By Jamie Greenwood
I know it’s trite but I’m going to say it anyway. Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the chilled smell in the air, seeing the leaves change and eating my weight in apples smothered with almond butter.
It can also be a time of intense overwhelm– throw in a global pandemic, and you’ve got yourself quite the fall 2021! Combining the feeding frenzy that starts at Halloween and blazes on until the new year and you are destined to feel like a stuffed turkey who’s seen better days. With everything we put on our plates during Fall, literally and figuratively, it is no wonder we beg for green juice and a rest come January.
So, here’s a righteous thought. What would it feel like to emerge from the holidays feeling satisfied and less stressed? What would it be like to not run around this fall, hair on fire, with the only way to douse it out being a bottle of wine, sugar cookies and fudge? Pretty awesome, right?
See if you can allow yourself to harness that awesome feeling, and do it through eating right? You read me right! Food is energy, after all.
Eating cleansing foods throughout the fall and holiday season prevents the unappealing belly bloat and keeps your head clear. Eating immune boosting foods is more crucial now than ever, as well. Each season comes with it’s own version of cleansing foods and will help your mind and body stay cool, calm and collected during a time of year that is anything but.
Here are my 5 favorite cleansing foods for the fall. Get these into your diet and on the holiday table and you will be amazed at how light and energized you feel.
Kabocha Squash
Color is key when it comes to eating clean and Kabocha squash, aka Japanese squash, is loaded with it. Kabocha squash (plus pumpkins and sweet potatoes) is full of vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, potassium and fiber. Cube, bake and throw into your favorite saute, soup, or green salad or braise it with apple cider and walnuts like this. So freakin’ good!
Dark Leafy Greens
Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, collards and turnips contain helpful sulfur compounds that aid the liver in removing toxins from the body. They also have the ability to neutralize chemicals and pesticides, making them a go to when becoming a clean machine.
Beets
Beets are super sweet and rich in the B vitamin folate, flavonoids, and beta-carotene, which support cell production and nerve and liver function. Roast them and drizzle with Dijon vinaigrette or grate them raw and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and a bit of orange juice. These will be your new favorite sweet treat…promise.
Apples
High in pectin, apples hold the ingredients needed for the body to cleanse and release toxins from the digestive tract. Besides smothering them with almond butter, I also love apples in salads or this soup.
Cranberries
Cranberries cleanse the body of harmful bacteria and viruses that may be lingering in your urinary tract. Not the sexiest pitch BUT with their antibiotic and antiviral properties they will certainly protect you from nasty bugs and your nephew’s cold.
Remember, if we are good to our bodies, it will be good to us. Wishing you a fall with ease and wellness.
~Jamie
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ABOUT
Jamie Greenwood, Food & Body expert and founder of JamieLiving.com, empowers overwhelmed, mission-driven women to get their bodies onboard for their big plans. She has been featured on Huffington Post, Mindbody Green, Martha Stewart Radio, Crazy Sexy Life and ABC’s View from the Bay, is the author of a wildly popular blog and is the creator of the Freakin’ Rad Fall Cleanse, an 10-day online program for overwhelmed women wanting to feel satisfied and stress-free instead of like a stuffed turkey this holiday season. To learn more about Jamie, sign up for her free updates at JamieLiving.com.
