How Seasonal food can help your body adjust to the Autumn Season

I have asked a few people this week if they have noticed the seasonal change in their body, and if YES, how? Before you read on, take a moment, and think about your experience…

The human body, same as all vertebrates adapt to seasonal changes during the autumn months. For you this might look like less energy, longer lie ins and craving comfort food.
Are you dismissing this as negative side effects? If so, you maybe missing natures intrinsic preparation of your body for the colder months.

The sudden craving for more wholesome and comforting food is one of the indicators that you are in for a change. If you ignore this change you may experience long-reaching negative side effects, especially if you ignore these signs over many years.  Here are a few top tips on how to sync your food habits with the seasonal changes.  To experience this hands-on, we’ll invite you to join our autumn fitness group challenge with this week’s following prompts:

1. Try sourcing and integrating some seasonal local food into your diet and
2. Share your newly discovered or long-term favourite autumnal recipes with us. We encourage everyone to share their recipies HERE.

The Seasonal signals allow the body to be more fuel efficient; boost fat production and storage and become more insulin resistance for the colder months. This is good! The body is naturally preparing for the season. You may have also noticed this cyclical natural rhythm, with the appearance of a few extra pounds of body weight over the winter month. Now is not a good time to go on a diet, as you would be going against your body’s natural seasonal adaptations and over 400 million years of evolution. However, what you can do to maintain a healthy balance is exercise regularly and eat seasonally.

Besides keeping your cyclical rhythm, there are a few other reasons why seasonal food as nature has intended is good for us, the planet and our feeling of belonging.

Seasonal local food is good for you because: Its full of nutrition!

• Fruit and Vegetable that have been naturally ripened, is at its nutritional peak, packed full of nutrients, vitamins and anti-antioxidants
• After harvest fruit and veg begin to release enzymes that break down vitamins and phytochemicals, plus transport and handling food reduces the nutritional value immensely
• By the time you eat an out-of-season strawberry its nutritional value is drastically reduce

Seasonally local food is good for you because:  Reduction of single-used plastic, helping the planet with using lower food miles and less chemicals

• Buying locally reduce the use of single use plastic as food doesn’t need to be wrapped for transport or preservation
• Fruit and vegetables shipped long distances are often picked early and treated with a synthetic solution to delay ripening.
• Eating non-locally grown seasonal produce, therefore, may increase your exposure to unwanted chemicals, as not all farming countries undergo the same regulations.
• Pesticides and chemicals will have been absorbed by the whole fruit, and will enter your body, even if you wash them.

Seasonally local food is good for you because of; Greater connection with food and local farming communities and businesses in your area

• When you know the sources of your vegetables, meats, and dairy, you’ll have a deeper connection with your food and greater appreciation of the meals made from those ingredients.
• It becomes a connection point with others, to nature and the local produce and communities that provide and offer them to you

Now you know some of the reasons why seasonal food can benefit your health and well-being, why not join our weekly challenge. Hers is how:

Sourcing and integrating some seasonal local food into your diet:

Here are our top tips on how to source seasonal food.

1. Shop at farmers’ markets that offer produce from local growers:

Guildford Farmers Market: On Guildford High Street on the first Tuesday every month except January
Ripley Farmers Market: Award winning farmers market on the second Saturday of every month (9-1pm)
Godalming Farmers Market: Last Saturday of the month 10am – 4pm
West Byfleet Farmers Market: Last Saturday of the month

2. Visit local farm and shops that offer produce from local growers and offer veggie & produce boxes

Kingfisher Farm Abinger
My local farm box  in the Surrey hills
Hampton Estate Farm, Farnham

3. Don’t be too rigid about only eating seasonally
   • If you just starting out, make some small changes and try 1 or 2 seasonal foods a week
   • Its ok to include a few of your favourite nutrient dense foods all year, even if they are not.
   • Some veggies and fruits, such as dark leafy greens, blueberries, oranges and avocadoes, are good examples of all-year round foods because they’re such nutritional powerhouses , their value goes beyond seasonality
   • Frozen food is a good option: Frozen produce is typically picked and packaged at peak nutrition, making it a better choice than under-ripe fresh produce shipped long distances. Its gentler on the budget. helping you expand your choices when seasonal picks are limited.

Exploring cooking with seasonal food. What are my autumnal options?

Here are a few examples of local (UK) autumnal fruits and vegetables that you might start to crave now or perhaps would like to try cooking with.

Autumn vegetables
Beetroot, Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, Celeriac, Celery, Chestnuts, Cauliflower, Chicory, Jerusalem Artichokes, Kale, Leeks, Mushrooms, Onions, Parsnips, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Quince, Red Cabbage, Salsify, Savoy Cabbage, Swede, Swiss Chard, Turnips, Watercress, Winter Squash, White Cabbage, Purple sprouting broccoli

Autumn fruits
Apples, apricots, blackberry, blueberries, cranberries, figs, grapes, raspberries, plums, pears quince.

Autumnal recipes
Some mouth-watering seasonal recipes can be found here, but don’t be afraid to have fun experimenting.
Wild Mushroom gnocchi
Leek and pear tart  

If you are not sure which food are in season, you can look up the seasonal food calendar here.

We hope you have fun exploring this week’s seasonal food challenge: Let us know your favourite (old or new) autumn recipe by sharing it here on our Facebook page. Don’t forget to stay active to help your body to adjust to the seasons. Follow our posts on  Facebook and Instagram