Staying Grounded As We Transition From Summer To Fall {+ recipe!}

Summer is the best, right? More adventures, more fun, more sun, more time outside, less time spent inside cooking, less structure & more spontaneity and a light-heartedness that seems to float us from June to August. In Seattle, it’s definitely the most amazing time of year (and what keeps us around for the other 9 months of the year… 😉

Truth be told, though: I also love fall. I get super excited when the mornings get cooler, I get to break out my boots & sweaters (confession: I’m sooo not a shorts person) and the changing leaves add some amazing pops of color to the green Seattle landscape.

And as the weather begins to crisp, to best support our digestion + metabolism, it’s important to shift our foods from cooling (which we ate during the summer) to warming!
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Think (for example): exchanging salads for soups & stews, raw vegetables for roasted ones, and cold smoothies for warm bowls of steel cut oats or eggs + veggies. You may also feel the desire to up your high-quality protein (animal or not) + healthy fat intake (like avocado, nuts, seeds, olives, grass-fed dairy & cold-pressed oils) in order to feel more GROUNDED & supported.
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Yes, that’s right – your food can make you *feel* differently and is far more than just a “be healthy” or weight loss/weight maintenance tool. All food has specific energies – they can warm or cool your body, ground or lighten your body and boost or zap your energy (to name a few). In the summer (and spring), because of the warmer weather, eating in alignment with your body usually means lighter & cooler foods, while fall and winter call us to re-ground into our bodies, our routines and our mental focus. And because of the colder weather, “cold foods” (in temperature & energetically) don’t satiate us (make us feel full & satisfied) and continuing to eat them can actually slow down our digestive fire & metabolism, making us feel heavy and spacey.
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Eating root vegetables especially can help us “root” back into our bodies – after the busy & spontaneity of summer – allowing us to better embrace the slower pace & more structured pace that fall brings. Warm foods additonally support the physical transition we feel as we move into cooler weather. So if you’ve felt disconnected from your body lately, or feel like you’re running a million directions since the start of school and/or return to routine, try adding some roasted root vegetables, soups & stews, and warm breakfasts/brunch into your cooking this week.
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Remember that *every body* is different and what “worked for you”/supported your goals years ago or even last month might now work right now because the body and seasons are always changing (seasons of our life, seasons of our feminine cycle + the earthy seasons!). I encourage you to step into the power of knowing YOU are the foremost expert of your body – and being curious to learn what makes you feel best *right now* is your best asset. No judgement, just an open + observant mind.
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I’m personally crushing on this warm chia seed pudding bowl, adapted from @bewellbykelly.
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INGREDIENTS:
– 1-1.5 cups organic nut or coconut milk (depending on desired thickness, you can always add more @ the end)
– 3 Tbsp. organic chia seeds
– 2 Tbsp. organic ground flaxseed
– 1 Tbsp. ghee or coconut oil
– OPTIONAL TOPPINGS: fresh berries/chopped apples or pears, hemp seeds, nuts: cashews, pecans, or walnuts, drizzle of maple syrup or honey if need sweetened.
– SUPPLEMENTS: could also stir in collagen (I ❤️ @vitalproteins), @sunpotion yin powder, a few drops of chlorophyll, elderberry syrup (great immunity booster!), a powdered probiotic or anything else you use!
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Note: I don’t advise using mushroom powder/supp here unless you want to make this more savory & omit fruit and top with an ? or two instead! Tastes great with ? too.
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DIRECTIONS:
1: Combine “milk” with chia seeds, flax and ghee/coconut oil, stirring constantly until it thickens.
2: Transfer to a bowl & stir in any desired supplements, then sprinkle on your toppings.
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