Happy Fall!

The seasons are turning and Autumn is upon us. In the rocky mountains Autumn comes with aspen leaves glowing golden against the crisp blue skies. It also comes with colder nights and shorter days that trigger our bodies to prepare for the winter ahead.

In this issue we discuss the joys and benefits of seasonal eating, share our delicious kale soup and give you one last chance to sign up for our Guided Fall Cleanse. Our introductory call will be on Thursday October 7th and we start cleansing on Monday October 11th. So if you feel the urge jump on board while you still can. You’ll want the weekend to prepare.

Healthy Blessings, Cindy and Jo

In this Edition

1. Eating with the Seasons
2. Seasonal Treasures for Fall
3. Hearty Kale Soup
4. Last Chance for the Guided Fall Cleanse!
5. Stories from the Fall Cleanse

Eating with the Seasons

As we journey through the wheel of the year everything changes. Our environment changes from hot and sunny to cold and wet to dry and windy depending on the seasons. And as the seasons change so do our bodies. Each new season brings specific positive energies and challenges that our bodies need to adjust to.

Maintaining good health through the seasons has a lot to do with learning how to gracefully transition from one season to the next. Being in harmony with your environment and being able to adapt to its changes are strong foundations for excellent health.

Fall Bounty will Bring you Grounding for the Winter

As the weather gets colder and the days grow shorter it’s time to gather our energy in from the frenzy of summer and create a grounded stability for winter. This is life’s universal response to this particular seasonal shift. Trees drop their leaves for the season, perennial plants draw their energy down into their roots and bears and other animals retreat into hibernation for the winter. Of course, we’re not hibernating creatures and the pressures of our busy lives won’t let us withdraw altogether. But the shifting of seasons from Summer into Fall does require a slower pace and a sense of groundedness.

Fortunately, as always, nature gives us just what we need. The root vegetables and winter squashes that are piling up in gardens and farmer’s markets this time of year are the perfect foods for grounding. These substantial starchy veggies provide the calming nourishment needed to fortify ourselves for the upcoming winter. This is a great time for eating potatoes, beets, carrots, parsnips, and yams. Depending on the climate where you live and your body type this may also be a good time of year to include some high quality local meat and eggs in your diet.

Eating heavier foods and warming spices like cinnamon, ginger and pepper will stabilize your body and protect you from the cold in your environment. Maintaining a strong inner fire is important for warding off the passing colds and flus and to feel healthy and strong throughout the Winter months.

Getting Flexible for Seasonal Eating

Many people are looking for the answer to the same questions…What is the perfect diet? But there is no one answer to this question. Every body is different and every person has specific needs. And your personal needs will change as you age and as the seasons change.

As you get more in tune with your personal health and develop a truly healthy relationship with food you’ll have to let go of the search for the “perfect” diet. Instead you can work on strengthening your intuition and your flexibility so that you can make the best possible choices in each varied moment. The combination of foods that worked perfectly for you during the summer will most definitely fail you as the Fall and Winter set in. Likewise, the diet that you settle into during this coming Winter will have to give way to a lighter Spring diet when the sun returns if you want that spring in your step to come back.

Many people just want something they can count on. A reliable prescription. But eating the same thing month after month and year after year can cause your body to stagnate. Many food allergies that we experience in this culture stem from the excessive and continued use of a few specific food items. In a natural system of seasonal eating you would have access to different foods at different times of the year and you would inevitably get a break from each food when it fell out of season.

As you return to a seasonal rhythm in your diet you will discover some of the wondrous joys that our ancestors have experienced for millennia. If you pull back from the modern supermarket approach to food you will once again experience excitement and delight for fresh greens as they spring forth after a long winter of squash and potatoes. The delicious juiciness of cherries or peaches at the peak of their season will be like reuniting with a long lost friend. And the bounty and abundance of the Fall will be celebrated with deep reverence and gratitude as it has been for generations.

If you're ready for some extra support and guidance in connecting more deeply with your food please join us for the Guided Fall Cleanse. Sign up today so you have the weekend to prepare.

Special Detox Tip: Seasonal Treasures for Fall

Gardens and farmer's markets are piling up with the hearty and abundant harvests of Fall! Nature offers countless treasures to nourish us during this special time of year. The rich nutrients and substantial nourishment of the Fall bounty are specially designed to get you ready for the Winter ahead.

Here are some of our favorite Fall foods and recipes:

Apples, Pears, Potatoes, Yams, Parsnips, Carrots, Beets, and Squash...Butternut, Acorn, Spaghetti, to name a few.