The best way to start your health groove this fall is to schedule your yearly appointment with your Healthy Woman OB/GYN, your personal expert on women’s health.

Here are some other ways to jump start your health kick this fall!

Set a meal plan. One of the best ways to stay healthy during the fall is to set a meal plan that works with your schedule. Fall is full of apple pies, tasty warm drinks, and football parties, so it’s a great idea to devise healthy meal options. Plus it’s a great way to save a little extra before the holiday season!

Stay positive. With the flu season approaching, a positive attitude can make a huge difference. In one study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh, participants who had a positive attitude produced greater amounts of flu antibodies. Another study showed that people with sunny personalities produced more antibodies after a vaccination than those without.

Socialize. A great way to stay healthy is by having a great group of friends and family. Having a good social life provides greater longevity and less loneliness, which has been associated with a greater risk of heart disease. Although many think the leading cause of death in women is associated with cancer, heart disease makes up the largest percentage with 24.5% (2008 CDC study).

Be active. Want to increase energy and feel better? Activities such as walking, dancing, or weight lifting can keep bones strong and healthy. Exercise is also a great to naturally battle fatigue and increase energy.

Herewith, we look at the foods you can eat to keep the hot flashes at bay.

Tomatoes
High in Vitamin C, levels of which drop during recurring hot flashes, tomatoes can help prevent hot flashes altogether. If those aren’t your favorite, try bell peppers, broccoli, papaya, jicama, strawberries, mango and/or kiwi instead.

Salmon
A veritable panacea for so much of what ails, salmon is also a tasty way to stave off hot flashes thanks to its high vitamin B content. Foods that also use vitamin B to blast away flashes include tuna, lentils, potatoes, chili peppers, turkey, oats, Brazil nuts and avocado.

Sesame seeds
These tiny seeds contain lignans, which are fibers that boost vitamin E and reduce cholesterol. Toss them onto salads or meats for an easy way to incorporate them into your diet.

Citrus fruits
Oranges, tangerines and grapefruit are all fun of bioflavoids, which tend to lessen the frequency of hot flashes.

Wheat germ
Rich in nutrients like Vitamin E, zinc and folic acid, wheat germ wards off hot flashes by lowering cholesterol and blood pressure and giving your nervous system a boost.

Soy
These foods contain phytoestrogens, which mimic female hormones, and can reduce the severity of symptoms. It’s also a great way to get protein in your system.

Herbs
Whether you sip them in a tincture or tea or use them to flavor up your favorite dishes, herbs like cohosh, ginseng, primrose oil and licorice root help relieve hot flashes.

Really want to ensure that you keep your cool?

Maintaining a healthy weight is the number one way to go. So remember to eat cleanly, exercise daily and stay well-hydrated. It’s also helpful to avoid certain foods that are known to trigger hot flashes, including caffeine, alcohol, red meat, garlic, chocolate, aged cheese and foods with high amounts of sugar. And while you’re at it, avoid smoking, hot showers, hot tubs, diet pills, hot weather, stress and anxiety, which can all also exacerbate hot flashes.

A Better You Weight Loss can help you lose up to 20 pounds in one month alone! Email or call 888.373.THIN/8446 for the details.

As moms and women on-the-go-go-go, we simply do not have time to get sick. It’s just not an option, right?

Here are our top ways to keep colds at bay during the sneezin’ season.

An Apple A Day

The old wives’ tale is true! Apples, especially the Red Delicious variety, are ripe with immunity-boosting antioxidants, which also increase heart and circulatory health and even lower cholesterol, thanks to their high fiber content. As with everything you are going to put in and on your body, choose organic whenever possible.

It’s A Wash

Washing your hands is one of the most effective and easiest ways to stay healthy. Scrub ‘em up good with soap and warm water (steer clear of antibacterial hand sanitizers—they do more harm than good) for a good 15 seconds (which is about the time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday”). In between washes, be sure to keep your hands off of your face, as germs spread into the body via nose, mouth and eyes.

Skip It, Sugar!

Sugar is indeed the biggest dietary demon. If you want to fortify your body against everything from the common cold to cancer, kick sugar to the curb once and for all (barring a treat here and there, of course).

C You Soon

Citrus is loaded with vitamin C, which supports the immune system and alkalinizes your body, which not only keeps you from getting sick but ensures that you’ve got energy to spare.

Carrots Take The Cake

Packed with infection-fighting beta-carotene, carrots (and sweet potatoes and spinach) are a tasty way to snack sickness away.

I’ll Drink To That

Staying hydrated by drinking at least eight 8-ounce glasses of pure water a day not only keeps things flowing to help the body get rid of toxins but it keeps mucous thin and helps your mucous membranes resist infection.

Snooze So You Don’t Lose

A good night’s sleep is key—as in absolutely essential to your overall health. Being well-rested shores up your immune system and helps fight anything wicked that comes your way. For optimal natural health and energy, commit to a solid eight hours a night.

What a Tea-se!

Skip the caffeine (especially if you want to master a good night’s sleep) and go for caffeine-free herbal tea. Packed with L-theanine, a compound that helps supports the body’s response to infection, tea has been shown to help its avid drinkers produce more anti-bacterial proteins (up to five times more!) than non-tea drinkers.

Nice Moves

Exercise not only helps keep the pounds off, but it supports all of the body’s vital functions, which, in turn, staves off colds and other winter ailments. 30 minutes a day of cardio and light weight training are the look-good, feel-good prescription for life,

Pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant?

Come see us at the CentraState Fall Baby Fair (CentraState’s Star and Barry Tobias Ambulatory Campus, 901 West Main Street in Freehold) on Tuesday, October 4th from 6 to 8 pm.

Meet our warm, friendly doctors and staff, learn about our exclusive Pregnancy Connect program and get the inside scoop on everything you need to know to have a happy, healthy pregnancy, birth and beyond including:

• What to expect at your preconception visit with your Ob/Gyn
• Exercise, immunizations and lifestyle changes before pregnancy
• Nutrition, prenatal vitamins and supplements
• Understanding about fertility, ovulation and conception
• Identifying and managing risk factors
• How to have a healthy pregnancy
• How to have a great birth!

Register for free here or call 866-236-8727 for more information.

It’s sure to be a baby fair to remember!

From proper nutrition and natural fertility tips to the latest scoop on egg freezing, IVF and how to ensure a healthy pregnancy, we’ll dish on exactly what you need to know!

Where: American Hotel 18-20 East Main Street in Freehold

When: Tuesday, October 25 from 7 to 9 pm

What: A mom-in-the-making mixer to get the inside scoop on trying-to-conceive, pregnancy, birth and beyond

Plus, cocktails/mocktails, hors d’oeuvres, giveaways, gift bags and good girl talk! And it’s all free! Don’t miss it!

TO RSVP by October 20th, please call 732.431.1616 or email events@healthywomanusa.com

For more info on Healthy Woman Ob/Gyn, go to www.HealthyWomanUSA.com.

For more info on A Better You Weight Loss, go to www.ABetterYouWeightLoss.com.

For more information on IVF NJ, go to www.IVFNJ.com.

Sleep is a complicated subject that scientists and researchers are still working to understand. What we do know is that sleep affects so much more than how tired we feel—lack of it can lead to a decreased ability to pay attention or remember new information, an increased chance of getting into a car accident, and a greater risk for conditions like depression and drug abuse.

For those working on becoming healthier and losing weight, getting the right amount of sleep is vitally important. Without it, you’re more likely to suffer from obesity and diabetes. Many studies have noted a connection between sleep and weight, including the six-year Quebec Family Study, which found that those who slept less than seven hours a night were 35 percent more likely to gain 12 pounds by the end of the six years than those getting an average of seven to eight hours of sleep a night. Those who snoozed more than nine hours were 25 percent more likely to gain the weight.

There are a few different reasons for this. For starters, when you’re sleep-deprived, you tend to make bad choices. Ever reach for a high-calorie latte or cookies to help you wake up? And if you’re tired, you might skip the gym—or if you do make it, not have enough energy to put the full effort into your workout. You may be too zonked to figure out what to eat for lunch or dinner, turning to convenient fast food to get you through the day.

Even beyond that, your metabolism needs sleep to function correctly. If you’re running on a big deficit, your body’s hormones will tell you to eat more, and your metabolism will slow down—both of which can add up to weight gain.

Want to improve your sleep hygiene? Try these five tips from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine:

• Don’t go to bed unless you are sleepy.

• Get up at the same time every morning.

• Avoid taking naps if you can.

• Don’t have caffeine after lunch.

• Don’t have alcohol within six hours of bedtime.

So turn a proper night’s sleep from pipe dream to reality—because if you snooze, you lose…weight, that is.

For more weight loss tips or helping losing weight, go to www.ABetterYouWeightLoss.com.