5 Shape-Up for Autumn Tips!

Autumn is the season of change, so it’s a perfect time for personal improvement. To help me reach my (and your) goals, I’ve recruited yoga instructor and nutritionist Latham Thomas of Tender Shoots Wellness. Here are Latham’s tips integrating yoga, fitness, and dietary advice to support your mind, body, spirit, and waistline:

Latham Thomas

1. Get Twisted: Spinal twists in yoga are a great way to keep your spine supple and cleanse your internal organs while lengthening the obliques and creating a leaner waistline.

Twists stimulate circulation and have a cleansing and refreshing effect on the middle organs, glands, and spine. When we release the twist, fresh blood flows in, carrying oxygen and the building blocks for tissue healing.

Begin by sitting sideways on a stable chair. Take a moment to ground your sitting bones and draw your spine straight up toward the ceiling. Begin twisting from the lower back and let the twist unfold, rotating toward the back of the chair and turning your head. Breathe deeply and twist deeper, then release and twist in the other direction.

2. Snack Smart: Schedule snacks between meals to sustain energy, instead of grazing anytime you’re bored. If you keep your blood sugar stable, you’re less likely to crave fatty, processed foods or to over eat at mealtime. Eating balanced snacks is key. An apple isn’t going to provide you much sustained energy, but an apple followed by a handful of almonds will give you energy that lasts because the fat content in the almonds slows the burn of the fruit sugar.

Other smart snacks include edamame, unsalted nuts, seeds, veggies and hummus.

Latham Thomas

3. Discover Your Roots: Root vegetables provide carbohydrates, minerals (such as potassium and phosphorus), small amounts of iron, vitamin C, fiber, plant chemicals and a cornucopia of carotenoids beyond beta-carotene.

One cup of turnip or rutabaga supplies as much vitamin C as one grapefruit or half an orange. Volume for volume and calorie for calorie, roots supply more nutrients and fewer calories than grains. Their soluble fiber will make your belly feel more satisfied, aid weight loss, and keep you regular.

Some suggestions for root veggies include roasted beets, butternut squash soup, maple glazed acorn squash, and whipped turnips.

4. Walk Off  the Weight: In colder weather, we find it more challenging to get out and ride a bike or go for a run. Try integrating walking into your daily routine; setting aside 30-40 minutes daily for brisk outdoor walking. Walking briskly will bump up your energy by increasing oxygen levels while releasing endorphins. Any activity that causes your heart to pump will increase your daily calorie burn significantly and aid in your weight loss.

5. Get Your H20: We constantly dehydrate ourselves by forgetting to drink water, and by drinking caffeinated beverages, smoking, eating processed foods, etc. Carry a water bottle with you daily. Drinking water aids in weight loss. The liver’s job is to convert stored fat to energy. Unfortunately, the liver also picks up the slack for the kidneys, which need plenty of water to work properly. If the kidneys are water-deprived, the liver has to do their work along with its own, lowering its total productivity.

Image credit: Latham Thomas