Get Fall Wellness Tips from Ayurveda, Yoga’s Sister Science

In this article, we will explore fall wellness tips that draw on the wisdom of Ayurveda. Ayurveda is an ancient Indian system of medicine that arose at the same time as yoga practice. Today, many people are turning to Ayurveda’s teachings because this holistic system takes into account the uniqueness of each individual’s constitution. According to Ayurveda, each of us is a microcosm of the Universe, where everything is made of the same “stuff” in different proportions. Because we are each part of a universal whole, changes that may seem external to us—like the change of the seasons—actually have the power to affect us deeply. This is one reason why colds and flus tend to strike when the seasons change: when we fail to adjust our behavior along with the change in the season, our immunity is weakened as our body is forced to adapt under suboptimal conditions.

Fortunately, Ayurveda offers fall wellness tips to help you weather the transition easily! Keep reading to learn more, and don’t forget to visit us at Nourish Wellness Cafe in Downtown Northampton for whole-foods, plant-based nourishment.

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Fall Wellness Tips: Support Healthy Digestion

Ayurveda teaches us that we are what we digest. When properly broken down and assimilated, the nutrients in our food become the building blocks of our cells. If we don’t digest well, we will not have the nourishment we need to keep our body’s systems functioning properly, and disease will result.

Digestive fire, or agni, is our own individual power of digestion. When agni is strong and even, we easily digest most foods and have regular, complete bowel movements. When it is weak or too strong, we can experience symptoms of digestive distress—such as gas, bloating, stomach pain, and irregular or incomplete elimination.

To keep digestive fire burning evenly, in general Ayurveda recommends eating warm, cooked foods and drinking warm beverages. This is especially important during the cooler months. Warm, moist, slightly oily, sweet and starchy foods are indicated in the fall.

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Fall Wellness Tips: Eat Fresh, Organic, Seasonal Food

Foods available seasonally tend to be precisely the foods with qualities that support our health that season. In the fall, that means root vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots, turnips, parsnips, beets, and winter squashes. It’s recommended that you liberally eat cold weather greens like kale, collards and Swiss chard. Moist grains such as brown rice and oats are excellent for fall, as are sweet, heavy fruits like bananas, apples, and pears.

When we eat, we don’t just consume nutrients—like everything in the Universe according to Ayurveda, food has energy. So one of our fall wellness tips is to be as conscientious as you can in your food choices. If possible, choose organic, sustainable, and locally sourced food.

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Try Out the Menu at Nourish!

Take advantage of these fall wellness tips by visiting Nourish, where you’ll find warm drinks, soups and bowls on the menu, as well as locally grown produce harvested from our region’s wonderful organic farms!

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Sources for This Article:

The Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook by Kate O’Donnell