Is it that the days become shorter and the nights become longer, or that the temperatures begin to shift and the winds start to pick up strength? Fall season is when the trees and shrubs shed their leaves in preparation for the winter ahead, and their colors change from green to more vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows.
Just like the weather and the seasons, your body is constantly adapting and changing along with the environment. This includes both the outer environment and the inner environment, consisting of your thoughts, emotions, and nutrition.
For some, the Fall season is about pumpkin patches, hot apple cider, Halloween and Thanksgiving festivities. However, for others it could bring on headaches, the flu, colds, joint pain, anxiety and other physiological and psychological symptoms including but not limited to dry skin, dehydration, constipation, bloating, insomnia, high blood pressure, irregular digestion and appetite, migraines, weakened immunity, increased appetite, food cravings, poor circulation, cold hands and feet, sciatica, nerve pain, fatigue, nervousness, worry, feeling ungrounded, spacey, unsettled, restless and jumpy, as well as having an overactive mind, overthinking, and a change in mood and feelings.
Take a closer look at the symptoms above. These are all imbalances that correspond to the elements of ether and air which are the most prominent elements in the Fall Season.
To maintain overall health and vitality during this time, you want to balance these elements with the opposite elements of water and earth, which are hydrating and grounding.
During the seasonal transition period, people can sometimes experience more feelings of fatigue during the day, difficulties getting out of bed in the mornings if it’s still dark outside, the need for more sleep, and cravings for more carbohydrate-rich foods. Honor yourself and give your body some extra love and care to meet its needs during this time.
Pick a tip from the list below to practice and maintain wellness during Fall Season:
- Establish a daily routine with structure and consistency. This will help ease your mind, relax your nervous system, keep your digestion strong and your energy stable.
- Follow a seasonal diet. Eat plenty of grounding root vegetables such as beets, squashes, carrots and sweet potatoes.
- Pay attention to what is growing locally and try to eat the organic foods coming from your local farmers.
- Eat cooked foods. Avoid cold, dry, raw foods, and instead have something warm, moist, and well-cooked like a curry, blended soup, stew or roasted veggies.
- Move your body and get plenty of exercise throughout the day.
As you start to get better acquainted with your body, and how it responds to different foods or activities during different seasons, you will notice that you are constantly changing and adapting to live in harmony with nature and the changing seasons.
What is something you have noticed about or within yourself since the Fall Season has started?