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Autumn is a season of deficiency and change. When the temperature starts to drop, the body scrambles to protect itself from heat loss. Nourishing foods, especially soups, seem all the more enticing while offering the added benefits of refortifying deficient tissue and thickening the skin, thus insulating your body from the cold. In Ayurveda, nourishing foods are called ojas building foods. Ojas building, nourishing foods for autumn include root vegetables such as carrots and beets and hard "winter" squash like pumpkins and butternut squash as well as ghee and almonds.
Restoring Vitality to the Skin
Have you ever noticed your skin loses much of its luster in the fall? The vitality of skin wanes as blood vessels constrict with colder temperatures (a process called vasoconstriction). Your pulse also rate drops with the temperature. Warm blood close to the surface of the skin radiates too much heat. When the outside temperature drops, your body protects itself from heat loss by reducing blood flow to your skin, arms and legs. Trees experience something similar: when the weather turns frigid they pull their sap into their core (the roots). Soon their leaves wither and fall. Reducing blood flow dries out your skin, leaving it dull and lusterless. Massaging your body with dosha specific oils is one of the best ways to combat dry skin in the fall. Try Daffodil Skin Tonic for a cleansing and re-hydrating formula. Kapha constitutions can try Radiant & Glowing Skin Tonic.
The Muscles & Colon
The opposite of spring fever, by late September reduced blood flow leaves your muscles feeling fatigued. As it begins to grow darker earlier, a comfortable evening curled up on the couch with a favorite movie seems all the more attractive. Smooth muscle tissue, including the tissue of your colon, become sluggish when the temperature and pulse rate drop. The colon, also sensitive to stress, carries the wear and tear of autumn. See Bear Hugs Colon Tonic if you tend towards constipation and anxiety in the fall.
Indigestion & Electrolytes
A process called cold diuresis causes fluid loss in Autumn. Cold diuresis is a response to vasoconstriction. When blood vessels constrict, it increases blood pressure much as squeezing the air inside a balloon. The kidneys release the extra pressure by removing fluids from circulation and dumping them in the urine. A summer of hot sweating followed by cold diuresis may leave you dehydrated and electrolyte deficient. Sours encourage juiciness and salty taste encourages water retention for dry Vata. Vata types should avoid dry foods in the fall.
Cold Feet & Warm Socks
Some people get cold feet even with two pairs of socks. These socks can't coax blood out of hibernation once it moves to the core. The body may simply lack confidence or strength to maintain core temperature and warm the toes. A sweater to heat the core does a better job than an extra pair of socks to cure cold feet. Lifestyle changes, such as warm clothes and indoor heating, can convince the body it has heat to spare. Additionally, daily oil massage in the morning before bath coats the skin and prevents evaporation. As in a summer sweat, evaporation causes significant heat loss. Oil massage thus helps retain heat. Once pathological cold has penetrated our system, hot baths may be the only way to restore circulation. A pinch of turmeric keeps circulation strong. Sour lemons in morning tea convince sweat glands and stomach glands to stay juicy.
Inspiration, Emotions & the Mind
The fall is a time for inspiration and new ideas. The movement of blood from the extremities back to the core increases blood flow to the mind. The opportunity to reflect on the last few months could stir up emotions as well. Wind, sudden temperature shifts, and the school season also provoke higher stress levels this time of year. According to Ayurveda, keeping the nervous system stable through fall is our number one tool for maintaining strong immunity and staying healthy. Ashwagandha is Ayurveda's most important herb for Vata-type anxiety and Chywanprash helps build immunity.
Routine & Resiliency
Wearing oneself ragged in October's social calendar could result in compromised immunity for flu season come November. Alternatively, relaxation and downtime free up energy to help the body prepare for winter. Skipping meals, staying up late, and irregular mealtimes create stress and deficiency. Joyful Belly offers a nurturing fall program called Restoring Youth and Vitality to prepare the body for winter.
Ingredients, Recipes & Herbs for the Fall
Less blood in the skin means better circulation in the core. The stomach gains access to more blood and clamors for food. We experience this as a craving for starchy and heavy foods like potatoes sometime mid August. Appetite and digestion improve just in time to thicken up and insulate the skin. Warm, oily, heavy foods build ojas and prepare the body's reserves for winter.
Ojas is the essence of healthy tissue, immunity, stable energy and happiness. Substances that improve ojas are recommended after long-term illness, debility, emotional and physical trauma, and even sadness.
Rajasic foods stimulate desire or nervous energy. Red meat, high protein food, garlic and onions stimulate desire. Rajasic foods include chili peppers, coffee, and anything that stimulates movement.
A tonic herb restores function through strengthening tissue. This can happen through a combination of nourishing the tissue, and invigorating tissue metabolism. The tonic should not be withering, as in caffeine.
Encourages feelings of stability and heaviness. Makes you feel settled, mentally relaxed. Mildly sedates the nervous system to ease stress. Can bring a spacey or anxious person back to earth. Reduces agitation, irritation, stress and racing thoughts.
Expectorants help you eliminate mucus from the lungs. These herbs often work by increasing the quantity of mucus, or thinning the mucus. Expectorants are indicated when phlegm congests the lower respiratory tract.
In Ayurveda, oily refers to anything moistening. More specifically, oily refers to building substances that increases fat, or are themselves fatty. For example, sugar is Oily.
Herbs or spices with volatile essential oils that present strong aromas. Aromatic oils shock, refresh and numb tissue, with the end result of relaxing, opening and clearing stagnant fluids in tissues.
Bland means doesn't have much taste. In Chinese medicine, bland taste refers to afood without little macronutrients, such as cabbage, radish or bok choy.
Geriatric conditions typically involve low agni / metabolism, poor circulation, weakness & debility, muscle weakening, poor digestion, a drop in sex hormones, and connective tissue degradation in bones & skin.
Ojas is the essence of healthy tissue, immunity, stable energy and happiness. Substances that improve ojas are recommended after long-term illness, debility, emotional and physical trauma, and even sadness.
A tonic herb restores function through strengthening tissue. This can happen through a combination of nourishing the tissue, and invigorating tissue metabolism. The tonic should not be withering, as in caffeine.
Expectorants help you eliminate mucus from the lungs. These herbs often work by increasing the quantity of mucus, or thinning the mucus. Expectorants are indicated when phlegm congests the lower respiratory tract.
Encourages feelings of stability and heaviness. Makes you feel settled, mentally relaxed. Mildly sedates the nervous system to ease stress. Can bring a spacey or anxious person back to earth. Reduces agitation, irritation, stress and racing thoughts.
Rajasic foods stimulate desire or nervous energy. Red meat, high protein food, garlic and onions stimulate desire. Rajasic foods include chili peppers, coffee, and anything that stimulates movement.
In Ayurveda, oily refers to anything moistening. More specifically, oily refers to building substances that increases fat, or are themselves fatty. For example, sugar is Oily.
Herbs or spices with volatile essential oils that present strong aromas. Aromatic oils shock, refresh and numb tissue, with the end result of relaxing, opening and clearing stagnant fluids in tissues.
Bland means doesn't have much taste. In Chinese medicine, bland taste refers to afood without little macronutrients, such as cabbage, radish or bok choy.
Geriatric conditions typically involve low agni / metabolism, poor circulation, weakness & debility, muscle weakening, poor digestion, a drop in sex hormones, and connective tissue degradation in bones & skin.
John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a
healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda biocharacteristics.
His approach to Ayurveda is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful.
John also directs Joyful Belly's School of Ayurveda,
offering professional clinical training in Ayurveda for over 15 years.
John's interest in Ayurveda and specialization in digestive tract pathology was inspired by a complex digestive disorder acquired from years of international travel,
as well as public service work in South Asia.
John's commitment to the detailed study of digestive disorders reflects his zeal to get down to the roots of the problem.
His hope and belief in the capacity of each & every client to improve their quality of life is nothing short of a personal passion.
John's creativity in the kitchen and delight in cooking for others comes from his family oriented upbringing.
In addition to his certification in Ayurveda, John holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University.
John enjoys sharing Ayurveda within the context of his Catholic roots,
and finds Ayurveda gives him an opportunity to participate in the healing mission of the Church.
Jesus expressed God's love by feeding and healing the sick.
That kindness is the fundamental ministry of Ayurveda as well.
Outside of work, John enjoys spending time with his wife and 7 kids, and pursuing his love of theology, philosophy, and language.
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
The information and products on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any
disease.
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