Letting Nature Be Your Guide
When it comes our pursuit of health, we are inundated with messages that teach us that how we look is more important than how we feel. We stop listening to our bodies and silence our intuition, trying to follow the latest “diet in disguise” with it’s long list of “don’t’s” and “should’s”.
As a health coach, my passion and expertise is guiding you back to the experience that your body actually knows exactly what it needs to feel nourished, satisfied and healthy.
One of the most fundamental ways we can honor our body’s wisdom is when we tune in to the changes we feel when the seasons change.
Ancient healing systems like Traditional Chinese Medicine (“TCM”) teach us that our bodies are connected to the rhythms of seasonal cycles. **Listen to this week’s interview with TCM Practitioner, Ellen Goldsmith. Click on Blue Button Below.
Our bodies and minds are optimized to receive different types of nourishment in harmony with nature’s changes. Seasonal eating aligns with these natural shifts within our bodies and can help revitalize our relationship with the food we eat.
External changes in weather along with internal shifts in our energy and emotions inform our nutritional needs and presences. We can more readily hear these cues by observing our energy level, mood, digestion, sleep, appetite and cravings.
Have you noticed how your appetite for certain foods have shifted in the last month? Winter is traditionally a time to slow down, inspiring choices that are more hearty and warming like slow cooked soups, stews, root vegetables and darker greens.
Winter is the most “yin” season, energy is contracted, a deeply nourishing time that invites us to go within and connect with the core of our being. For some, this season brings seasonal affective disorder and feelings of loneliness. For others, winter is a relief to have more permission to pause and reflect. Key to staying in balance in this season is making time for restorative self care practices like yoga, meditating, breath work and journaling.
In TCM, winter is the “water element” in nature which is associated with the kidneys and bladder. Some signs of imbalance in this energy system are back pain, menstrual issues, headaches, exhaustion, very low motivation, excessive fear and anxiety. Slowing down, drinking lots of fluids and practicing what we observe in nature: stillness and energy conservation helps restore these organ systems and boost their vitality.
Eating well and in season includes mostly cooked foods such as whole grains, sweet potatoes, squash, beans, nuts, seeds, kale, escarole and warming spices like ginger, cinnamon and garlic.
The most important thing you can do for your health is listen to your body.
Learning how to tune (back) into your body is an ongoing process and practice that I would love to guide you in.
If you’re ready, let’s talk.
