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As the season shifts from its warm, sunny, and drying qualities, our bodies naturally want to slow down from the summery hot paces and to prepare for a time of rest. I find it common for colds to show up at this juncture, as many of us are outside of creation’s syncing and instead demand our bodies to maintain the brisk lifestyle of high summer days. This challenges our systems with too much noise when a softening is suggested, even by quieter, darker mornings and golden sun rises. It’s no wonder our noses start to run.
In the kitchen, many of us are facing a garden glut. It’s a good time to process stewed fruits for the winter, such as apples and tomatoes, as cooked foods will better support our digestive systems in the colder months. Stock your pantry with whole grains and your freezer with pastured meats. You’ll appreciate “shopping” from your own nourishing stock when you’re hunkered down for the winter.
Forage
Outside, it’s a great time to forage for first year burdock roots, as they will make great additions to the long cooking stews and soups to come. Burdock is helpful for not only digestion and detoxification, but for many respiratory symptoms. Many mushrooms are ready for the picking as well, but be 100% certain of your identification if you are hunting for them. If you’re as blessed as I am, you might find a flush of chickweed growing in your garden at this time; it’s a delicious wild green with a tender crunch and loads of nutrients. Chickweed tastes most delicious either raw, or as a raw bed for cooked foods on top. Miner’s lettuce is also a happy find, high in nutrients and with a juicy crunch.
Grow
Now’s the time to plant garlic! It’s also a great time to plant winter hardy greens such as kale, scallions, dandelion, spinach, and mâche. There are many resources for autumnal planting and winter harvesting; my favorite source for planning and implementing is Four Season Harvest by Eliot Coleman.
Cook
There are many herbs that help our bodies make the transition to slower, quieter seasons. I always think of warm, spiced herbs such as cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom. A nice blend for adding to all the various winter squashes (not just pumpkin) is easy to make:
2 parts cinnamon
2 parts ginger
1 part cardamom
These herbs will keep the circulation going and help disperse excess moisture in the body.
I also love adding many herbs to my broths, not only common culinary herbs such as oregano, thyme, onion, and garlic, but herbs such as astragalus root, turmeric and burdock root, and dried mushrooms such as cordyceps and shiitake. All are very supportive to keeping the body well balanced and in good immune function.
Make
If you haven’t made your salves yet, now is a great time to do so. You can find the start of how to make a very good salve here:
Speaking of calendula, the flowers are beautiful to pluck and use in all sorts of fall cooking and baking, adding to soups, salads, and even desserts for color and nutrients.
I also like to make a good hand spray to keep in my purse for when I am out and about. Essential oils are potent and useful for a variety of preparations, and can act as antibacterial and antiviral helps if properly made. I find that many recipes simply do not go beyond just making something smell good! Here is the recipe that I learned from one of my earliest instructors, Jessie Hawkins, a PhD and science researcher who taught me well the importance of evidence based herbal medicine.
A Better Hand Spray
Combine and shake well before using:
1 oz vodka (for preservation)
1 oz distilled water
60 drops sweet orange essential oil (anti-bacterial)
40 drops lemon essential oil (anti-bacterial)
30 drops lavender essential oil (anti-mircrobial and skin soothing)
20 drops melissa (lemon balm) essential oil (anti-viral)
Drink
It’s a good season to consider adding a daily infusion to your daily routine. My favorite for the autumn is the traditional CCF tea, made up of equal parts cumin seed, coriander seed, and fennel seed. It is a wonderful warming tea, and excellent for the digestion, for encouraging detoxification, and for supporting good immune function. Use 1/2 TB of this CCF blend for each 8 oz mug of hot (just to boiling) water, and steep for at least five minutes. Of course, adding these herbs into your cooking would also be a welcome nourishment to the body.
I also prioritize nervines for daily infusions this time of year, as it helps me to encourage a calming pace. Blends that include skullcap, lemon balm, chamomile, oats, or tulsi have a soothing effect on the body without being too sedating, and you can add ginger or many of the herbs already discussed such as cinnamon to these.
If you’re looking for more immune boosters, make sure to go back and check out my post that highlights some of the favorites our family stocks and uses when needed:
I’m so thankful for autumn and the reminder it gives me to slow down and reconsider and reorient my daily habits. I hope you, too, will embrace this opportunity to incorporate foods, herbs, and practices to nourish and strengthen your body for the winter times ahead.
The Chinese five spices are good against the spike proteins from infection and injection