Chrono-nutrition aka seasonal eating

Here we are ! Diving into Autumn with cooler breeze and shorter days. I love the fresh nights, invigorating mornings and sunny days with crispy air. With jumpers coming out of the cupboard comes the time for teas, stews and soups.

This is a time when I cleanse my diet and revise my menu plan to compose with winter vegetables and cooking style. Just as the seasons change, so do the foods mother earth bring forth.

Seasonal eating contains a certain innate wisdom that communicates biochemically with the body. As the seasons change, so do the foods, their macro nutrient ratio and the signal telling your body what to do. When we think autumn, we think of foods like potatoes, corn, apples, pumpkins, dates, figs, pears and squash. In ancient Chinese medicine, autumn is the time to replenish your yang energy, keep warm and prevent dryness.

This year, the change of season may be your call for beginning your self-empowerment journey towards nurturing and nourishing yourself, because this is a time to slow down and reflect.

HOW TO TRANSITION INTO AUTUMN

Autumn is the perfect time to cleanse your body and be ready for the winter season. Going off sugar, alcohol and caffeine for a while will support your immune system, promote circulation and get you ready for the cold.

It is also a time to gather and store. A great way to preserve foods for winter ahead is to make lacto-fermented foods such as pickles, chutneys, sauerkraut… These foods feed the good bacteria in your gut, directly supporting your immune system.

1- YOUR BREAKFAST
Swap your morning smoothies with vegetable soups based on bone broth, or try some refried black beans.
Replace cold cereal with warming porridge. Soak oats or whole quinoa in water overnight. Add almond milk in the morning and cook with added cinnamon, raw honey and cooked fruits.
2- YOUR LUNCH
Slowly let go off your raw salads, for cooked salad. Roast vegetables like pumpkin, sweet potato, onion, beetroot, broccoli…. And an egg, or some home-baked turkey breast for a complete meal.
Replace your fruit salad with warming, cooked seasonal fruit: simmer your fruit with cinnamon, cardamom and vanilla covered with water for 10 minutes. Check our stewed rhubarb and pear recipe.
3- YOUR DINNER
Warm your body up with soups, casseroles and slow cooked foods.
Warm up with spices: add ginger, cinnamon, fennel seed, cayenne to warm your body, stimulate circulation and boost your immunity.

Yours in health and wellness, Val