When I need to know the answer to something, I often find myself looking to nature. For instance, trying to work out recently when I needed to start slowing down the pace of my life. As it had been a busy summer with lots of energy being spent outside with my little boy Kade trying to teach him about the wonders of nature, and work had been full on with lots of exciting projects beginning over in the creative content department of my business.
The answer hit me when I was standing playing in the same field I take my son to a couple of times a week one day, when I suddenly blinked and took a real long slow look around. Autumn had officially arrived as everything was busy turning orange or yellow as the chlorophyll was busy going away for the year. (I tried to Google this but still cannot find where it goes!)
And just as the leaves are busy changing, so should out diets (and lifestyles) to keep up with the cold weather that is fast approaching that often brings with it lots of annoying illnesses! So as well as advising you all to start slowing down the pace mentally, here are my favourite autumnal foods that could help keep pesky winter colds at bay too:
- Butternut Squash – Perfect side dish to meat when roasted into cubes or rings, and makes a great soup.
- Courgettes – Turn them into courgetti spaghetti to replace pasta entirely, or try adding them into pasta dishes and frittata’s and omelettes.
- Apples – Perfect quick snack dipped in almond or cashew butter and makes a great ingredient in gluten free, dairy free, sugar free fruit crumble when you are craving something sweet, rich and healthy. (Yes it can be done!)
- Broccoli – Try them in a stir fry, or chopped up finely and added to omelette’s or homemade (or even packet!) soups for an extra source of calcium and to help your liver detox better.
- Pumpkin – Who could forget to include the most popular of all autumnal foods?! Perfect again in soups, roasted in the oven and used as a side dish, in a smoothie (cook it first or save your left overs) and in a dairy free and sugar free pumpkin pie dessert recipe.
Use Food Wisely & It Will Help You Reap Winter Health Rewards
I hope I have inspired you to think of incorporating some different vegetables and fruit into your diet this autumn. As I know it is very easy to get caught up making the same dishes time and again because they are what we know best and so are easy when time is short. But the above foods are all packed with nutrients that will help build your body up when there are lots of bugs and viruses going around this winter.
Plus, hopefully some food items I have mentioned are different to what you are currently eating which is another reason to re-think your autumnal dishes. As you are more likely to start including more nutrients and reduce deficiencies in general when you include a wider choice of foods into your life. Enjoy autumn everybody!
