Fall

a great time of year to focus on new routines.  Your body craves different foods, and routines when the days are shorter, and turn cooler. The fall has always reminded me of new beginnings, and decluttering.  I gravitate toward books, journals, and routines that encourage structure, and cooking warm meals.  Maybe it’s wired into my brain as fall is the beginning of the school year, and I always loved it.

I believe we hunger for play, fun, touch, romance, achievement, music, adventure, food, sex, intimacy, leadership, friendships, and spirituality. All of these elements are important for nourishment. Living a healthy lifestyle is so much richer than eating green veggies! I’ve noticed some of the happiest and healthiest people have one thing in common; spending time with friends. You can have all the green veggies & workout religiously but if you are alone; your health will suffer over time. With the cooler and shorter days closing in on us, now is the time to align your actions to see your friends & community.

5 Practices to Jumpstart Your Fall Routine

PRACTICE COOKING

Cooking a meal is one way to share your love to others, and to yourself. Seeing and handling the food with your hands and senses, is very nourishing. Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated! I think some of the best meals are made with a few ingredients, and a few spices! There are two beginning steps when cooking:  preparation & cooking time. Let’s start with rice. Rice is simple: take it out of the bag, measure & rinse it, and cook.  It takes longer to cook, but you can be off doing other things.  Veggies- seriously lacking in our diets, and the benefits are endless.  Let’s take kale for example: you tear it apart, rinse it, and can bake it, eat raw, or throw in your favorite smoothie.  And we can’t forget broccoli: rinse, chop, and try steaming for a few minutes.  The key is to have veggies ready too much on, and easy to eat.  OH, and dipped in hummus is even better.  When you order take out, or eat inside a restaurant; you feed your body differently.  You are consuming more salt, bigger portions, a tad bit sweeter, and changes your body chemistry when eliminating it.  For many of us, the task of cooking can seem daunting.  Here is a guide to support you get started.  As with anything, be gentle with yourself when you start.  You may burn the rice, or steam your veggies too long.  I’ve done this so many times, and it’s all good!

NURTURE YOUR BODY

My three favorites are: exfoliating my entire body, brushing my hair, and massaging my feet with lotion before falling asleep.  There are numerous ways to nurture your body such as tongue scraping, a hot towel soaked in herbal oils, or placing a hot water bottle in your bed to warm it up. Grab a few essentials, and put into action. Trust me; you will love it!

FIND WORK YOU LOVE

Your career can be one of the most dysfunctional relationships in your life.  It’s easy to get sucked into a less than satisfying job, and before you know it days turn into years, and into decades.  Many people feel trapped by their 401K, health insurance plan, or potential bonus or buy outs.  And they need to “work for just a few more years” before they move on. If this sounds all too familiar, the challenge is to find a way to love the work you are doing.  In the virtual climate we are in, redo your workspace.  Start by editing the space you work in- edit everything out of it & donte your items you don’t need.  Add a fresh coat of paint, check out a new chair, inspiring prints, and remember less is more when adding things back in.  Check out my Pinterest Board for some ideas.  Let go of annoying people, and create a healing visualization pracitce.  Visualization helps us to disconnect from people we are no longer giving our energy to, and reclaim our own back.   One other suggestion is to imagine walking into your supervisors office telling them you are going to quit. What would they need to offer to you to stay? An increase in pay? More flexibility? A new work spot? Take this challenge and turn into an opportunity!

CROWD OUT YOUR SWEET TOOTH

The fall is a great time to crowd your simple carbohydrates (think cookies, candy) with complex carbohydrates (think sweet veggies, oatmeal).   The challenge with simple carbs are they spike your glucose levels, wreak havoc on your gut health, and supply zero to little nutritional value to your health.  And since the nutritional value is missing, your body’s energy reserves diminish, and you eat more simple carbs for the quick spike of energy.   It’s a cycle many of us get trapped into. A simple strategy I coach my clients to practice is “crowd out sugar” with sweet complex carbs. Good news- the fall harvest nourishes you with root veggies that are on the sweet end of the spectrum.  Your body is designed to crave sugar because we need it to function.   A way to work with the cravings, is to add more complex carbs into your diet. My go to is Roasted Sweet Potatoes.  So easy, and very satisfying.  I’ll add the leftovers into smoothies, rice bowls, and salads.  The best way to work with an existing bad habit, is to add something into your routine to crowd it out.  Once again, baby steps & loving kindness as you do this.

DEVELOP A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

According to The Institute of Integrative Nutrition, spirituality is what gives depth and meaning to life.  The feeling that is created is one of divine order and harmony that exists above and beyond human limitations. Spirituality, like food, comes in all forms.  I don’t recommend a specific path, but I encourage people to have a spiritual practice.  For some, this means a meditation practice, for others it may mean going to church or prayer with God.  I remember my anatomy & physiology professor was an atheist, and her spiritual practice was going for an evening walk and connecting the vast sky & stars. And some blend both together alongside several religious practices.  It’s not how your spiritual practice looks, it’s more about creating and doing it.  It has been my experience when we are connected to a bigger purpose, we get to a healthier place faster. We all crave meaning in our life, and developing a spiritual practice can help us feel connected and deeply committed to our lives.

Please share your fall habits with me, and pass on my blog to anyone needing inspiration. 

Brandyn