Fall is my favorite season. The crisp air, changing leaves, coziness, seasonal foods like squash and apples, and let’s not forget pumpkin spice!
As we transition to shorter days and cooler weather, I’m recommending 5 Autumn Wellness Tips to get you ready for the chillier months ahead and to keep your mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing in check.
How You Can Support Your Health This Fall
1. Stay hydrated
As we transition to fall, the dry air and dropping temperatures can dehydrate your body faster than you think. Remember to stay hydrated as the body needs water to function properly.
I love to start my day with a mug of warm lemon water; this simple start to the day kick-starts digestion, metabolism, and hydration. As the cool weather sinks in, herbal teas like ginger, licorice root, dandelion root, rooibos, and hot broths are other great ways to stay hydrated.
Staying hydrated will benefit your
Digestion and elimination
Joint lubrication
Skin
Mood
Energy
Fluid and mineral balance
For more information on hydration take a look at my article, Make Water Sexy Again.
2. Take time for yourself and be kind to yourself
The earth slows down in autumn and winter and it’s the perfect time to slow down and take time for yourself too. If the shorter days cause low mood or seasonal sickness, be sure to listen to your body and give it what it needs (nourishment, rest, kindness, movement). Go for long walks, meditate (my favorite is listening to guided meditations on the Insight Timer app), try a new yoga class, or start a journal to get more in touch with how you're feeling.
3. Nourish with seasonal fruits and vegetables
The quality and nutritional value of produce diminishes once it’s harvested. So eating in-season produce means it’s travelling a shorter distance from the farm to your table, which means a higher retention of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
Fall offers a plethora of delicious and nutritious foods including apples, pears, beets, cabbage, squash, broccoli, sweet potatoes, and dark leafy greens.
I encourage you to try something new at a local farmers market or choose the freshest selections from your favorite supermarket, and enjoy the flavors of fall. For example winter greens like swiss chard, collards, mustard greens, kale, and beet greens are incredibly healthful additions to your meals.
4. Stay active
With the cooler weather, it can be pretty easy to cozy up on the couch with hot chocolate and Netflix. But inactivity causes stagnation of the lymphatic system, slows down circulation and metabolism, and challenges our immune system.
Yikes! So it’s important to keep moving and even find a movement break during the day. 3 minutes of getting up, stretching, or dancing around is super helpful! Or even a quick 5 minute walk outside.
And all those fun autumn activities like apple or pumpkin picking, raking leaves, fall hikes to see foliage, or walking through a corn maze, keep your body moving and your blood pumping. Take advantage before the chill of winter sets in!
Health benefits of staying active include
Improves memory and brain function
Helps maintain a healthy weight
Reduces feelings of anxiety and depression
Lowers blood pressure and improves heart health
Supports your musculoskeletal health
Protect against many chronic diseases like cancer and diabetes
Improve your quality of sleep
For more info on your lymphatic system, check out my article, Why You Need to Unclog Your Lymphatic System.
5. Practice gratitude
When we live with constant, chronic stress it negatively impacts our health and it’s critical to create healthful habits that reduce stress and regulate your nervous system. A wonderful place to start is by practicing gratitude.
You can practice gratitude in many ways: reach out to a friend or family member and tell them how much you appreciate them, be mindful of the little joys in life like birds chirping, give thanks through prayer, meditate on the positive aspects of your life or journal about what you’re grateful for.
One thing that I love doing is writing down 5-10 things I am grateful for each morning while I drink my warm lemon water.
Health benefits of practicing gratitude
More joy and happiness
Greater optimism and pleasure
Feeling less lonely and isolated
Stronger immune system
Less bothered by pain
Lowered blood pressure
Better sleep quality
There you have it, 5 easy tips for a happy and healthy autumn.
However, if the change in seasons has got you feeling unambitious, tune in to today’s new episode 40 of my podcast Positively Anti-Inflammatory, “Motivation vs Self-Discipline.”
Love, Your Wellness Coach,
Alyssa
September 29, 2021
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