Foods for the color season
Autumn is a season based on its colors. At first, the flamboyantly colored trees and fresh air invite us to continue our outdoor activities. Walking the trails covered in bright leaves and climbing the mountains to observe the fall colors from a panoramic viewpoint allows us to invigorate ourselves before the cold season.
Unlike the beginning of fall, the end can be synonymous with depression for many people. Indeed, the drop in temperature and the scarcity of sunlight put our system to the test if we do not prepare for it. For its part, nature welcomes this change in climate and completes its metamorphosis in preparation for the winter months.
The green color of the leaves gives way to orange and red tones following the change in climate. Chlorophyll then ceases its production because the leaves are no longer supplied with tree sap. This natural phenomenon allows us to admire the other pigments hidden during the summer by green.
Just like the variety of colors that nature shows during autumn, we must also color our diet and opt for an autumnal dish. Several foods allow us to prepare for the approaching winter.
The autumn plate
From September to November, focus first on root vegetables as well as leafy vegetables. Their richness in nutrients and their freshness will allow you to be full of vitality before winter. Also, squash and certain other fruits are featured in the fall.
Canning season
While the gardens abound with plants, take advantage of this generosity to stock up for the winter. Unlike our ancestors, several modern means of conservation are available to us. Freezing and canning are surely among the most popular. On the other hand, these methods tend to alter the nutritional values of foods given the processing they undergo. In the past, what is better known today as lactofermentation was practiced.
This ancestral technique will allow you to easily preserve your vegetables without altering their properties. In addition, lactofermentation will allow you to improve your plants. Indeed, you will be able to benefit from a maximum of vitamin C, probiotics and enzymes.
Eat well, live well
It is important to pay special attention to the choice of our foods and to consume them as fresh as possible. By choosing fruits and vegetables from organic farming, you score a point for your health. If they are local and in season, it's even more of a win. Consume them in abundance in all their forms. Raw, steamed, in juice, in smoothies, etc. Also eat young sprouts and sprouted cereal grains rich in fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals.
And remember this, the healthier you are, the more inclined you are to laugh and have fun and the more you want to go play outside, even in cold weather. A balanced fall meal will be of inestimable help and will help you face the approaching winter with vigor. So, eat well, live well!
Jo Ann Paradis Certified Naturopath
