September 27th, 2012 
Fall is here! Preparing for it should not only include taking out your sweaters and coats, it should also involve grocery shopping. The most vital foods for us are the fruits and vegetables that are in-season. Not only will they have fewer pesticides because they won’t have to be transported as far, but they are also meant to keep us healthy and balanced all year long.
(Photo Credit: bassfarms.blogspot.com)
In the fall, we should have warming foods, whereas in the summer, we have light, cooling foods. If we get in tune with the cycles of nature, they will keep us balanced and protect us. As Hippocrates once said, “Whoever wishes to investigate medicine properly, should proceed thus: in the first place to consider the seasons of the year, and what effects each of them produces for they are not at all alike, but differ much from themselves in regard to their changes.”
In the autumn, we should eat some spicy foods that support the lungs and colon, such as garlic, ginger, chili peppers and cayenne pepper. These foods will help prevent us from getting the common cold or flu.
(Photo Credit: veganepicurean.blogspot.com)
The autumnal in-season fruit include apples, figs, blackberries, blueberries, grapes, plums, pears, pumpkins, cranberries, cantaloupe and melons. Vegetables that are in-season include Brussels sprouts, parsnip, cauliflower, squash, radishes, mushrooms, leeks, kale, arugula, eggplant, carrots, green beans, broccoli, beets, zucchini, sweet potatoes, onions, peppers, corn, artichoke, shallots and chard.
Incorporate these foods into your diet this fall as a means of preventative medicine instead of waiting until you are sick! Some great ideas for doing this is through a soup like an Autumn Vegetable soup, Creamy Broccoli Soup, Carrot Ginger Soup, Sweet Potato Soup, Pea Soup, Lentil Soup or Butternut Squash Soup. Ideas for some great side dishes include Chilli, Cranberry Salad, Beet Salad, Sweet Potato Oven Fries, Baked Eggplant or Acorn Squash, Steamed Kale, Lemon Broccoli with Garlic, etc. Stay tuned to my articles for seasonal food recipes. Happy fall eating!
