Autumn's cooler weather may be starting to chill the air, but don't let it put a freeze on your fitness and nutrition habits. Enjoy the best autumn has to offer, healthfully.

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Not too long ago my son and I were grocery shopping. He pointed to a particular treat that he wanted to try, but instead of asking for it he said "That looks really good, but it creates too much container waste." I had to chuckle a bit. His statement either means I'm doing a good job of teaching him environmental responsibility or I'm a little over the top about it all.

Our nutrition habits are one area where we can reduce our impact on the environment. Healthcastle.com recently posted about five changes you can make for a lower carbon diet:

• Buy local. Visit your local farmer's market, but be sure to ask where the produce is from. (I know at the farmer's market near me there is at least one booth that ships produce in from around the country.)
• Go seasonal. Buying off-season means your produce was either shipped from a faraway locale or it was grown in a hot house.
  
• Avoid high carbon foods. Even if they're produced locally, meat and dairy are high carbon foods. Reduce your intact by minimizing portion sizes and serving vegetarian meals more often.
• Use fewer packaged foods. Not only are packaged foods big waste creators, they often have additives and artificial ingredients that aren't nutritionally beneficial.
  
• Bring home leftovers. If you've got leftovers at a restaurant, don't leave them behind -- it creates unnecessary waste and is a waste of money, too.

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Find yourself craving a big bowl of spaghetti once the first snow flies? I know I do -- something about the cold weather makes me want to hole up with my comfort foods -- mac n' cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, pasta and so on. And I'm not alone.

Winter controls the appetites of many, according to this article from WebMD, and those extra pounds can really add up. So what's causing this? Is it a side affect of SAD (Seasonal affective disorder)? Maybe, but it's more likely that it's evolutionary -- we're programmed to store more fat in the winter in case of a food shortage.

Want to know more about your winter cravings? Click here.

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The cold weather brings cravings for more comforting meals made of heavier foods, which unfortunately also means extra calories. The holidays aren't here yet but they're just around the corner, so if you're looking to head holiday weight gain off at the pass then get into some good habits now. By simply avoiding (or eating in careful moderation) fall's most fattening foods you can go into (and come out of) the holidays without gaining a pound! Now how great would that be?

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If you're a gym rat then you really don't need to worry about the seasons, except for wearing extra layers on your way into and out of the building. But if you're like me and love the outdoors then the season has a lot to do with when, what, and how you get your exercise. Making adjustments for the changing weather is a necessity. Here are a few things to think about:

• Say goodbye to the water until spring, or else head indoors to the gym pool.
  
• Change up your outfit. The t-shirt and shorts aren't going to cut it anymore, although they can still work if you layer them under heftier items.
• Check your schedule, because if you've been heading out in the evenings (like me) you're quickly running out of daylight.
  
• Keep fitness a priority, and don't let changing routines and new seasonal activities sideline you from your fitness goals.

The biggest thing you can do to prepare for seasonal changes is to plan ahead. Don't let cooler weather or an earlier sunset catch you off guard and throw off your whole routine, making it difficult to get back on track. By knowing how you're going to handle it you can smoothly switch over and avoid any chance of falling off the fitness wagon due to predictable issues.

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I don't know how I got so blessed but my entire family all comes down with hay fever and pollen allergies every fall -- everybody except for me. But seeing people like my mom and sister suffer really brings home the fact that having allergies can present a real problem because often the medications that are supposed to help come with side-effects that are almost as bad as the allergies themselves. And although the drug companies are getting better and there are more options out there than ever before, what if you'd rather just do something natural?

Mother Earth Living has come up with this list of natural allergy fighters, including garlic & onions, honey, horseradish, vitamin C, and ginko biloba. You've probably already got several of these in your kitchen cabinet, so have you ever eaten them with allergies in mind?

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Asthma is a condition that affects hundreds of thousands of people out there. And though the symptoms are largely the same, the disease varies from patient to patient, each one having different triggers for attacks. This helpful video from Everyday Health helps explain asthma and its triggers, which can include:

• Exposure to cigarette smoke
  
• Allergens, particularly seasonal one
• Dust
• Plants, grass and other vegetation
• Mold
• Cardiovascular exercise
• Pets and animals
• Cold air

When you're suffering from asthma, it's important to talk to your doctor about your condition -- although the triggers might not be obvious to you, your doctor can usually determine what your triggers are through tests or even just dialogue.

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Spring is already more than half over, so if you haven't moved your workout outdoors yet chances are you're planning on it soon. And even if you really love the gym and the treadmill, getting outdoors at least every once in awhile is a really good idea.

Outdoors and indoors each require their own separate set of equipment and gadgets, however. Sure, all you really need is yourself and a good pair of shoes (and a t-shirt and shorts, unless you want to get arrested). But to be honest with ourselves it's largely a game of motivation, so giving yourself the tools and gadgets you want (need?) is a good idea to make sure you keep at it.

Check out this slideshow from iVillage featuring 8 fun outdoor fitness gadgets and gear. My favorites are the ultra-absorbent Kenakai Bandana and the Firefly light up water bottle.

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Seasonal allergies can sideline you better than an actual illness if you let them go untreated, but all too often the treatment comes along with side-effects that are arguably as bad as or even worse than the original symptoms. Some people swear that exercise helps gets things moving (like sinuses), but for some it only makes things worse.

If you're one of those where it seems to make things worse, are you exercising outdoors? If you already have allergies then huffing and puffing and breathing the irritants even deeper into your lungs is obviously going to not going to make things better for you. So try working out indoors (if you haven't already). Depending on the severity of your allergies, it could make all the difference. I know some people who have allergies that are just as bad inside as out, but it's worth a shot! Switching indoors (I know, it stinks to be stuck inside this time of year) does work for some people.

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It's that time again...allergy season. If there was ever a reason not to like spring, allergies would be it. And depending where you live, the issue may be even worse than for most. Forbes has compiled a list of the top 100 worst cities for spring allergies in the U.S.

Where does your city rank? Not so good if you live in one of the top three: Tulsa, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Fort Myers. But if you call #100 home, Fort Wayne Indiana, you're doing much better. As for me, I'm happy with a score of 64 -- at least it's in the bottom half!

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Take advantage of the change of seasons, along with warmer weather and longer days, to get your booty outside and enjoy the fresh air -- it'll be good for you in more ways than one. And now is really the ideal time to get outdoors, because the weather is nicely between biting cold and blistering heat -- so you'll be less likely to be deterred (unless, possibly, by spring showers). If you can get a good routine going now, and make it a habit in the upcoming months, by the time summer gets here you'll be going strong.

Walking, running, playing sports -- these are pretty much givens when you think about exercising outdoors, and they should be because cardio is an important part of any well-rounded fitness plan. But some others that target strength building and toning, like pull-ups and lunges, might not spring to mind so quickly.

According to bodybuildingforyou.com, these are some of the top outdoor strength-training exercises:

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Tis the season of limited outdoor activities. Not so much where I live (we're having a much warmer than average winter here in the Midwest) but generally speaking winter is the worst time of year for outdoor fitness and sports. Jogging and walking can get waylaid by snow and ice, and skiing definitely isn't for everybody. But snowshoeing might be.

Snowshoeing offers a low-impact total body workout that gets you outdoors, gives you an awesome energy burn (600 cals/hour), and best of all -- it's fun! Today's snowshoes are lighter and more comfortable than they used to be, and it's so easy anybody can do it.

See this video clip from CNN.com to learn more, and even get some beginner pointers.

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As much as I hate winter with its freezing temperatures and icy weather, I know it serves a purpose. Here in the Midwest we're experiencing a much warmer than average winter season, and it seems to be happening in other parts of the U.S. as well. Besides being hard on farmland, warm weather this time of year has had other interesting effects -- like doctor's offices getting flooded with patients suffering from seasonal allergy symptoms, in January!

This winter's strange weather patterns have caused a flush of mold spores and other allergens, and many patients making appointments thinking they have a common cold are finding out they really just have allergies. Doctors warn that things may only get worse if the weather stays on the same track -- the official allergy season may start earlier than normal if wildflowers get a head start and trees bud early.

Ugh.

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If you've got a good thing going in the form of an outdoor fitness routine, don't let cold weather and a few snow flurries deter you. Although it's a simple thing to do, continuing with your morning jog through the winter months does take some preparation -- in the way of clothes and gear -- in order to stay warm and safe.

One of my favorites is the Zula ZigZag Earphone Hat, cuz it's not only a hat with headphones built right in, but it's also really cute! And my other favorite has got to be The Northface Flask -- it's designed to sling over your shoulder and it's heated.

See the slide show of fun, useful, and stylish winter gear to help keep your cold-weather-workout on track this season.

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The holidays are infamous for sneaking pounds on one by one, although I don't know if "sneaking" really applies because we all see it happening -- just aren't sure how to stop it. There has to be literally thousands of tips out there on how to manage holiday weight gain -- and here are some more to try! But honestly, I think it's always worth looking because you just might find that "miracle tip" that works for you. So here are a few according to ediets.com:

• Rent your workout. I actually think this one is really cool: head to the video store and rent a workout video. Use it 3 or 4 times during the week, and then when you return it pick up a different one. Definitely not monotonous or boring! And you can commit to this plan for just a few weeks to get you through the holiday hump.
• Chocolate covered strawberries. Make a batch of strawberries and take them to work to help ward off temptations of higher-fat cake and brownies.
• Spoil your appetite and focus on fun. Eat something before you head off to a party with a buffet (so you'll be less tempted to sample absolutely everything!) and once you get there focus on friends and having fun. The time will fly by and you'll forget to keep snacking.

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