It’s that time of year again when we start to spend most of our time indoors. For many of us, autumn and winter are our favorite times of the year. But as the weather changes, so do our daily routines. We start spending more time indoors, which can lead to a decrease in immune health.

The good news is that you can do some simple things daily to help sustain your immune health throughout the cold months.

Here are a few tips:

Exercise daily

While there’s no need to do intense gym workouts daily, getting movement into each day helps keep your immune system strong. Exercise increases immune function and also promotes better sleep at night. Even if you just take a walk every day, you’ll be doing your part to keep your immune system strong.

Bask in the sunshine

Sunlight is vital for our overall health and well-being. It helps our bodies produce vitamin D, which is essential for strong bones and a healthy immune system. In addition, sunlight exposure can help to improve our mood and energy levels.

Keep your gut healthy

Along with fresh and wholesome foods, you should eat things that nourish the good bacteria in your gut. Yogurt, kombucha, kimchi, and sauerkraut are some fermented foods that fuel your gut with beneficial probiotics. As your immune system is mostly in your digestive system, keeping your stomach healthy is a great way to keep on top of your immune health.

Stop stressing

Stress weakens the immune system. By engaging in meditation, exercise, spending time with loved ones, or even participating in hobbies you enjoy, you can bust stress and feel more relaxed. This will go a long way to helping your immune system stay strong.

Balance your plate

Healthy foods are the way to a robust immune system. It would help if you aimed to eat as many different fruits and vegetables as possible, making your plate colorful and vibrant. With every meal, sneak more fresh produce in. Slide lettuce and tomatoes onto your sandwiches, throw berries on top of your Greek yogurt, snack on apple slices with peanut butter, and blend carrots, spinach, onions, and more into your pasta sauce to take in more nutrition each day.

Sleep well

Most people know they should get a good night’s sleep to stay healthy, but not everyone realizes just how vital sleep is for the immune system. During sleep, the body produces essential chemicals that help to fight off infection. In addition, sleep helps to reduce stress levels, which can also weaken the immune system. For these reasons, getting enough sleep every night is essential to keep the immune system strong.

There are a few simple steps that you can take to ensure that you get a good night’s sleep, such as avoiding caffeine and screens before bed and creating a relaxing bedtime routine. These steps can help keep your immune system strong and protect you from illness.

Don’t overwhelm yourself by making these changes all in one day. Instead, start pivoting your behaviors to follow these tips. In doing so, you’ll feel better than ever and have the energy and stamina needed to truly enjoy the best of life.

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!

As the seasons change, our moods tend to shift, as well. Some people welcome autumn, while others mourn the end of summer. It’s not just seasons changing though — we’re changing too. Especially with all we’ve been through this year, it’s especially important to give yourself extra grace during this shift into the next season.

Growth is essential with every stage to enhance your mental, emotional, and physical well-being. With the way this year has been, these quick tips will help you ease from summer to fall in the most positive way.

Reflecting on the positives and releasing negativity is always an excellent way to move forward from one season to the next.

Ponder your spring and summer seasons

It’s the perfect time to look back over your spring and summer months to reflect. Again, these months have likely been not what you had planned or hoped for, and it’s okay to acknowledge how tough that has been. If you journal, use this time to journal out your thoughts and take stock of how this year has been so far. Lastly, spend some time journaling how you want things to be different in the upcoming autumn months. What do you hope to shift, how do you want to feel and what will you do to help make that happen — even if current circumstances continue?

Hover over gratitude

When the change of seasons gets you down, think about the things you are grateful for. Gratitude positively rewires the brain, and it’s such a simple task that makes a huge difference. Make a list of those positive things you’re grateful for and keep it handy when you feel like you’re having a hard day. Making gratitude a daily practice can help engrain this into your mind daily — I highly recommend making a gratitude list of 5-10 things you’re grateful for each day.

Target your balance

It’s easy to become more outwardly focused on the energetic vibe of the summer. Once that ends, and the weather turns crisp, autumn forces us to turn inward. When you see this shift, try to ease into it and bring balance from those extroverted seasons into these more introverted ones.

Get ready to release negativity.

In nature, autumn is where crops are harvested, trees lose leaves, and things come to an end (for a season). It clears the way for new growth, and in your own life, you should view this as a time to clear out negativity. Whatever wasn’t serving you well from old habits and patterns to relationships and career, let it go and move forward to positive ways of living.

The best time for your self’s evolution is when the seasons change, especially as you ease from summer into fall. Use this seasonal change as inspiration to free up your positivity. Instead of dreading the colder weather, look forward to the beauty this season to get the most out of your personal growth.