Fall is a season of changes. In most areas of the country, fall is a transition between the hot, humid summer days and the cold winter ones. Even in tropical South FL, the average temps decrease as well as humidity. These changes can trigger health problems if your body doesn’t adapt. You can help your body adapt by making wise food choices.
No, I’m not talking about the regular idea of healthy eating, but the idea of eating for your health. As cooler temperatures of Fall arrive, it doesn’t make sense to keep eating summer foods like watermelon and salads. Raw foods are cold in their nature, which is great for summertime to keep our interior body temperature cool despite the hot temps. But pumpkin spice drinks and foods, so popular in the fall, are popular for good reason: they have warmer natures. Think about cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg: all the spices of fall. They have a little kick to them, a little “fire”; eat or drink them, and you feel a warm sensation in your stomach. A similar effect occurs in the food temperatures we eat. Instead of salad, make a stir fry or a nice pot of vegetable soup. If cold-natured or cold-temperature summer foods are eaten out of season, they can cause indigestion, bloating, water retention, excess congestion or phlegm, and even diarrhea–as well as weaken your immune system. Instead, eat healthy, warm foods that help your body prevent disease from the inside out.
As your body begins the transition to winter, help it by choosing warmer foods. Your body will be more balanced and healthy to fight the cold and flu season, too. So, put down that salad fork and pick up your soup spoon!