may not be as motivated to work out. Time to shake things up so you don't get bored, and have a plan for your fitness routine that's doable in colder weather.

-Swap your membership at that outdoor bootcamp for a yoga studio or gym. As much as you say you're going to book it to 6 a.m. class in the park, cold mornings will convince you otherwise. You'll be much more motivated if you know you can be somewhere warm and toasty and still get an awesome workout.

-Rearrange your work/life schedule to accommodate shorter days and less sunlight. That nighttime run might have to happen in the a.m., and lunch hour walks could become crucial if you're not hitting the gym as much as you were in the summer. Small tweaks = significant results.

So as summer's glow fades, join me by starting the new season with a commitment to you. It's way more fun than seasonal depression and winter chub.

What do you change about your lifestyle/health/fitness when fall arrives? Leave us a comment below!

Have a question for Ashley? Email us at info@healthybitchdaily.com and we'll get your questions answered. 

Ashley Koff, R.D., Resident Dietitian
Named among the Top 10 Registered Dietitians in the U.S. by Today’s Dietitian Magazine, Koff appears regularly on national media outlets, including Dr. Oz, The Doctors, Good Morning America Health, CNN, AOL and E!. Koff is also the dietitian for espnW, and the featured dietitian on the CW’s “Shedding for the Wedding” and Lifetime’s “Love Handles.” Koff maintains a private practice, regularly lectures, and works to improve the quality of food choices on the sets of popular shows such as Private Practice, CSI: New York, Big Love, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia and Bones. Her book, Mom Energy: A Simple Plan to Live Fully Charged (Hay House, 2011), hits stands later this summer. For more information please visit AshleyKoffRd.com.