Autumn Nourishment

Eat for the season.
I so appreciate how Ayurveda offers guidance for living in sync with the seasons of the year and suggests adjustments for  diet and daily activities to stay healthy and balanced.

If we don’t live in alignment with the seasons, we can easily fall into imbalance and dis-ease. When we understand the nature of the season and how to adapt, we can weather the changes and thrive.

Ayurveda calls fall a “vata” season. Vata is characterized by the elements of air and either. Autumn weather is changeable, varied, windy at times, cold. Just like this week. Some of the qualities of this season are: light, dry, cold, rough, mobile, subtle and clear.

In the summer, when it was hot, you probably enjoyed your water and drinks on the cooler side and favored lighter foods like melon, cucumber, and salads to stay cool and light. But, now that the weather is cool, dry and light, it’s time to enjoy the opposite.

In the fall season, favor warmer, slightly heavier, mushier, and even oilier foods and warm drinks that will nourish you and keep you feeling grounded in this season of change.

On Sundays, I do a kitchen practice I call Kitchen Sadhana, the practice of nourishment. For my Kitchen Sadhana Sunday, I organize my kitchen, shop for the week ahead, make a weekly meal plan and do food prep.

What’s in season is what you should be eating.
Think apples, cranberries, fresh brussel sprouts, cauliflower, delicata squash, romanesco broccoli, rutabaga, rainbow carrots, leeks and beets. My garden still has loads of kale and there are still some dandelion greens to be found.

These are some of dishes I’m enjoying this fall:

• Curry chicken bake + roasted root veggies and with brussel sprouts and basmati rice
• Winter salad bowl with whole grains and kale
• Tofu and broccoli stir fry over brown rice
• Yellow split and red lentil dal with kale
• Spanish egg and potato and kale frittata served over braised romaine
• Lemony carrot cauliflower soup
• Warm roasted beet salad
• Spiced oatmeal with apples and cranberries.
• Golden almond milk with turmeric and ginger
• Warm dandelion green smoothie with banana, cinnamon, soaked almonds, cacao and coconut

Need some seasonal recipe ideas? Check out my Vibrant Living Recipes Web page, a collection of curated recipes for healthy eating.

Need reminders for what to do to stay healthy in Autumn? Check out How to Live Vibrantly in Autumn Tip Sheet.

Happy Autumn Eating!