Why shifting your diet to seasonal eating can not only support balanced digestion, but your mental and physical well-being.
As the temps cool and the leaves fall from the trees, casting the earth in a blnaket of vivid color, we might begin to notice our desire for hibernation to ensue. The desire to light a fire in the fireplace, cozy up with a hot cup of cocoa or our favorite latte, snacking on a pumpkin scone or apple muffin. These Fall cravings for warm soups, fresh baked breads and pastries, and that oh-so-familiar pumpkin spice latte doesn't have to be a source of issue for your diet. Rather, it's your body's natural intuition to balance the season with warm, cooked, and sweet foods.
Fall season, also known as Vata season in Ayurveda, has the qualities of light, dry, cold, and fast. We can find that these qualties manifest in our digestion, emotions, mental state, and phsyical experience. This time of year sypmtoms like gas/bloating, stress, anxiety, dry skin, etc are very common expereinces. They are all manifestations of Vata dosha. To balance these qualites, we can offer ourselves the opposite--Ayurveda's natural approach, to treat with opposites.
Instead of light-->heavy
Instead of dry-->moist
Instead of cold-->warm
Instead of fast-->slow
When we turn to nature, we can better understand how to care for ourselves using this idea of "opposites to heal." With Vata dosha being predominant, certain qualities, tastes, and elements found in both Pitta and Kapha dosha are key to balancing the season. When we do this, we can support healthy agni (digestion), the manos (mind), and our doshas (physical body). To understand more about doshas, gunas, and elements, read here.
Here are 3 foods (with bonus recipes) you can include in your diet to embrace seasonal eating:
Carrots
Available in most grocery stores and affortable, carrots sweet taste are the perfect addition to your Fall diet. Be sure to roast, cook, steam, or add carrots to stew/soup to support digestion during the Fall/winter seasons.
Quick Carrot Ginger Soup
6 carrots, peeled & chopped
2 celery stocks, chopped
1/2 cup red lentils
3 cups broth
1 can of coconut milk
1 " knob of ginger, chopped
1-2 tsp Ghee
1 clove garlic, chopped (opt out or swap with Hing)
Cilantro
Salt & Pepper to taste
Put all of the ingredients except for the coconut milk into slow cooker, cook on low for 6-8 hours or until soft. Puree/blend and add coconut milk. Top with cilantro and salt & pepper to taste.
Option to cook on stove-top. Put ghee in first with celery, carrots, red lentils, ginger, and garlic. Cover with broth, bring to boil and simmmer until soft. Puree/blend and add coconut milk with heat off. Top with cilantro and salt & pepper to taste.
Pumpkin & Gourdes
Nothing quite evokes the Fall season as pumpkin and all pumpkin related things. When cooked, these offer the perfect balance to the season with their sweet taste and heavy, moist qualites. They offer the body vital nutrients and are easily digested. Bonus benefits include glowing skin and anti-inflammatory properties.
Cinnamon & Spice
Spices such as cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, anise, and cardamom are great spices for enkindling agni (digestion) and giivng us those cozy, nostalgic tastes of the Fall season. Often times we might try to restrict certain foods or tastes for fear of weight gain (which is very common during the holidays) but incorporating these tastes in foods help us stay out of that restrictive state of mind. Try this easy recipe for my "Cheater Chai" here.
Seasonal Eating doesn't have to be boring or restrictive. It's about learning our natural cravings vs. impaired cravings. Leaning on intuitive eating and enjoying what we eat. Instead of that salad you mihgt have during summer months switch to a warm "salad" with roasted veggies and a simple vinaigrette. Swap that cold smoothie for breakfast with warm, cooked oatmeal or a whole-milk latte (ditching the espresso if it gives you issue). When we lean into the harvests of the season by making these simple, intentional shifts, we can also gain the benefits of the season by having a balanced mind and body to enjoy it.
If this post spoke to you and you would like to learn more about what foods would best support you, you can scheudle a FREE discovery call here.
Ready to dive in and learn how Ayurveda can support you to live your most vibrant, abundant life? I am now accepting clients for Ayurvedic Health Counseling at reduced rates. Start today.
Be well,
Grace Lee
Founder of Samasta Ayurveda
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