Fall Into Autumn’s Harvest of Potential for Growth

Fall Into Autumn’s Harvest of Potential for Growth

by Darra McMullen,

GHWCC Writer/Researcher and Women’s Health Network Member

Fall’s bounty, in every sense of the word, brings with it numerous opportunities to improve our physical, mental, and spiritual health.  Let’s now take a look at a few of these options for moving in a positive direction.

Number One:  Take advantage of autumn’s plethora of different types of squash and potatoes to whip up healthy and satisfying soups and stews.  Squash and potatoes can serve as a wonderful “base” for many recipes.  Dishes can vary depending on the type of squash or potato used and the add-ins included in the dish.  Consider adding one or more of the following:  onions, carrots, celery, peppers, lean meats, tomatoes, and beans or peas.

            Carefully think about whether you want the preparation to run on the sweet, savory, or salty side, and season accordingly.  To stay on the healthy “wagon”, use caution when adding sugar or salt.  Let natural sources of sweetness, such as carrots or corn, do some of the seasoning for you.  Likewise, consider using salt substitutes for part or all of your salt contribution to the dish.  Experiment with fresh or dried herbs to add dimension to your cooking.  Don’t rely on just “sweet” or “salty” for seasoning; get curious and creative and use those herbs.

Number Two:  Use’s fall’s cooler temperatures to start or improve an exercise program.  Frequent walks, by yourself or with a companion, jogging, bike rides, stretching routines, and yoga are all much more pleasant to do when there are not high temps, humidity, and mosquitoes to contend with on a daily basis.

            Let fall’s cooler, drier air fill up your lungs and invigorate your body and spirit to go forth and move about more productively.  Start with an informal fitness routine, such as walking or biking, and while you’re outside, consider what else you feel inspired to do.  Whether it’s to take up gardening, to join a gym, to participate in charity walks to raise money for worthy causes, or simply to make a commitment to frequent walks or bike rides for your own well being, follow your heart and go with your inspiration.  Your physical health and mood will definitely improve, and you may even find that your inspired ideas lead to personal or spiritual growth.

Number Three:  The fall season is replete with festival opportunities and special events put on by houses of worship or ethnic group organizations.  Take advantage of these numerous options to learn something about other groups of people and their cultures or to contribute something of your own – time, talent, money, or objects – to a worthy cause set up by your (or another person’s) house of worship or a charity.

            You’ll find that gaining a broader perspective of others and/or contributing to charitable causes makes you feel a lot better, as well as improves our community.

Number Four:  The only drawback to becoming more involved in festivals, charitable efforts, or special events is exposure to more types of infectious diseases.  To thwart those pesky “bugs” before they can take hold of you, take advantage of another of autumn’s offerings, namely health promoting citrus fruits.  Oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, lemons and limes all hold some of the primary keys to fighting off germs.  Vitamin C and bioflavonoids are both featured in citrus fruits, and both are very important to keeping our immune systems strong and effective against invaders.  Make citrus fruits your fall and winter friends.

Number Five:  Update your vaccination record for optimal health during fall and winter.  Most importantly, get a flu vaccine to prevent (or lessen the severity of) this season’s strains of flu.  You’ll protect yourself and those persons around you by taking this simple and inexpensive (sometimes free) step toward better health.

            Secondly, consider getting the pneumonia vaccine if you’ve not already had it; the vaccine is usually given once a year for two consecutive years.  Consult your physician if you’ve never been vaccinated at all or have been vaccinated only once a long time ago.  The vaccine is very helpful in preventing infection by many of the strains of microbes responsible for causing pneumonia.  Episodes of upper respiratory infection, such as colds, flu, strep throat, bacterial sinus infection, or even non-infective conditions, such as severe allergies, often precede pneumonia.  Pneumonia can occur without these preceding conditions taking place, but pneumonia is more likely to develop following, or in conjunction with, one of these conditions.

            To avoid pneumonia, get the pneumonia vaccine as directed by your physician, and do your best to avoid getting sick.  If you do become ill with an upper respiratory condition, treat it quickly and appropriately to avoid complications such as pneumonia, or at least, to avoid many days (or weeks) of feeling poorly with an upper respiratory problem that won’t go away.

            Thirdly, consult your doctor about the shingles vaccine.  Shingles is a serious condition featuring a painful, blistering rash accompanied by tiredness.  Even after the rash heals, which can take weeks, long-lasting nerve pain in the rash areas or in other parts of the body can continue for months following the healing of the original rash.

            Anyone of any age can experience shingles once he or she has acquired the chicken pox virus inside the body.  Generally, shingles afflicts people over age 50, but there are many examples of younger people coming down with shingles, especially if the person has been particularly physically or emotionally stressed prior to acquiring the disease.

            According to recent reports, shingles vaccines are effective for about 10 to 12 years.  If you receive the vaccine now, you may need to revaccinate later, depending on your age.

            Finally, have your doctor review your vaccination history for all diseases, and see if you need boosters for any other common diseases.  This step is particularly important if you plan to travel abroad this fall or winter, but even if no travel is planned, fully arming yourself against as many ailments as possible is a good idea in this very international city of Houston.

Number Six:  Do some “fall cleaning” and gain a new and more positive perspective on life.  Re-organize and clean-out drawers, closets, storage shelves, or anything you haven’t tackled in awhile.  Think creatively about what items could be given away to the needy and what items could be given to family members, friends, or business associates as a thoughtful gift.  Also, think about what you could recycle and make sure it gets to a recycling center, rather than the trash can.

            You can benefit yourself by reducing clutter, while you simultaneously help the community, your loved ones, and the environment.  Best of all, fall cleaning can help you feel more connected to others and to our world at large, and you can start seeing fall as an opportunity for new beginnings, rather than the end of the “growing season”.