With Fall upon us and a nice chill in the air it's time to get ready for holidays. Everyone is pulling out their decorations from storage, putting grocery lists together, and preparing for gatherings of friends and family. It also happens to be squash season and the king of all squash is our friend, the pumpkin. You are most likely going to be inundated with pumpkins this time of year - Jack-o-lanterns, pumpkin bread, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, and pumpkin ice cream are just a few things you might be surrounded by.

It can be easy to forget about the humble eggplant. You probably walk by it in the produce section and marvel at its shiny black-purple skin and large size. The next thing that pops into your mind is, "What the heck can I do with that?", and you move onto other vegetables.

A low carb diet can be challenging when it comes to the amount of time it takes to prepare food. I'm currently trying to nudge low carb and good planning is definitely something required when you need to eat mostly non-processed foods. Fresh vegetables, non-processed meats and cheeses, and low carb condiments are required which can take alot of time without a strategy. I've learned that cooking in bulk is a great way to save time. If I'm grilling chicken, I grill a few pounds of it for the week. As soon as I bring home broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, etc., I cut them up into bite size and store them in ziptop bags for easy snacking or meal options. I also try to prepare low carb condiments and dips for the week.

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.

Weight loss ideas are abundant and searching the web for how to lose a few pounds will turn up a wealth of information. Eat less, check. Exercise more, check. Stay hydrated, check. Rinse and repeat. Most of us already know this and do this all the time - well at least for a week or two. The biggest hurdle a person has with weight loss isn't basic knowledge of what they need to do, it's sticking with it. Consistency in a weight loss program can only be achieved if a person feels satisfied and rewards themself from time to time.

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.

One of the biggest parts of having a successful workplace wellness initiative is to encourage healthier eating both inside and outside of work. It's also important as a human resources manager to lead your employees by example, so we here at Nudge want to give you ideas for delicious and healthy lunch options.

A new study published in the Journal of the Academy of American Orthopaedic Surgeons  highlights yet another benefit of weight loss, this time for sufferers of osteoarthritis (OA). In particular, researchers cited their belief that half of all knee osteoarthritis cases are directly tied to obesity, resulting from the added wear and tear of excess weight on the affected joints.

The good news is that the study also showed that weight loss not only prevents the onset of OA, but may also be a highly effective option for treating existing conditions. Researchers even went as far as to estimate that weight loss could prevent over 111,000 knee surgeries each year. 

Our advice: Starting that weight loss plan is never easy, so don't expect to be perfect. Just focus on improving those simple daily habits, one at a time.

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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