“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.” – George Eliot

We can all see and feel the change in temperature, the change in the trees, the change in the light. Our bodies are our internal environment, reflecting and harmonizing the changes of the earth and the seasons.

Eating with the seasons is a smart way to keep our bodies in the best of health. When you eat what is seasonal in your location you strengthen your body’s immune system, you give your body the foods that are most healing for it’s digestion and nourishment and you create balance and harmony that manifests in your body and in your life.

Here are 3 easy ways to adjust to the cold seasons of fall and winter. I recommend to make it a gradual change that starts as you start feeling the chill in the air and deepens as you go into winter.

Food Choices and Cooking Methods

Gradually decrease the amount of raw foods you eat like salads and increase the amount of cooked foods you eat like stir fries, baked and roasted vegetables, soups and stews. Slow cooking and low heat baking is very appropriate as the weather gets cold.

Use more root vegetables like parsnips, sweet potatoes, beets carrots and rutabaga. Don’t forget that greens are important all year long so use hardy winter greens like kale, mustard and collard greens.

Use more oil and salt in the cold seasons, they help preserve body heat and keep you warm.

Hot Oil Massage

This Ayurvedic practice is wonderful to create balance, heal fatigue, improve circulation and promote relaxation and healing on all levels.

I like to use organic almond massage oil. Warm the oil by placing the oil bottle in a cup of hot tap water. Pour some oil into your hands and start massaging from the feet upward in circular motions. Here is youtube video tutorial to walk you through this healing practice:

After your massage, rest for a few moments and then take a hot shower or hot bath.

This practice will also help you practice body love, as you massage each part of your body send it a thought of appreciation and love.

Seasonal Cleanse

So many people make the mistake of starting a cleanse in January (New Year Resolution!) that is not appropriate for the cold season and then wonder why it’s not working. What most people think of as a cleanse, like juicing, green drinks, sprouting and raw vegetables is more appropriate for a Spring cleanse but doesn’t really work in other seasons. Also, every cleanse needs to have a balance of cleansing and nourishment that looks different at each seasons.

I recommend to do a cleanse at the beginning of each seasons and a mini cleanse monthly, to keep our digestive system sparkly and happy. Here is a one day cleanse that you can easily do on a monthly basis during the fall and winter:

• Star your day with a hot cup of vegetable broth. To make broth place cut up veggies (onions, carrots, celery, broccoli, garlic, parsley…) in a pot, cover with water, add a piece of Kombu seaweed (high in nutrients and minerals) and simmer on low heat for 1-2 hours. Drain, season with salt and pepper and drink.
• Avoid all animal proteins for the day. Make meals with whole grains, beans and plenty of vegetables.
• Drink a cup of warm water with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and a teaspoon of raw honey mixed in before every meal.

To follow a full seasonal cleanse, including menu plan and recipes, you can download my Cleanse For All Seasons.

Which one of those suggestions are you going to try?

xoxo Rachel