First Days of Fall

For some, the arrival of fall is filled with joy- weather changing, fall colors, falling leaves, and the anticipation of upcoming holidays. For some, fall is filled with sadness related to these same changes in the fall time. Whatever your take may be, being mindful that everyone's anticipation may be different could be helpful while conversing with others during this season of change. 

In addition to rain boots for those of us who do not like wet feet, some nice fall ideas for all could include:

- Cozying up with a book

- Making soups and cooking with the other wonderful produce of the season (squash, brussels sprouts, kale, leeks, and peas for example)
- Hot tea
- A nice cup of cocoa
- Extra time for emotional processing (down time, journaling, taking a stroll for example)

- Movies

Whether it is coping through or celebrating in the fall time, what are some things you enjoy when this time of year comes around?

Eating and Traveling- starting off right

Whether you are taking a day trip, a weekend break, or a long vacation, traveling offers a supreme opportunity for relaxation and enjoyment. For many, traveling also invites unwanted situations contradictory to the joy and vibrancy of “getting away”- indigestion, malaise, lack of activity, a sense of laziness, overeating, constipation, stress, and irritability. Fortunately, there are some ways to help prevent these from happening. Here are some helpful tips heard from clients over the years:

“I often have to travel for work and leave on the early morning flights. In the past I used these times as an excuse to eat fast food and it helped me to look forward to getting up so early. But after learning the hard way time and time again, I finally admitted to myself that those breakfasts don’t make me feel good and completely throw off my whole day (moody, fatigue, more hungry than usual). On my last trip, I experimented with bringing leftovers as breakfast instead and it made a world of difference. I had more energy, felt healthier, and didn’t get as tired with all the travel. I’m going to do that from now.”

“In the past, I was hesitant to increase my awareness around meal timing. I thought that somehow greater awareness would draw me into rigidity or detailed planning which felt like the antithesis of “vacationing”. Surprisingly, just keeping in touch with my body allowed me to be more spontaneous because I didn’t have all the other pitfalls during the day- bouts of hunger, irritability, feeling overfull, etc.”

“My family and I go camping a lot in the summer and being a foodie, I have often used this as an opportunity to eat lots of “fun foods.” This is fun in a way, but actually it dampers my experience more than helps. I end up beating myself up by feeling guilty over my choices when I get back. Working with CPF this summer has helped me to realize that planning out balanced meals in addition to some of my favorite snack foods can feel good and I don’t have as much guilt. Now, when I have that hot dog, s’more, or crab mac and cheese, I really do enjoy it because it’s not just another junk food I have been splurging on. My body just feels better.”

"Most helpful for me, day trip or long vacation, is just remembering to stay hydrated!”

What’s your favorite tips and tricks to feeling your best when traveling?

Remember to Hydrate

It is warm! Keep the fans on and the water pouring. Here are some great ways to increase water consumption during this beautiful, hot weather we are having:

-          Keep two pitchers in the fridge (if you like cold water). When you finish one fill it up again but place it in the fridge behind the cooler one. This way you always have a cold pitcher of water ready

-          Cool and flavor your water: frozen fruits (berries or citrus wedges for example) can be a great addition to you water

-          Other delicious flavor enhancing ideas: mint, cucumber, lime, lemon, grapefruit, orange, and grapes sliced in half- fresh or frozen (grapes are really delicious to eat frozen by the way)

Aiming to have around 8 cups of water a day is a good goal (and more than that in hot weather or with increased activity).  To know if you are drinking enough water, a good marker is clear urine by lunch time. If it’s not clear, time to drink some more! Enjoy the heat with great hydration!