As the days grow shorter and the weather cools down, many find themselves longing for a change. After a summer of relaxed routines, the prospect of a new season can be invigorating. If you’re looking to hit the reset button on your habits, fall is the perfect time to do it.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Eat more fall foods

As summer comes to a close, many people begin to crave heartier, more comforting foods. There are a few reasons for this. For one, the weather starts to cool down, and we naturally want to eat foods that will warm us up from the inside. In addition, as the days grow shorter, we may start to feel slightly tired and sluggish. Fall foods can help with this by providing grounding energy.

Root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and beets are especially helpful in this regard. They tend to be hearty and filling without being too heavy. So as summer winds down, make sure to stock up on these fall favorites. Your body will thank you for it!

Create a morning routine

The slower days of summer can make it hard to stick to a solid morning routine, but there’s no better time to start than the beginning of a new season. Wake up early and spend some time doing something you enjoy, whether it’s reading, taking a walk, or writing in a journal. Not only will this help you start your day on the right foot, but it will also give you something to look forward to each morning.

Set goals

Even though the end of the year is within sight, you can still make some goals. You can even get on top of the ones you promised yourself you’d do in January. Keep it simple by vowing to add more vegetables to your meals, keeping up with workouts, or sticking with your daily meditation.

Clear out clutter

We tend to associate spring with cleaning, but there’s no reason you can’t do that in fall. By cleaning and organizing, you’ll be ready for fall and winter that’s right behind it.

Correct your sleep schedule

As the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, our bodies naturally crave more sleep. Unfortunately, that’s often easier said than done, and our rhythm can get out of whack with the time change. If you’re having trouble winding down at night, try disconnecting from electronics an hour before bed and reading a relaxing book instead.

You can also try adding an extra pillow topper to your mattress or investing in a comfortable pair of pajamas. Just a few small changes can make a big difference in getting a good night’s rest.

Know where to draw the line

Fall is also a time when the events and gatherings start to really pick up. It’s okay to decline last-minute plans when you’re spread too thin. Keep in mind that when you aren’t feeling rested, and life feels chaotic, you should tune into your body and give it what it needs.

Following these simple steps will help you physically and mentally reset this fall season, leaving you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated just in time for winter!

If you love sweet potatoes, I have some good news — sweet potatoes love you back with their robust nutrition profile. They’ve got everything you need to round out a healthy meal, including fiber and loads of vitamins and minerals.

Orange and purple varieties give you even more antioxidants that help stop oxidation and keep you healthy and youthful, inside and out. While you might know they’re a good-for-you option on your fall plate, you may learn a thing or two about sweet potatoes with these five benefits I’m going to share with you today.

Here are five benefits of eating sweet potatoes and tasty ways to enjoy them.

1. They help your gut health

With plenty of fiber and antioxidants, your gut is happy when you eat sweet potatoes. With both types of fiber (soluble and insoluble), the good bacteria in your gut ferments it to create short-chain fatty acids and keep your intestinal lining strong. Antioxidants encourage more healthy gut bacteria to proliferate too, so enjoy those sweet potatoes.

2. They could help prevent illness

While more tests need to be conducted, the antioxidants in sweet potatoes, particularly anthocyanins, may be the key to slowing down the occurrence of illness. It’s not confirmed, but science does know that these antioxidants have other beneficial health benefits for you, so it surely can’t hurt to eat more of them.

3. They help you keep your eyes on the prize

Filled with beta-carotene, sweet potatoes help you keep your eyes healthy. Your body turns that beta-carotene into vitamin A so your eyes can stay healthy and youthful. Even the purple variety of sweet potatoes can be beneficial for your eye health.

4. Your brain will thank you

If you want to keep your mind healthy and young, eating more sweet potatoes could be the key even as you age. The anthocyanins that are so plentiful in the purple variety are ideal for reducing inflammation. All the antioxidants you get can help you reduce your cognitive decline chances, and sweet potatoes are an excellent way to get more of them.

5. They can help boost immunity

Remember what we said about vitamin A? Your immune system really needs it, and your gut does too. Taking care of both is easy enough by eating more sweet potatoes.

There’s nothing like a baked sweet potato with just a dash of cinnamon sprinkled on top. Even with a little butter, it’s still nutritious enough. You can make sweet potatoes in so many other ways too. Try mashed sweet potatoes, spiralize them to take the place of your noodles, use them in baked goods to add moisture without the fat, use your air fryer to make them into fries, or create a vegetarian stew that warms you up when it’s cold outside.

Sweet potatoes are delicious, nutritious, and very versatile. Pick some up the next time you stock up your kitchen essentials!

Winter is just around the corner, but before the frigidness sets in, let’s enjoy the crispness of autumn. Make something warm to cozy up with when the wind whips around the corner, sending a cascade of colorful autumn leaves swirling around.

While we all tend to fantasize about those fall favorite warm drinks we love, you can stay on track with these five options. Each one will give you the warm fuzzies with zero guilt — and they’re even beneficial for your health!

Here are five of the healthiest warm drinks to cozy up with this Fall:

1. Lemon Turmeric Water

Lemon and turmeric are star-studded ingredients in the health world. Combine them in hot water along with red chili powder to help give your metabolism a boost, and you’ll have a tasty and healthy drink to enjoy all autumn long. With a pinch of both coarse sea salt and raw honey, the flavor is lovely and unique.

2. Apple Cider

One of the best things about fall is the apple harvest. A simple warm glass of apple cider with a real cinnamon stick is something you can enjoy often. If you’re not making your own, avoid any brands that add gobs of sugar. Stick to natural stuff, and you’ll get plenty of vitamin C and pectin. The cinnamon stick helps blood sugar control while encouraging proper digestion — something that can help you after any meal.

3. Ginger Tea

Ginger is a beloved anti-inflammatory that has been used for centuries in many cultures. Simply making thin slices of fresh ginger root and adding them to boiling water creates a ginger tea. Strain out the ginger, and you’ve got the perfect ginger tea that helps digestion, encourages bone health, and even can relieve coughing. While it’s delicious as it is, if you need sweetness, add in some raw organic honey, which has plenty of benefits of its own.

4. A Healthier Pumpkin Spice Coffee

No fall drink list would be complete without the iconic PSL. Yet it’s not exactly a healthy option, even if pumpkin itself IS good for you. At home, you can make it in a flash. Simply brew your favorite coffee with pumpkin pie spice added to your coffee grounds. Then, add nonfat almond milk to get that creamy and rich feeling. It’s delicious – I assure you!

5. Low-Cal Hot Chocolate

You can easily cheat by heating up a glass of chocolate almond milk. But if you’d prefer a more indulgent affair, heat nonfat milk and then stir in a tablespoon of unsweetened raw cacao powder. You’ll get that warm, chocolatey feeling from head to toe.

Personally, my favorite drinks to keep warm with are herbal teas and golden milk.

What are yours?

Some people think fall is all about pumpkin, while others argue for apples being the fall staple. We love them both, but there’s no denying that the fall apple bounty you’ll soon be bestowed with presents some big decisions. There’s no way you can snack on all of those apples before they go bad.

You can only make so many pies or so much applesauce too before you grow tired of them. Instead, the answer lies in finding innovative ways to make healthy and nutritious apples into healthy and nutritious recipes.

Here are a few ways to use up that fall apple bounty most deliciously!

1. Apple Pancakes

Apples are perfect for pancakes. They’ll create a warm and cozy flavor you’ll want every morning. To make it healthier, use spelt flour. It will add a nutty taste that works wonderfully with those apples. Top them off with a sprinkle of cinnamon, and you won’t believe how tasty they are.

2. Apple, Veggie, and Sausage (or meat-free) Roast

It sounds like a strange combination, but if you take a sheet pan and roast sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, high-quality sausage (or with seitan if you’re meat-free), and apples, it creates a delightful and warming autumn dinner that everyone will fall in love with.

3. Apple Oatmeal

Instead of getting those packets of flavored oatmeal, get gluten-free rolled oats. Add cooked apples with cinnamon and nutmeg on top, and you’ll have a quick, hearty breakfast that will stick with you to lunchtime.

4. Brussels, Kale, and Apple Salad

Tired of your usual salad? Shake things up by shredding brussels sprouts into a base of kale. Toss it with fresh apple cubes, gorgonzola cheese (or favorite vegan crumbled cheese), candied pecans, and a simple vinaigrette dressing, and you’ll have a new favorite for lunch or dinner.

5. Apple and Cranberry Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Not only are sweet potatoes healthy, but they’re also the perfect vessel for creating a new fall sensation. Simply make a crumble out of oats with juicy baked apples and cranberries, and everyone will forget about that sweet potato and marshmallow bake this fall!

6. Baked Apples

Perhaps you’ve forgotten about this classic combo. Baked apples are super-easy and look extra-fancy when you’ve got guests coming or when you want your next homecooked meal to look like it came from the best restaurant in town. Pair them with your main dish or use them for dessert.

Get pickin’ on those apples, and you’ll soon get cookin’ with these wonderful ways to use them all up!