By Michele Tenney
Here’s To Your Health
Michele Tenney
As the warm days of summer begin to fade and the crisp air of fall arrives, nature gives us a gentle reminder that change is both natural and necessary. Our schedules change, the days become shorter and even the foods available to us begin to shift. Fall is the perfect time to consider something people have practiced for generations: eating with the seasons.
Seasonal eating simply means choosing foods that are naturally harvested and readily available during a particular time of year. Before modern transportation and year-round grocery availability, this was simply how people ate. Today, making an intentional effort to eat seasonally can bring more variety, freshness and enjoyment to our meals.
One of the greatest advantages of seasonal foods is freshness. Produce harvested closer to its natural growing season can often spend less time traveling and sitting in storage before reaching our tables. That can mean better flavor, texture and overall quality.
Seasonal eating also encourages us to diversify our diets, which is important to get more nutrients in our bodies. It’s easy to fall into the habit of purchasing the same fruits and vegetables every week. Following the seasons introduces different foods throughout the year, giving us a wider variety of vitamins, minerals, fiber and beneficial plant compounds.
There is also something wonderfully grounding about eating foods that reflect the time of year. Summer brings us lighter foods such as berries, tomatoes, cucumbers, peaches and watermelon. As temperatures begin to drop, fall offers heartier foods that can create warm, satisfying meals.
Fall produce gives us plenty of delicious options. Apples and pears are perfect for snacking, baking or adding to oatmeal and salads. Pumpkins and winter squash can become soups, roasted side dishes or nourishing additions to grain bowls. Sweet potatoes provide fiber and important nutrients and can be roasted, mashed or added to soups and stews. Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage are also wonderful choices as we move into cooler weather.
I love one-pot wonders on a chilly day. And don’t forget kale and Swiss chard. They can be sauteed with garlic and olive oil, added to soups or combined with some roasted vegetables for a hearty fall salad.
Seasonal eating doesn’t have to be complicated. Start by just noticing what is abundant at your grocery store, farm stand or farmers market. Choose two or three seasonal foods each week and build meals around them.
Fall often feels like a second new year to me. Summer vacations wind down, routines become more structured and we can use this time to turn our attention back toward our health and daily habits. Staying healthy and fit is way harder for me in the summer with all the celebrations, travel and cookouts.
Consider using fall as a time to add nourishment. Add an extra vegetable to dinner.
But don’t just limit fall time to adding nutrients. Choose one thing that doesn’t serve you to have “fall off”: impatience, anger, jealousy, insecurity. Humility is a choice – a daily, sometimes minute-by-minute choice. But humility is also a gift you give to yourself. It frees you and allows you to be in control of choosing peace above the noise and above the chaos of this world we see so much of in our everyday lives. As the leaves change and nature prepares for the new season, we can do the same.
This fall, let your plate change with the season. Let something that doesn’t benefit you, fall to the ground. Make choices that will benefit you and reconnect you to a new season of nourishment, physically and emotionally. You’ve got this. I believe in you, but it’s more important for you to believe in yourself. Here’s to your health.
Michele Tenney is a Certified Personal Trainer and Nutritionist & Wellness Coach. She can be reached at 203-668-2969 or email at Hmgbrd3@gmail.com.