September is national Fruits & Veggies - More Matters month! During this month, everyone is encouraged to make a special effort to get the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables each day. According to the Fruits & Veggies - More Matters website, over 90 percent of adults and children don’t eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables. Um.. wow! Ninety percent is a lot!

One of the main reasons many of us don’t get enough is because our lives are fast-paced, and most of us tend to eat on the go.

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Since fruit and vegetables usually require some degree of extra effort when preparing meals, and are sometimes unavailable when we eat out, they’re usually the first thing to get left out when we’re in a rush. I know how hard it is to get enough fruit and vegetables everyday, especially when you’re busy! But here are a few ideas to help you out:

• Buy easy-to-pack fruit like oranges, apples, etc. so that you can have fruit to take with you when you’re on the go.
• Also try buying dried fruit next time you shop. (All fruit, whether it’s dried, frozen, fresh or in juice, counts toward your daily serving requirements!) And dried fruit is great because it doesn’t spoil as quickly as fresh fruit. So even if you don’t have time to get to the store as often as you’d like. Dried fruit can also be sprinkled over cereal in the morning, which takes a few extra seconds, but gets you that much closer to the recommended servings of fruit and veggies per day.
• Keep a bag of frozen fruit in your freezer. My roommates and I like frozen peaches! They’re actually GOOD! :) They’re also a quick, refreshing snack in the summer and are low calorie as well. Does it get any better?
• Smoothies and juices are also a great way to get extra servings of fruit (and even vegetables). If you don’t have time to fix a big breakfast or lunch at home, choose to grab a smoothie or fruit juice when you do stop for a snack. You can down it in the car without having to stop to sit down and eat.
• Pile on the veggies when you make or order a sandwich! This might require a mere extra five seconds… (which I would bet even the busiest people probably can afford) :)
• Bring a V8, V8 Splash, or another vegetable juice with you to replace your usual soda or snack while you’re at work. You could even bring a veggie juice to have at lunch. And many vegetable juices are available in a diet or low calorie option as well.

This month is a great time for all of us to pay extra attention to our nutrition and eating habits. Eating more fruits and veggies is one of the most important parts of maintaining a well-balanced diet. Make a special effort this September and let us know how it goes!

When done correctly, this move works all four abdominal muscle groups.

First, lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. Put your hands behind your head. Bring your knees up to a 45 degree angle and let your feet come up off the floor. Slowly go through a bicycle motion with your legs. Extend one leg as you bend the other leg and bring it towards your body. Then alternate sides. As you “pedal” your legs, you will reach your left elbow towards your right knee (as it comes towards your body), and then your right elbow towards your left knee (as you switch sides).

KEYS:

As you do the exercise, keep your abs pressed towards the floor! Go slow enough that you can breath evenly throughout the exercise and maintain correct form. (As with most ab exercises, form is more important than speed!)

Keep your eyes focused at an upward angle. This will prevent you from pulling your neck and head too far forward. By keeping your neck relaxed and straight, you can focus on using your abs to do the crunch. Better form means better results.

With the bicycle crunch, the amount you extend your lower leg will determine the difficulty of this exercise. If you are advanced, you can extend the lower (extended) leg until it is completely straight. If you are a beginner, you can keep the extended leg slightly bent. Regardless of your level, keep in mind that it is more important to maintain correct form and do an easier version of the exercise. Once you are stronger and can maintain proper form, you can increase the difficulty of the crunch.