What a fantastic summer! As always, there were many choices for fun here in Chicago including plenty of street fairs, music festivals, watching the cubbies at beautiful Wrigley, run, walk or bike the lake and the city and outdoor dining everywhere. Funny how the waist thickens a bit by the end of the summer!! All the extra food and beverages have to go somewhere so no real surprise! I guess when the kids go back to school it’s time for adults to get back on track with a little fall clean up.
Many of you have heard the term “Clean Eating” which is generally defined as choosing whole, natural, unprocessed foods, low in sugar and unhealthy fats. Consuming 4-6 meals/day + regular exercise gives you a gold star. It’s a tall order so I say start with 4-6 meals per day and make sure you are getting your 5-9 cups of fruits and vegetables depending on your age and activity level. I thought Cooking Light did a great job explaining this in this article: http://www.cookinglight.com/healthy-living/healthy-habits/how-many-fruits-vegetables-a-day. In my 25 years of work with clients, individuals are more successful modifying their diet when they focus on what TO eat rather than what NOT to eat.
I always felt that September was the busiest month of the year for parents with school age children so be sure to make time for yourself and good luck with your fall clean up!