Written by: Amy Bondar, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
The end of summer is the time of transition in nature and of adjustment in our lives. It is a challenging transition as we often feel summer has flown by, and we are not quite ready to get back into the busyness of Fall. We still have 3 weeks before the season officially changes, but the cooler air, summer holidays ending, and kids heading back to school catapults us into change. It is important to be present with the time we have left in this season and at the same time embrace the changes that are inevitably coming.
Seasonal transitions also mark an important time to switch up our diet and lifestyle. Seasonal eating is one of my absolute favorite nutritional practices and teachings. In all of the conflicting and changing information in the nutritional world, seasonal eating holds the greatest wisdom, simply makes sense, and stands the test of time. Aligning ourselves with the wisdom of mother nature and providing our body with the exact foods it needs to be well in each season is a wise way to approach our nutrition. There is perfection to the foods we are meant to eat with each season, and when we follow that wisdom (which comes from the science of Ayurveda), we provide our body the key elements, tastes, and nutrients it needs to be well and maintain good health.
You may notice that about 3 weeks before a new season begins, your cravings and what you desire to eat start to change. As the weather is cooling and there is that late summer chill in the air, you may feel a pull to eat more building foods – more protein-rich foods, a little more essential fats (such as nuts and nut butter) than during spring and summer and warming fuel from whole grains (oatmeal, brown rice), steamed vegetables and more cooked food like soups and curries. It is important to listen to these subtle cues that the body provides. In fact, gently transitioning your diet in the junction of seasons may be the most important thing you can do to prevent getting sick and keeping your immune system strong.
Cold/flu season ramps up at the end of summer and early fall, as well as the end of winter and early spring. That is because we often do not change our diet and lifestyle soon enough. We stay too long into the foods and lifestyle practices of the last season and don’t provide our body what it needs as we enter the new season. This creates an imbalance in the body. The cold and flu season is upon us, and our diet is our first line of defense. If we stay too long in our light, cooling, higher carbohydrate summer diet and don't begin this building phase, we can be more prone to getting sick and imbalanced. Summer is often about play, spontaneity, parties, BBQ, drinks on the patio, and we find ourselves eating more sugar, ice cream, and drinking more alcohol. But at the end of summer we must clean that up as too much sugar and alcohol will weaken your immunity which is essential to build right now.
Colds and flu can be prevented by eating seasonal foods and adding hot spices, ginger, chilies, garlic, and onions regularly to the diet. All these foods help reduce and clear out excess mucous in the body. Burdock and comfrey are also excellent herbs to use for this purpose. Regular nasal flushes with a ‘Neti-Pot’ are also recommended.
This last month of summer is considered the building time and marks the shift from the outward expression of spring and summer to the inward focus of autumn. There is a desire to earth, to feel more grounded and focused. Late summer is the beginning of harvest time. Fruits are falling ripe to the ground, and vegetables are luscious, full, and bursting in our gardens. We stock up on berries to freeze for the fall and winter, and many love to pickle, jar, and store food for the seasons to come. The Farmer's Markets are plentiful with delicious seasonal fruits and vegetables, and shopping is such a joy as we embrace the bounty of our local farmers and growers. This may also be the time where you are craving a new workout routine focusing on building and toning with more weights and yoga. Your thoughts and ideas centered towards projects, writing, and programs may also be ready to manifest at work.
Transition can be hard, but it offers opportunity, and just as every season turns, so must we. Listen to your body’s call for the changes it wants to make in diet and lifestyle right now and provide it the food and lifestyle practices it is asking for. Enjoy the last weeks that the summer season has to offer while noticing the subtleties of nature’s transitions. The greatest thing you can do to maintain health is to follow nature’s lead.
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Amy Bondar, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Amy Bondar, Nutritional Therapist, Certified Eating Psychology Coach, Speaker, and Author, changes life! Amy brings two decades of experience in the field of nutrition and mind-body coaching and believes that nourishing our body with the power of food, resolving stresses that are blocking our physiology and hindering our full potential, and living a life with purpose are essential ingredients to optimizing our health. Amy offers virtual consults and lectures to clients around the world and will inspire, educate and guide you to transform your relationship with food, body, and self.
