5 Tips To Help You Adapt To The Changing Seasons

While Summer is a time for faster pace and eating the colours of the rainbow, preferably raw, Autumn and Winter  are more of a time for casseroles, slowing down and heading towards cosy hibernation.

This is how nature intended for us to live and despite the modern amenities such as electricity, central heating and greenhouse cultivation, our bodies and minds work best when we follow nature’s way.

I know I personally sometimes find it hard to switch from a faster, more outdoorsy lifestyle in the sun to the darker months. I’m a Spring baby and that is definitely my favourite season!

However, I have learnt over the years that the following steps always help me to feel more at ease and healthier as the days shorten and darkness falls.

My Top 5 Recommendations:

So let me share how I help myself to better adapt to nature’s cycles, for better digestion, deeper sleep, mental clarity and energy:

• Slow down and listen. Our bodies naturally want to slow down in autumn/winter and seek warmth and respite.  Listen to the signs that you may be pushing too hard (recurring colds, low energy, S.A.D?)
• Get some early morning ‘red’ light in your eyes – the early sunlight (even on a cloudy day) is very important to help your brain produce the right levels of melatonin (the sleep hormone) later in the day.
• Connect with nature: go on walks, garden, put your feet directly on the ground to become more grounded and ‘connected’ (yes, in winter too!) and surround yourself with plants and nature.
• Finish your larger meal by sundown for better digestion and deeper sleep. Your body is ready to rest and digest from the time natural light disappears – even if this happens at 5pm. Eating late? Keep meals light, unprocessed and simple such as a 3-ingredients vegetable soup with pulses for instance.
• Keep summer fruits and vegetables to a minimum in autumn/winter, particularly raw, as your digestion is more adapted to slow-cooked, seasonal produce.  You might want to try my favourite Autumn Baked Apple recipe that only uses 5 ingredients here.

Try this for one season and see how well your body responds!

Photo: korhan erdol