Amelia Freer - Eat. Nourish. Glow – Autumn

As birds migrate, some animals prepare to hibernate, the kids go back to school, the temperature cools and the lush green leaves turn to a burnt gold before slipping away from their trees. Change is a certainty, and we humans are often resistant to change, preferring to stay in our comfort zones whatever they may be. But dont resist autumn and the transformation it brings. For it is a nutritional dream a cooks rainbow and a tribute to our health. Its an intense few months bursting with produce and by far the best season to lure us back into our kitchens, post hazy summer days of simple salads.

As the days get shorter and the evenings get darker, we naturally lean towards comfort. Nature, of course, steps up with the perfect tonic by way of pumpkins, apples, figs, pears, butternut squash, mushrooms and sweet potatoes. These autumnal foods all lend themselves beautifully to warm salads, soups, pies and stews. The best thing about this season is that theres still plenty of seasonal summer food available so you can combine the two, providing a double whammy of goodness. Its no coincidence that the food on offer in autumn is so health-boosting. Mother Nature, being the clever thing she is, has provided all these deliciously nourishing foods to prepare our bodies for the cold, harsh winter months ahead. Autumn is when we need to start thinking about supporting our immune systems and the foods on offer do just the job.

Take the ultimate autumnal foods: pumpkins and squash. Forget just carving them up for Halloween (although you can do that too) scoop out the flesh and you have got the ultimate superfood. They provide immune supportive vitamin C, digestive friendly fibre, age delaying antioxidants and thats just the flesh. The seeds are their own powerhouses containing tryptophan, an amino acid that plays an important role in the production of serotonin, the feel-good hormone that perks up your mood, crucial for this time of year. Also prominent in autumn are apples (number one on the Dirty Dozen list, but more on that in a moment) which are also packed with vitamin C, essential for fighting flu and viruses. Bake them, stuff them, add them to salads or just eat them raw they are a super health supportive food. Mushrooms are another great autumnal food. Shiitake mushrooms in particular are powerful immune boosters and flu-fighters thanks to a strong antiviral substance they contain called lentinan. These are just a few of the vast array of food on offer in natures medicine cabinet to keep you strong and healthy for the months ahead.

One of my favourite things about autumn are its festive foodie occasions where nearly all the celebrations and holidays are based around sharing delicious food with loved ones. Halloween is famous for its pumpkins; bonfire night goes hand in hand with steaming soups and Thanksgiving and Christmas are synonymous with roast turkey and all the seasonal vegetables you can think of. Its a natural season to bring us all together, sharing good food. I recently attended a nutritional conference in San Francisco where one of the doctors lecturing, Dr Mark Hyman, gave a speech that really hit home to me why its so important to make your kitchen and your meals such a focal point of your home and lifestyle. Rather than squeezing in (usually processed) meals here and there when you get a spare five minutes Dr Hyman said, Maybe its time that doctors hung up their white coats and put on aprons instead. They should stop prescribing so much medicine and start prescribing cooking to their patients instead. It is just so vital to our health and happiness.

Consciousness over the food we choose goes deeper than looking at calories or food groups we can leave that nonsense to the food manufacturers who will forever manipulate different factory-made ingredients to mislead the innocent consumer into thinking they are making a healthy choice. Just remember that so long as the food we eat is real, then we are on the right track. Lets focus on the quality, not the quantity of our food.

The Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15 is a fantastic guide to help us choose the cleanest and purest food on offer. Scientists from the Environmental Working Group have put a list of fruits and vegetables together that are the most and least contaminated by pesticides. Pesticides have been linked to various health problems including hormonal issues and cancer, so its important to avoid them where possible. The foods in the Dirty Dozen list are the ones most likely to be affected by the use of pesticides, so buy them organically and locally wherever you can. Here goes

The Dirty Dozen (in order of contamination)

The Clean 15 (in order of least contamination)

One thing that tends to fall by the wayside in autumn is fresh air and exercise, and these are so vital for our health. If you stay cooped up indoors, give up whatever type of exercise you do for fear of getting cold or wet, and binge on sugary processed foods in front of the TV to make yourself feel better, trust me you wont. You will feel sluggish, tired and will pick up every cold going around. As I said at the beginning, autumn is when you need to be building up your immunity, so keep your movement therapy going no matter what changes the weather brings.

Having said that, autumn is also a time to slow the pace down a little. Im all for living naturally and in season as suggested by Dr Frank Lipman. Ideally and your job and life allowing wake up when it gets light and begin to wind down when the evenings draw in. While its important to get outside during the day for a dose of fresh air and some exercise, dont feel guilty about relaxing in the evenings and going to bed early. Autumn, with its warm cosy evenings, gives us the green light to do just this.

I hope you are feeling a little more enthusiastic about autumn already, as it often gets a bad rap. So lets tackle this final point HEAD on. The main complaint I hear at the end of summer is the curse of the changes that autumn brings because of the effects it can have on our mood. SAD (seasonal affective disorder otherwise known as the winter blues) is becoming increasingly common. The exact cause of SAD is still unsure but experts believe its largely due to a reduced exposure to sunlight and lower serotonin levels. Symptoms, which include a low mood, wanting to sleep more often or not being able to sleep and a loss of interest in getting out and socialising can vary. Some of us feel a little bit down as we pack away our bikinis and see some rain outside, whereas others can become very depressed.

If youre the latter, then its wise to see your GP for a proper diagnosis and help. But if youre the former and you just feel a bit down at this time of year then lets flip our thinking as we enter this season and start as we mean to go on by practising self care.

Autumn is not only when we need to start thinking about building up our immune systems with the beautiful foods on offer, its also when we need to start slowing down and looking after ourselves. Rest and sleep are equally important elements of health care as the food choices we make, so allow nature to guide you as she nudges you towards rest and restoration and nurturing foods. Improve your sleep quality by forgoing the TV or social media in the hours leading up to bed, and spend that time preparing meals instead. Enjoying fresh autumnal food with loved ones, or using cooking as a part of a nurturing meditation by yourself, or simply reading a book or soaking in an indulgent long bath are some of the ways for caring for yourself. Listen to your body; dont obsess over calories or weight. If we are obsessing over eating a perfect diet but feeling stressed about it or being angry, it stops being healthy! Sleep, rest, eat glorious food with wonderful friends, practise mindfulness and get out and keep moving its really that simple! Wishing you a happy and healthy autumn. Enjoy and see you in winter! x