The cool days of Fall are now upon us and that means one thing to me - chili season. I love chili in all of it's traditional formats. Meat, beans, tomatoes, and strong flavors of cumin and dried chiles are what I consider to be key for a delicious bowl of red. Lately however, I've been leaving out the meat to make the dish lighter and I really haven't missed it.

If you're like me, I'm always trying to get more fish in my diet. The problem I've found is that the go to preparation for fish recipes is to deep fry it and recommend serving with fried hush puppies, french fries, mayonnaise laden slaw and everything else under the sun to make a super healthy protein as unhealthy as possible. Even baked fish recipes often contain large amounts of butter and breading that can contain as much unhealthy fat as the fried versions.

Whether you're trying to eat more vegetables, cut down on carbs for a weight loss regimen or have a gluten allergy, one thing is for sure - we all crave a good home cooked meal from time to time. By home cooked, I mean something that is made from scratch, hearty, and has all the flavors you remember growing up. Most times when we think of such a dish we think of pot roast and potatoes, roast chicken and vegetables, meat loaf, and of course, casseroles. Casseroles are the embodiment of home. A one pot meal loaded with all kinds of delicious (and most often unhealthy) ingredients that inspires your taste buds and satisfies the soul.

Summer weather means that many fresh vegetables are in season and one of my favorite summer vegetables are cucumbers. These versatile cukes are used to make pickles, dips, salads, and have graced many a crudité. As a natural and holistic application, cucumbers have been used for ages to soothe puffy eyes, moisturize the face, condition hair, and more. But if you're like me, you'd rather know the health benefits of eating cucumbers rather than learning how to whip up a cucumber facial mask.

In our continuing recipe series of healthy choices for the workplace, we here at Nudge Workplace Wellness thought we should share a recipe for a flavorful salad that is inspired by the Mediterranean diet. Research has shown that the Mediterranean diet decreases the overall risk of cardiovascular mortality by using healthy oils and lots of fruits and vegetables. This is truly a heart healthy salad that can easily travel to the office or wow your family and/or guests for dinner.

Salads are a great way to get your daily servings of fruits and vegetables and are very refreshing in the heat of summer. By taking fresh vegetables and grilling them, you're adding delicious smoky flavor that satisfies your appetite. It also has a good balance of acidity with lemon, capers, and artichoke hearts.

We all know fruit is one of our healthy choices we need to make every day. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases. They also provide a handy fruit and vegetable calculator that tells you how much you should be eating based on your age, sex, and daily activity.

While most people like to eat fruit, we get alot who tell us that it's hard to eat enough of it. In our last recipe post we mentioned that many offices have land mines of unhealthy snacks laying all around. It can be difficult to have access to fruit if you don't bring it yourself. Even if you bring your own fruit it can be easy to choose something else that might seem more appealing as a snack or lunch accompaniment. What is the solution? A delicious and healthy fruit salad!

I don't know about you, but around 4pm I start getting a twinge of hunger. Of course, I can easily work through it but I find if I don't snack on something then I'll be ravenous at dinner and most often eat more than I should. Apparently I'm not alone since the Mayo Clinic posted an article about how snacks can be a valid part of a weight loss plan.

There was a guest post on Greatist from Yael Cohen, where she enlightened readers on her view of trying to live healthy in a world of over-indulgence.  What's the main take away?  The 80/20 rule... Try to live healthy for 80% of the time, and let the remaining 20% be discretionary.  That means don't deprive yourself from eating the foods you love, but just make sure you don't go overboard with those guilty pleasures.

She has some great pointers for the 80%, so check out her article to see what you can do to improve YOUR strategy.

Living Healthier Through Moderation