I Resolve To® . . . Make The Most Of Fabulous Seasonal Fruits In My Daily Diet!

Saying 'good bye'to summer is bittersweet.  I adore the warm months of the year because I am able to spend time outside walking, gardening, swimming, and enjoying nature . . . and because of the rainbow array of seasonal fruit that is available at local stores and Flamers Markets.  I admit it, I am a creature of the sun and balmy temperatures, which I much prefer to snow, cold winds and ice-covered streets.  Alas, summer is over, and winter is now on the not-so-distant horizon, but I prefer to view the change of seasons with a 'glass half full attitude'.  Even though peak growing season is ending for many fruits and vegetables - the supply is still plentiful for juicy peaches, nectarines, and melons, cucumbers, tomatoes, and greens.  I intend to take advantage of the current bounty and I look forward to crisp apples, apple cider and pumpkin-picking with great anticipation.  I plan to continue my effort to take small daily steps toward good eating habits through the Fall and Winter months.  No overnight changes for me, just small, consistent, daily steps . . . steps that I take patiently and passionately with great persistence. 

With that in mind, I intend to 'Snack On A Nectarine', several days each week, as long as I can find them in the grocery store, as part of my I Resolve To . . . Challenge:  365 Resolutions For Health & Happiness.  Why not join me?  The objective is very simple:  Do at least one thing each and every day to promote health and happiness for 'YOU'.  Banish the 'Someday, Someday, Someday Syndrome'.  Instead, make every day New Year's Day.  Make every day count with 'daily resolves'.  The list of possibilities is infinite and can be tailored to your own dreams, resolutions and daily goals.  If you need some help - a little nudge, a bit of inspiration, tips, advice, and news about the best ways to make resolutions a reality - please use IResolveTo.Com and the I Resolve To . . . Group at Gather as two of your resources.  Resolve365 in 2009.

I  do a great deal of reading and research about ways to promote good health, fitness and happiness in an effort to create good habits.  That said, I have to admit my head spins with each new wave of conflicting information about what one should and should not eat.  Since there are often no hard and fast rules, I try to be a discerning student who applies a heavy dose of common sense to my lessons.  I am currently reading a book, by Joshua Rosenthal, Integrative Nutrition.  For folks who are striving to build a healthy diet that works for themselves as 'individuals' it is worthwhile read full of simple, common sense ideas that are easy to digest.  I agree with his notion that there is no one-size fits all, hard and fast diet that meets every individual's needs - you need to tailor a diet that works best for 'you'.  This book, and a few others that I am reading, continue to open my eyes to the fact that 'knowing and understanding' how to create and maintain a healthy diet is not an easy pursuit given all the conflicting information.  But there is hope, and it is possible, to maintain a healthy diet if you educate yourself, ask questions (be skeptical, but open-minded) keep your intentions front and center every day, and take small daily steps toward your goals.

Eating fruit each day, for instance, is one of my goals.  The USDA Food Pyramid calls for 1 1/2 cups of fruit daily for a woman of my age (51) and provides a list of suggestions.  I don't cut my fruit into small pieces and weigh it, or parcel it into measuring cups, so common sense, focus and a plan really help me to make good on this intention.  Here is my short list of simple strategies that I employ each week, in an effort to create a lasting 'daily fruit habit' (these same strategies also work with fresh vegetables):

1. Plan ahead when buying groceries - purchase a variety of fruits that are easily included in meals and snacks. 
2. Purchase and pack fruit that travels well in the car, purse, backpack, and tote in an effort to avoid drive-by snacking at Fast Food Joints when hunger pangs strike (don't forget to pack the fruit when heading out the door!).
3. Create festive displays of fruit on kitchen counters, or in the office - consider displaying apples, bananas, nectarines, plums, and peaches, or your own favorite fruits, as an open reminder (when fruit is tucked away in a refrigerator drawer, it is out of sight, out of mind, easy to forget).
4. Get creative - blend a fresh fruit smoothie, add apple slices or grapes to a Caesar Salad, and look for quick and easy recipes that include fresh fruit.
5. Try new things and vary fresh fruit choices each day.
6. Remember focus - where you focus your attention is where you will likely reap results and rewards.  At the end of each day, think about fruit choices for the next day, then make good on those choices.
7. Educate yourself on a continuous basis - understanding the benefits of healthy food choices helps to make them a priority.

Remember:  I Resolve To . . . Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.  It's your choice.  Do it today. Turn your resolution into reality in five simple, common sense steps:  Dare To Dream, Decide, Define, Develop A Plan, and Do It Daily. Make your resolution a permanent Lifetime Resolution, something that's with you for good!  Above all, Be A Resolutionista, someone who makes resolutions, keeps resolutions, and enjoys the journey!  Let's Go For It!

Kim Simpson, a former journalist, provides communications, fundraising services and strategic planning, for Members of Congress, non-profit organizations, corporations, and associations in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area. A self-employed entrepreneur, with more than 30 years of experience, she launched IResolveTo.Com in 2005 in an effort to help others to achieve their New Year Resolutions, Dreams and Goals.  Get your daily dose of inspiration at: http://www.iresolveto.com - As added incentive, why not make and keep your New Year Resolution by wearing it? Drop by: http://www.cafepress.com/iresolveto

This article is Copyright © Kim M. Simpson, I Resolve To, Inc. * All Rights Reserved.