How to eat this season...and beyond

What does nature teach us?

The trees have turned to deep, jeweled hues, some already bare. This, cooler temperatures and shorter days harken the season’s change. The bounty of summer is finishing up and as nature dictates, we’re heading into a period of gathering and storing so we have nourishment when the unforgiving cold of winter descends and vegetation and prey become scarcer and leaner.

If we watch animals, we can see these natural cycles in action. Squirrels gather nuts to store, bears fatten up so they can be sustained over their winter nap. As humans, we too, evolved to work with the natural cycles of the seasons. During times of bounty, we feasted, knowing there would be times when food was not as plentiful. We also fattened up so during times of scarcity, we could burn fat for fuel.

We evolved to accommodate feast/famine cycles, as those are typical of the changing seasons. In the winter, there’s less light and less activity. We don’t actually require as much sustenance. When you consider how food is around us at all times with grocery stores, restaurants, and services like Door Dash, it’s clear most of us experience something more akin to feast/more feast cycles.

This wreaks havoc on our metabolism, hijacking blood sugar regulation and busying the body so much it never gets to deep cleaning and maintenance functions. By the time we’re approaching middle age, we’ve gone puffy around our middles and we begin fighting diagnoses like heart disease, diabetes and inflammatory conditions like arthritis.

The holiday season is a time we enjoy abundance to the extreme. Although it might not seem like it, it’s the perfect time to teach yourself to align more with natural cycles. Here are some tips for how to do just that.

1) Try intermittent fasting. Self-impose a famine cycle by stretching the time between when you finish dinner and when you eat breakfast the next day. If you’re new to intermittent fasting, try moving your breakfast back by an hour every few weeks, aiming first for a 13-hour fasting period and working your way to 15 hours and potentially more. When you fast like this, you’re taking a break from digestion, which is very strenuous on your body. It also helps regulate your blood sugar, allowing your body to lower nighttime cortisol and increase melatonin for better sleep, while setting you up for more deep sleep and extra detoxification. Remember, calories from drinks will break a fast, so avoid any caloric drinks after dinner, sticking instead with water and unsweetened herbal teas. During your eating window, eat robust meals, loaded with whole vegetables and high quality, grass-fed, pastured and wild-caught proteins.

2) Gauge your hunger and eat more intuitively. Especially over the holidays, we eat because things are just yummy. Starting now, listen to your body’s cues so you know when you really need to eat and when you’re becoming full. Once you’re attuned to these messages from your body, you can better deliver what your body truly needs, rather than what your tastebuds crave. In Japan, the concept of mindful eating is captured in the phrase hara hachi bu, which roughly translates to “belly 80% full.” Catching yourself when you’re 80% full is a skill you can hone. Take this time to slow down, chew thoroughly, speak with your friends and family during meals, and truly enjoy sharing mealtimes with those you love.

3) Stick with whole, clean, seasonal foods. The closer to how a food appears in nature, the better it generally is for you to consume. An orange picked from the tree will always be better for you than orange juice or orange marmalade. Whole foods usually have their fluids, vitamins, minerals, and fiber intact. During winter months, fruits like oranges and other citrus provide vitamin C, which helps fight viruses, bacteria and other pathogens that cause infection and make us sick. It’s like nature just knows. 😊 Make it a point to choose in-season produce like citrus, kiwi, pears, pomegranates, root vegetables like carrots, beets, parsnips, rutabagas, turnips, cruciferous veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale and brussels sprouts, pre-biotic rich alliums like garlic, onions and leeks, and winter squashes such as acorn and  butternut. Supplement these with legumes as well as nuts and seeds. The vegetation will take care of fiber requirements. Be sure to also include clean proteins and plenty of healthy, high-quality fats including grass-fed butter, ghee, and tallow, avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil. These will keep your blood sugar stable and help you feel satiated between meals.

As you practice these habits, take time to note how you feel. Does your body thrive after a longer overnight fast? How is our energy, your sleep? Have these changes affected your mood? Have you lost weight, despite being immersed in the holiday cheer? It’s a good idea to keep a journal anytime you’re making significant changes so you can track trends and adjust your strategy as needed.

Please share your experience.