Nutritional advice for Autumn
Seasonal transitions can be difficult. The beautiful autumn leaves, falling temperatures and shorter daylight hours are all signs that the activity of the summer months is starting to slow down ready for hibernation over the winter. As the days get shorter, we tend to have less energy, less inclination to exercise and be more susceptible to a wide variety of colds and viruses. Conditions such as eczema, asthma and Seasonal Affective Disorder can also start to rear their ugly head due to the rapid changes in light and temperature.
But it’s not all bad; we can use this time to prepare for the colder months ahead. Making a few conscious and simple changes to your diet and lifestyle will help you stay well during the autumn. Try the following tips to help weather the changes!
- Start by matching your diet to the season; the fruit and vegetables that come into season are nature’s way of reminding us what to eat this time of year. Use plenty of autumn vegetables (such as pumpkins, squash, sweet potatoes, celeriac, carrots, leeks, onions, fennel, Jerusalem artichokes, kohlrabi, marrow, sea vegetables) served with pulses (beans, lentils, chickpeas etc).
- This is the time of year to reintroduce hearty warming soups and stews into your diet using those seasonal vegetables. Try to incorporate more cooked foods but continue to have a little of those all important digestive enzyme rich sprouted pulses and seeds sprinkled on top. Include garlic and turmeric plus black pepper to help to boost your immune system and reduce inflammation. Try my tasty recipe below.
- To avoid feeling low now the daylight hours are reducing, it is important to focus on taking in the right essential fatty acids. Try soaked linseeds or linseed tea every day and include oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines or herring in your diet a couple of times a week.
- Stimulate your lymphatic system by dry skin brushing 3 times a week and try taking a magnesium-rich Epsom salt bath to reduce swelling, relax muscles and soothe dry skin.
- As the nights draw in, try to get more sleep (8 hours if possible – 10-10.30pm is an ideal time to go to sleep), helping your body restore vitality ready for the next day.
- It is also a good idea to try to spend some time outdoors. Physical activity and exertion will help you relax more deeply and sleep more soundly, as well as providing an important boost of vitamin D to enhance your mood. Gentle outdoor exercise such as walking, biking, light jogging or even gardening are excellent activities at this time of year.
Autumn recipe: Vegetable Curry
- 6-8 cups of vegetables e.g. cauliflower, broccoli, leeks, carrots, butternut squash, sweet potato, celery, green beans, fennel, Jerusalem artichokes, kohlrabi, marrow, sea vegetables
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil or butter ghee
- 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp turmeric, ½ tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp ground cardamom, ½ tsp fennel seeds, ¼ tsp cayenne or paprika, pinch black pepper
- 55g/2oz creamed coconut
- 55g/2oz ground almonds
- ½ pint boiling water or vegetable juices from steamed veg, or chicken stock
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1-2 tsp grated ginger
- 1-2 cloves grated garlic
- Sweat the onion for 3 mins in coconut oil or butter ghee. Cut vegetables into shapes which cook in roughly equal times and add to the onions. Sweat until they begin to soften.
- Add spices to the pan and sweat for a further 2 minutes.
- Dissolve coconut in boiling water and add to vegetables along with lemon juice, ginger, garlic and ground almonds. Stir to mix.
- Simmer for a few minutes longer. Add more water if mixture becomes too dry.
- Serve with short grain brown rice, millet or quinoa. Enjoy!
About the author
Nicki Edgell trained at the College of Natural Nutrition with Barbara Wren. She sees clients in Brighton and at Cliffe Osteopaths, Lewes. She writes articles, gives talks and runs short courses in nutritional healing and cookery workshops. Nicki is passionate about helping others on their healing journey. She is also a Nikken Independent consultant. For 1-to-1 nutritional advice and consultations, 1-to-1 cookery classes, to book onto a balancing hormones workshop or for Nikken wellness product information contact:
www.nutritionandhealing.co.uk
nicki@nutritionandhealing.co.uk
01273 230947 / 07786405366
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