Fall Routine
Fall weather kicked in a couple days ago. Fall is a beautiful time of year. The leaves are changing to orange, red, and yellow hues, the wind kicks up, and the air feels brisk and fresh. The energy shifts from one of a fiery passion to a subtle feeling of comfort. Cozying up with a warm cup of tea and sweater away from the traffic and buzz of the world is welcomed. With each seasonal transition, we too can modify ourselves to compliment our environment. Here are some diet and routine recommendations for the Fall season.
Diet:
It’s time to move away from the light, cool foods of the summer and start adopting more heavy, warm and mushy/soft oily foods
The three tastes to favor in this season are sweet, sour and salty
Breakfast options to favor this season include: oatmeal, rice porridge with warming spices like cardamom, stewed apples or pears with cinnamon, eggs cooked with ghee
Lunch and dinner options to favor this season include: steamed vegetables – now is the time to cook root vegetables, soups, stews, hearty grains, and if you’re a meat eater, it is the best time to eat meat (best grass fed beef is available in the fall)
Overall, you’ll want to reduce your consumption of raw vegetables, cold and frozen foods, bitter, astringent, and pungent tastes. It’s also not the best time to practice fasting, or intermittent fasting this season, as your body needs the most nourishment this time of year
Now is a good time to consume dairy products and nuts. Dairy choices to favor are: warm milk, cheese, yogurt, ghee, butter, cream
Favor room temperature, warm or hot drinks. Avoid iced and chilled beverages as it dampens your digestive fire
Consume as much oil in your diet as you can. Great oils to include now are: sesame, almond, and olive
Lastly, open up your spice rack and cook with: basil, black pepper, cinnamon, clove, cumin, garlic, ginger, paprika, rosemary, and turmeric
Routine:
It’s a great time to establish a consistent routine which means trying to do the same things daily: waking up at the same time, eating meals at the same time, exercising at the same time, and sleeping at the same time. The excitement of Vata (movement) can make it harder to keep a routine as there’s much more hustle and bustle, so it’s very important to create a consistent schedule
In the morning if you can wake up before 6am that is ideal, however this season it’s ok to sleep in by that extra half hour. Start your day with simple stretching and exercises and 10-20 minutes of quiet meditation. This will set a calm tone for the rest of your day
Engage in pranayama or breathing exercises – alternate nostril breathing is wonderful for calming the nerves and any anxiety that is present
Before getting in the shower, give yourself a warm oil massage with sesame oil or almond oil – this is called Abhyanaga or oil massage. Self-massage keeps you young - it improves your circulation, stamina, strengthens your body tissues, increases moisture for softer skin, and aides in better sleep
Make sure to eat your breakfast – favor the warm breakfasts in the morning, soups for lunch, and nourishing seasoned stews and grains for dinner
Aim to be in bed by 10PM and get the full eight hours of sleep – this time of night is governed by Kapha (stability) – which means it’s a naturally soothing and relaxing time of day and best for quality sleep
