Fall Into Fitness: Hot Tips To Stay Healthy As Temperatures Cool

(NAPSI)-Whether you've been active all summer or are getting motivated to live a healthier lifestyle, fall is an excellent time to start a fitness program so you can continue the good habits into the holiday season and the winter months. Fall also brings a healthy harvest of flavors to grocery store shelves and is a great time to try nutritious seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Here are some tips that will help make your fall season healthy and active for the whole family:

• Commit to a community event. Many cities hold their annual fun runs, charity walks and competitive races like marathons in the cooler fall months. Sign up with your family or friends; it will give you a goal to work toward and you'll feel a real sense of accomplishment when you cross the finish line.

• Put one foot in front of the other. Walking is one of the most enjoyable fall activities for good reason--you can do it anywhere and the weather will keep you cool. Discover local forest preserve paths and park trails and take in some new scenery, whether you're walking, running or even biking.

• Taste fall's healthy harvest. Many unique vegetables are harvested in the fall, making it the perfect time to introduce these new flavors to your meals. Leafy greens like spinach, Swiss chard and kale are best in the fall.

• Choose an indoor grill. Indoor grilling provides simple, fast and healthier cooking all year long. On colder days or days with inclement weather, contact grills such as the new George Foreman G-Broil Grill make it possible to cook healthier, flavorful dinners in minutes. This new grill drains fat away from food and has a special floating hinge that locks to allow for broiling so you can put gourmet touches on grilled meats or vegetables. Try grilling pears and sprinkling with a bit of cinnamon for a tasty, guilt-free treat.

• Gain support. The Web has an overwhelming amount of fitness and nutrition information. Find a few favorite sites, such as the home pages for your favorite health and fitness magazines, or interactive sites like www.knockoutthefat.com. At this site, you can follow four individuals as they endeavor to lose weight with assistance from expert trainers and healthy cooking gadgets. Weigh in with your own personal tips and you could win prizes!

Watching what you eat this fall doesn't mean you have to sacrifice taste or flavor. Here's a delicious, low-calorie recipe that can be prepared any season on an indoor contact grill, such as a George Foreman G-Broil Grill.

Grilled Beef with Root Vegetables & Orange Vinaigrette

½ pound lean beef

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons pomegranate juice

1¼ teaspoons black pepper, divided

1 large celery root

2 large carrots

6 medium beets, cooked (substitute 8.5-oz. can cooked beets)

1 shallot, minced

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon orange zest (optional garnish)

Remove visible fat from beef and cut into very thin slices. In a resealable plastic bag, combine soy sauce, pomegranate juice and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Add beef slices and seal tightly. Turn and squeeze bag to coat beef with marinade. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Set the temperature of a contact grill, such as the George Foreman G-Broil Grill, to high and allow grill to preheat. Place beef strips on the grilling plate and close lid. Cook for 2 minutes. Check beef with the tip of a knife.

Cool beef. Peel celery root and carrots. Cut celery root, carrots and beets into matchstick pieces and place in a large bowl with cooled beef. In a small bowl, whisk together shallot, white wine vinegar, orange juice, oil, salt and remaining pepper. Pour dressing over the salad and garnish with orange zest. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Serves 4.

For more grilling recipes, visit www.knockoutthefat.com.

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