To everything there is a season... Ways to support your health as summer transitions to fall.

Yes, yes, I know, I know, we are going to talk about fall and it is August 20th?!!! You may think I am crazy, but just stay with me here. In my last post I talked about listening to your body, listening to its rhythms and its signals. This post will expand on that- I am going to talk about listening to the earth and its rhythms, and how these clues can help us stay happy and healthy in each season. Yes it is only August 20th, we are a full month away from the autumn equinox- but many ancient health modalities (Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda) consider this time in the year to be transitional. You can just feel a hint of change in the air. Here in Santa Cruz the last few days have been a little blustery, a little bit cooler, and we even had a little rain! It's not cold by any means, but you can feel it, that charge, the beginning of change. This is THE time to transition your body, as the seasons transition, to keep yourself well and your immune system healthy and ready for all that fall and winter have to offer (i.e: flu, being stuck indoors, colds, etc). Transition happens slowly for the seasons, and it should happen slowly for you too, as you adjust your eating habits and lifestyle habits to mirror what is going on externally in the climate around you. In Ayurveda, it is the transitional time between Pitta and Vata season (I am not going to introduce you to Ayurveda, it is a huge subject and so fascinating, and if you are interested I suggest a google search and a Dosha quiz). Pitta season (summer time) is dominated by heat (this is extremely simplistic, it is much more complex but because I don't want to write a book length blog post I am going to keep it very simple) and Vata season (fall/winter) is primarily dominated by air (i.e: dryness, wind). It makes sense if you think about it- hot and humid summer season, fall and winter season that requires a scarf and sweater. Now is the time to transition from raw food, salads, and cooling drinks, to warmer cooked foods, soups, and warm drinks. Doing this will support your immune system and your overall health as the days get cooler. So, as you wellness warriors now have your ears perked up to what the earth is telling you, and you can sense the cool wind creeping in during the evenings, here are some suggestions to help transition your body and mind during the transition to fall:

-Herbal teas like Dandelion and Burdock root tea in the evenings help gently cleanse the body, and support healthy immune function. These herbs help the liver and kidney to function at their best, and that in turn means better sleep, better skin, better digestion, better hormonal function... In Ayurveda, herbs that are considered liver tonifiers (such as Dandelion) help cleanse excess Pitta (heat) out of the system. Tulsi tea is a great herbal tea that calms vata in the body, and is a good tonic for this time of year.

-Slowly transition to warm, cooked foods. Not all at once, but start thinking about cooked breakfasts and cooked dinners, instead of focusing on raw salad, raw fruit, smoothies, juices, etc. When I talk about cold foods, I mean temperature cold as well as the nature of the food itself- in TCM and Ayurveda, fruit juice even at room temperature is considered cold in the body. Green tea is considered cooling to the body. I know this seems like a strange concept to anyone who doesn't have experience with either of these practices, but it really is true. For example, take green tea. You (most likely) drink it hot. So temperature wise it is hot. But the nature of the herb (in TCM/Ayurveda green tea is a herb, but all foods are looked at this way) is cooling and astringent- that is why sometimes green tea makes peoples throat feel dry! This is a case where you need to listen to your body and see how you are affected by a certain food or beverage. Another example is coffee- coffee is considered HOT HOT HOT regardless of the temperature it is when you consume it. It can cause heartburn, acid stomach, and shakiness, which are all symptoms of the "hot" quality of coffee itself. Long story short, start to transition your eating habits to more cooked, warming foods (cooked foods, foods spiced with warming spices, ginger tea). Broth is an excellent thing to start making and consuming now as the seasons change, it will warm you and really helps keep that immune system up. It is also a good time to stop drinking cold water, and sip warmed lemon water throughout your day to keep you hydrated and just a bit warmer. Also, a slight side note: eating cooked, warming foods (no cold juice or dairy, no raw cold veggies) is super important for children in this time of year. Children's immune systems are (in general) not as strong as adults, and this will help them greatly to resist the many bugs they come into contact with- especially if you have a child that gets sick a lot, warm foods with lots of broth, minimal cold dairy and cold raw fruits and veggies seriously supports their immune system.

-Up your healthy oil game: I hope you oil pull (see my old post about it if you don't), and if you do, now is a good time to transition from coconut oil to sesame oil (ALWAYS ORGANIC!!). Sesame oil specifically warms the sinuses and helps keeps your sinus cavities healthy and happy. And just as some extra protection against the dryness of the season (Vata), dab a little bit of sesame oil in your nostrils and your ears after you use your neti pot and oil pull in the morning- it protects the ears from bacteria, and a little oil in the nostrils after the morning neti pot to clean the nose/sinuses helps to prevent bacteria and viruses from sticking to the mucous membranes in your nose. Now is also a good time to make sure you are getting your daily healthy oils/fats (I take a tablespoon of ghee daily, but you can use olive oil or sesame oil). Taking oil daily helps with internal and external oleation- it will help keep you regular and help keep your skin nice and moist (Vata imbalances can manifest as constipation, dry skin, etc).

-Cover that neck! We all know that you can't actually get a cold from being cold (because, well... SCIENCE!)... buuutttt... it is widely recommended in Ayurveda and TCM that when it is windy, you cover the back of your neck. This is where "wind" gets into the body, and can cause immune weakness. I am sure you are thinking "okay Steph, that's a bit out there"- and honestly, I thought so too when my acupuncturist insisted that I always have a scarf. But trust me, it works. I am sometimes the crazy girl with a tank top and scarf on, because it is warm and windy- I want to make sure I protect my neck and keep my immune system humming. And I do have to say, since I have been doing it for the last year I haven't gotten sick (knock on wood!)- I have also become the girl with all the pretty scarves!

So here we are, at the end of summer, when the light takes on that beautiful orange color, and the wind very gently starts to rustle in the trees, when everything is still warm and summery, but touched with a hint of fall... this is the time to listen and watch the seasonal change, and listen and watch as that is reflected in your body. If you gently and nourishingly transition your lifestyle habits to support this change in season, you will notice that the start of flu season might pass you by without a hiccup. It's all about understanding that our bodies are part of the earth, and honoring that. Now go out and enjoy this last bit of warmth and sun before it's really time for fireplaces and sweaters!