Transitioning to Fall

The leaves are changing and temperatures are getting cooler. This season is a time for the body to begin gathering energy for the colder months to come. Transitioning to fall can come with challenges but eating the right foods and staying at the top of your game will help keep you healthy this season.

Key note: In addition to regular acupuncture treatments, healthy lifestyle changes, and hydration, proper nutrition can help you stay healthy during the fall.

What foods should you eat?

You may have guessed it but yes pumpkins and squash are perfect foods for transitioning to fall! Think orange, red, and root veggies. Vegetables of autumn like carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach and kale can help purify and protect your body against free radicals. These color-rich vegetables are packed with beta-carotene, which then turns into vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential for our immune system, especially as the cold and flu season rolls in. These vegetables can also strengthen your lungs and large intestine to fight illness.

Vegetables to cook with:

● Root veggies like carrots, parsnips, beets

● Acorn and winter squash

● pumpkin

● broccoli and cauliflower

● parsley

● kale and collard greens

Autumn weather becomes more yin, calling for warming dishes. Foods to cook that are in harmony with the season include more sour foods, as well as foods rich in protein and fats. Read our previous post on diet and optimal nutrition, here.

Sour/pungent foods to cook with:

● sauerkraut

● yogurt (vegan? use coconut unsweeted yogurt)

● rosehip tea

● ginger (tea and cook with it in soups and stews)

● garlic

● horseradish

Some find it hard to let go of summer, with the longer days and warm air transitioning into the crisp and shorter days of fall. Acupuncture not only helps the body physically, but mentally as well. Fall is a great time to see an acupuncturist as your body and mind adapt to the changing of the season.

If you need a little extra support, check out Dr. Heintze’s online course, Autumn Nutrition, available now!

Give our office a call at (425) 686-4487 to schedule a consultation to see how we can help you prepare for the new season ahead and to stay in good health!