Photo: Saskei, Flickr

As summer winds down, so does one of my favorite things about the sunny season -- freshly-grown veggies. Sweet, juicy and succulent, you'd be hard pressed to find produce as tasty as this in December, particularly in the part of the world where I live. So let's appreciate them while we can, OK?

The Washington Post recently did just that by celebrating a summertime favorite, fresh corn on the cob. Corn has a bit of a bad reputation, but as it happens, it has some essential nutrients like vitamin B5, vitamin C and folate. An ear of corn is about 100 calories (though obviously that number goes up when you pile on the butter) and -- having both soluble and insoluble fiber-- it acts as a sort of "snow plow" on your digestive system by helping to clean out some of the bad stuff in there. And here's another corn tip: Cooking it increases the antioxidant value, so make sure you eat yours hot.

Of course, corn isn't the only summer veggie that should be making an appearance on your plate this season.

I was a cheerleader back in my high school days. When my squad was training for competitions, we really worked out long and hard. Many times, the muscles in our legs would visibly shake with strain. Our coach, restricted from recommending vitamins or anything of that sort, always brought bananas with her to practice to help us with muscle weakness and muscle cramps. Bananas aren't my favorite fruit, but I have to admit that they helped.

While bananas are a decent source of potassium, there are many other options. Potassium-rich foods are important for your diet. Not only do they help with muscle cramps, but they can also have a positive effect on blood pressure. Good sources include:

• Avocado
• Baked potato with skin
• Edamame
• Papaya
• Sweet potato
• Salmon
• Tomato sauce
• Winter squash
• Cantaloupe
• Dried apricots

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Fall has definitely arrived. The leaves are turning vibrant shades of orange, red, and yellow. The air is crisp and cool. And the farmers markets are full of autumn veggies like squash, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes.

That's good news for you and me. According to Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen, these fall veggies are rich in carotenoids. You might not notice it while enjoying their yummy goodness, but this essential nutrient helps your DNA fight off damage as you age. Not only that, they're high in nutrition and low in fat and calories, making them the perfect addition to a healthy meal.

So this Fall, include some of these autumn veggies in your daily diet. Not sure how? Sweet potatoes can be baked just like white potatoes, pumpkin tastes great in muffins, and the winter squash dishes in the gallery below will definitely make your mouth water.

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Alas, our farm days are over for this growing season. Our CSA farm closes up shop this week, a bit early due to the wet, wet summer; you should see the poor tomato plants. But the rain didn't ruin everything, as we have big, beautiful butternut squashes, just waiting to be cooked and gobbled up.

Butternut squash is loaded with vitamin A as beta carotene, vitamin C and fiber, along with B vitamins, so you really can't lose by making the most of your winter squash.

One of our favorite dishes is a simple pizza with tomato sauce, roasted butternut squash, shallots and sage leaves, topped with prosciutto and feta cheese. How's that for a fun way to eat your squash?

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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Substantial enough to substitute for meat in a meal, eggplant is chock-full of phytonutrients as well as being rich in many vitamins and minerals. Other than in pasta dishes, I haven't cooked much with eggplant in the past. I don't know why... I think it's wonderfully tasty. Baby eggplants are in season right now, so it's the perfect time to try out some new recipes.

Shape Magazine shares a few ideas for trying out this tasty and nutritious food. I love their idea for sauteeing diced baby eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes in olive oil and then baking in the eggplant skin. I think I'll substitute the tomatoes for summer squash. (I'm not a tomato fan... which is too bad because they're so rich in lycopene.) How about you? Do you have any favorite eggplant recipes to share?

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Is the zucchini growing like crazy in your garden? It's that time of year, and probably also the time when you start getting sick of your same old zucchini recipes.

Zucchini is a healthy summer squash, full of manganese, vitamin C, and magnesium, among other plentiful vitamins and minerals. Don't just bake with it -- although I know you are tempted to make some amazing zucchini bread! Instead, make some recipes worthy of zucchini's healthy status.

Over at Kalyn's Kitchen, you'll find ten delicious zucchini recipes, all healthy and low-calorie, ranging from grilled zucchini (my favorite way, with Italian salad dressing!) to roasted zucchini with green onions, feta cheese and basil.

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Fall is a great time of year to try some veggies that may not typically cross your dinner plate. Today, at the farmer's market, I picked up a Hubbard squash, a spaghetti squash, and some sort of gray bumpy thing that I have no idea how to cook. But that's the fun of trying knew things and the Internet is filled with recipes, so why not?

Squash, spinach, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, arugula, and cabbage are all in season right now. If you're leery about trying something new without at least a little background information, check out this guide from Real Simple that will teach you how to buy, store, and prepare some of these common fall vegetables. Then, do what I do: Go to your favorite search engine, put in your main ingredient plus the word "recipe" and hit enter. A whole world of healthy, tasty fall dishes will open up to you!

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Summer is a great time of year to get outside and try a new sport that will help you stay fit and look great. After all, when it's nice out, who wants to be couped up on a treadmill? If you're bored of the same old gym routine and want to get out and enjoy the weather while getting some exercise, try the sports discussed here (note: calories burned are based on an 150lb person):

• Soccer: The sport burns between 630 and 900 calories an hour depending on the level of play and works your quads, hamstrings, calves and glutes. All that running is great for your cardiovascular system too.
• Squash: According to the piece, squash helps burn a whopping 1,080 calories in an hour! The sport also helps hand-eye coordination and strengthens core, shoulder and leg muscles.
• Basketball: Not only is shooting hopes fun, it will burn 400 calories in an hour. A competitive game will burn up to 700, and basketball also helps build coordination and agility. Plus, like soccer, it's good for your cardiovascular system.

Want to find out more? Take a look at the article for alternate work-outs for each sport, as well as for a breakdown on additional activities like water polo and kickboxing.

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