Fall Wellness Guide
Nutrition, Movement, Sleep, and Skincare Tips for a Healthy Season
As the warm, sunny days of summer transition into the cool, crisp air of fall, it’s time to adjust our self-care routines to stay balanced with the changing season. According to Ayurveda - the ancient holistic system of medicine I look to for guidance around syncing with nature - fall is associated with qualities of dryness, lightness, coolness, and mobility. When we become imbalanced during the Fall, it can lead to feelings of anxiety, dry skin, digestive issues, and disrupted sleep.
To live in better relationship with nature and honor the circadian changes, I recommend adapting our lifestyle and self-care practices. Let’s dive into how we can stay grounded, healthy, and vibrant this fall through nutrition, movement, sleep, and skincare.
1. Nourish with Warming, Grounding Foods
To counteract the light, airy qualities of Fall, embrace foods that are warm, cooked, and grounding. Think of hearty soups, roasted vegetables, and spices that provide warmth and aid digestion.
Seasonal produce: Focus on foods like root vegetables (sweet potatoes, carrots, winter squash) red cabbage, broccoli, chard, apples, daikon, and cranberries.
Warming spices: Add spices like cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, and cumin to your dishes. They help stimulate digestion, warm the body, and add delicious flavor to fall meals.
Cooked, nourishing meals: Reduce raw, cold foods in the fall. Opt for soups, stews, and warm grain bowls made with quinoa, oats, and millet. These meals are easy to digest and offer warmth and comfort.
2. Movement: Slow Down and Ground Yourself
Fall calls for a slower, more grounding approach to movement. During summer, you might have enjoyed high-energy workouts, but in the cooler months, it’s time to focus on exercises that calm and stabilize the body.
Walking: A brisk walk in nature can be a wonderful way to stay active while connecting with the beauty of fall. Bundle up and take in the grounding energy of the earth beneath your feet. Add a weighted pack for strengthening work and extra cardiovascular kick.
Yoga: Gentle yoga with grounding postures like child’s pose, forward bends, and tree pose can help balance fall energies and keep you centered. Focus on slow, mindful movements and deep breathing.
Tai Chi or Qi Gong: These ancient movement practices focus on slow, controlled motions and can help cultivate calmness and inner strength during this airy season.
3. Sleep: Create a Calming Evening Routine
You may find your sleep is more disrupted in the Fall. Establishing a calming nighttime routine is essential for maintaining restorative rest.
Consistent sleep schedule: Try to go to bed at the same time every night. Fall is a season where early-to-bed, early-to-rise is ideal. The ideal window is 10pm-6am.
Wind down with warm teas: Herbal teas can help you relax before bedtime. For years I’ve enjoyed a cup of peppermint tea each evening after dinner. This summer I’ve loved a peppermint tea that also contains lemon balm, 5-HTP, and anti-aging components. These herbs calm the mind and body, preparing you for a restful night.
Reduce alcohol: Even though alcohol may help you fall asleep faster, it ultimately leads to disrupted, lower-quality sleep, leaving you feeling less refreshed. Reducing or eliminating alcohol, especially close to bedtime, can greatly improve sleep quality.
4. Skincare for Fall: Hydration is Key
With fall’s dry and windy qualities, our skin needs extra nourishment, hydration, and protection. During the summer, light and cooling skincare may have been perfect, but now it’s time to switch to more moisturizing routines.
Hydration. Beauty starts on the inside. Drink plenty of warm water or herbal teas like ginger and turmeric to keep skin supple and hydrated from the inside out. But also upgrade to more hydrating moisturizers and incorporate facial oils. If you’re making the switch to clean beauty, I’m happy to recommend the perfect moisturizer for your face. Message me.
Exfoliate Less. Try a honey exfoliator. Raw honey is a naturally hydrating exfoliator, removing dry, dull skin and revealing new skin cells underneath.
Eye Cream. That delicate skin around your eyes is the first to feel the impact of the changing seasons, which can manifest in puffiness or fine lines. Here’s my favorite.
5. Boost Your Immunity: Stay Strong During the Cooler Months
As we move into fall, our immune system may need a little extra support to handle the seasonal changes. Ayurveda recommends focusing on strengthening digestion and respiratory health, as well as incorporating immunity-boosting herbs.
Ayurvedic herbs: Include herbs like tulsi (holy basil), amla, and ashwagandha to support the immune system and maintain resilience during colder months.
Breathwork: Practice deep breathing exercises to strengthen the lungs and increase vitality. Techniques like alternate nostril breathing can help calm the nervous system and keep your respiratory health strong.
Triple Defense Boost: This tasty drink contains elderberry, echinacea, reishi mushroom and other powerful immune boosters. My whole family loves the taste and has been amazed at its quick action. It knocks things out immediately! Shop here.
By incorporating these principles into your daily routine, you can stay balanced and vibrant throughout the fall season. Whether it’s nurturing your skin with oils, fueling your body with warming foods, or creating a calming bedtime ritual, these small changes can help you embrace the transition with ease and grace.
* NOTE * It’s one thing to know what you should do and another thing to do it. And still another to do it most days with consistency to notice health improvements. Working with a coach will help you integrate these activities with greater speed and success.
If you want the support of a coach assessing your own lifestyle and implementing some of these changes, schedule a complimentary Diet & Lifestyle Assessment here.
