Autumn sweet and mellow

Autumn sweet and mellow, a time to start gathering and looking inward: start looking after yourself.
I have a 'program' ....;I have started Pilates in September with a new great teacher in Blackheath, and I am enjoying the changes, subtle ones, in my body...also I will be starting a new yoga in the morning once a week with a new teacher, who incidentally gave me the most amazing massage last week. A combination of Thai and shiatsu, also reflexology was used...so deep this massage, a bit painful (so I know which organs and parts of my body need more attention!), but relaxing as well and my body started to slowly cleanse and heal...things are shifting from somewhere remote, coming to the surface...

Autumn is time to look after oneself more than any other time as we need to get ready for the colder months ahead and the lack of light...I adore this season and I love winter too: the cosy wool blankets and the hot tea, the candle light....the magic...the snow..if we are lucky!
So we need to make our immune system strong.

I have noticed that there is somewhat a lack of understanding on how to keep warm and not catch a cold. I have this knowledge from my Italian background and my Grandma from Sicily...she taught me a lot!
I observe people a lot and I work with families and little children; invariably I see the lack of care or how unprepared people are with the colder days ahead...I see lots of children with runny noses and then it goes to their chests making them cough.

It is not quite the time yet to put the heating on high all day; this gives our bodies a false sense of warm and we undress indoors...then the body especially of a child who is active and plays then may over heat, to then go into the cold air outside underdressed, i.e. without a coat/cardigan/jacket, and oh well, catch a cold! We don't catch colds from other people, mostly from just our bodies getting, well, cold! We catch flu from people, as it comes from a virus and that is cacthy!

The tricky bit is to know the difference from the symptoms, but generaly a virus does go to the organs in our bodies that are the weakests usually and that could be the lungs, the stomach...with infections...like sorethroat, etc...fever/temperature and headache and general weakness etc...
So if it is a runny nose it is just a cold (which incidentally can give headaches with sinus infection if left untreated gets complicated...etc...etc...)

I start wearing vests, wool on the outside and cotton inside, long vests to cover my backside too ( the kidneys), I started wearing warmer shoes and hats and scarves.
I button up so I keep my chest warm.
The children should be covered to, it is very important.
I see people still in sandals and out and about in short cropped tops and cotton jackets- opn at the chest...

I hear a lot of sniffing and coughing...unfortunately even my daughter...as it is so easy for a child to go out in the cold, without a jacket and sweat, running, playing...they don't feel the cold as they are distracted...we need to keep an eye and teach them to take care.
At this time of the year a slevless body warmer is good to wear, with a hood, like a warm fleecy gilet/jacket. And it is very easy to wear for children, their limbs need to feel free.
Layering is the key. We need to show children how...by example first of all...oh no...nagging won't do!

So how to keep warm, strong and energized now?

Autumn is a transition season with two major elements, after summer the first cooler winds, the leaves start falling, the time of harvest, the colour golden yellow/mustard, pale orange and pale brown and green...then slowly going into cooler metal, late Autumn to Winter Solstice...

And now I will expalin a bit more about the elemnts and the season, and how to stay healthy, especially with food...by the way I rarely get colds...or the flu!
I am snifless and snotless, still....I thank my diet for my strong immune system!

Earth element is tied to sweet taste and the colour yellow.

When a person is feeling weak, tired or angry, sweet foods are the best pick me up to improve one's outlook as well as physical well being. However, when onecraves sweets everyday or constantly, that represents a disharmony within the Earth element. Potentially more on the emotional and spiritual aspect of having excess, chronic worry and not feeling grounded and with a strong foundation in one's life.

To be in tune with late Summer- early Autumn season, one should consider foods that are harmonizing and grounding in nature. They would be slightly sweet, potentially rounded in shape and golden or yellow in color. Examples are millet, corn, carrots, cabbage, soybeans, most roundish beans, peas, sweet potatoes, chestnuts, yams/sweet potatoes, tofu, sweet rice, amaranth, apricots, squash and potatoes. Simple preparation for food is recommended, not too much seasoning for a more mild flavor. A good time for soups, casseroles and rice dishes with several ingredients to choose from. Now that we are in the middle of Autumn...going towards winter, the mood is shifting, with darker cooler days- shorter days,damp cold...we feel the gathering of energies and a slowing down, a gradual getting ready for Winter sleep.

This is the time for purification or detox . But that isn't for everyone and should not be undertaken without easing into a fast of one day at a time and then adding a day to build up to a desired time. The body exudes a lot of energy digesting food and when one does a fast it halts the body's focus on digestion. This increases the opportunity for healing, taking care of things it didn't have time to focus on before and has the added benefit to give mental clarity to one's life.

Look after yourself, this is the time to do it; find inner peace and enjoy the moment.
I think now is the time to have baths and dinner by candlelight!
Brush your skin gently with a loofah or cloth, use aromatherapy warming oil.

Autumn is Metal:

During Autumn a downward shift occurs; the light lessens, days grow shorter, and energy descends back into the earth for the dormant cycle. Leaves fall from the trees, the last fruits ripen, and life energy contracts. We move into a place of profound stillness, just as Persephone retreated to the underworld at the end of harvest. Grief is the emotion most frequently associated with the lung/metal element, but on a spiritual level, metal is also associated with the deep, visceral knowing of the body that comes with stillness and deep listening. The color of the metal element is white, its flavor is spicy or volatile, and the associated organs are lung and large intestine. The hours for lungs are 3 to 5 a.m.; large intestine is 5 to 7 a.m.

Foods that enhance the metal element:

Grain: White, brown, and sweet rice, mochi

Vegetables: Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, celery, daikon radish, onions, parsnips, watercress, mustard and turnip greens, turnips, garlic, cucumber, leeks

Beans and Pulses: white beans

Fruits: Banana, pear, apples

Fish: Bass, snapper, cod, haddock, herring.

Foods that enhance the metal element: Grain: White, brown, and sweet rice, mochi Vegetables: cauliflower, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, celery, daikon radish, onions, watercress, mustard and turnip greens, turnips, garlic, cucumber, leeks Beans and Pulses: white beans Fruits: Pear, apples Fish: cod, haddock, herring, flounder, halibut Herbs and Seasonings: dill, fennel, thyme, ginger root, horseradish, cinnamon, cayenne, basil, and rosemary Autumn is a time when many people experience respiratory issues, whether allergies, bronchitis, or the first cold of the season. All of the vegetables, fruits and herbs listed above help strengthen the lungs, move mucus out of the body, and cleanse the digestive tract. Many people do not particularly enjoy cabbages, turnips, and pungent greens like watercress and mustard, so what to do? Try pairing these lesser-loved vegetables with others you do enjoy. The sweetness of winter squash, beets or yams complements the pungent/bitter quality of autumn veggies nicely. Rice, mochi, white beans and the fish listed above are all mild and somewhat sweet, and are therefore good complements to them as well. Cooking style for Autumn With the seasonal change from late summer to autumn, we tend towards heartier and richer dishes. A little more sea salt and oil, which warms the body, is used, along with fewer raw foods. Salads are lightly boiled, and vegetables are cut into larger chunks for longer cooking. Rice, which is harvested around this time, is the most suitable grain. Stews, deep-fried vegetables, soups, and longer sauteeing dishes are all ideal ways to get in tune with the season.

What your dish should look like!


A balanced meal is not just how much carbo/proteins/fats/minerals, etc...should your dish contain: it also needs to be balanced in texture, taste, colour.
The smell of the food is what hits us first, the second thing is what it looks like- then taste like.
Cooking is an art! Have a visual picture of what the end product is going to look like. Cook according to what you or the person receiving and eating the food fancies.
I myself like a sweet-mellow and warm creamy taste around this time of the year, sometimes mixed with something bitter to contrast and pungent and sour and crunchy.




Some recipes for Autumn:

Miso is a salty fermented soybean paste that is aged anywhere from 6 months to more than 2 years. Always buy unpasteurized miso, as it is a live food, and should never be boiled. I generally recommend light or red miso, which are milder and less salty than the darker varieties. Light miso is best for warm weather, and the red is a good pick for moderate climates or year round use. Miso helps create and maintain an alkaline condition in the body, which is key to disease resistance and prevention. If you don�t have time to soak the wakame, stir a teaspoon of miso paste into hot water for an excellent pick-me-up.

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 cups vegetable stock or spring water
• 1 (6-8 inch) piece dried wakame seaweed
• 1/2 cup diced firm tofu
• 2-3 tablespoons red or light miso paste, according to taste
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped herb like parsley or a little spring onion

Preparation:

Bring wakame and stock to a boil; reduce heat to simmer and cook 10 minutes.

Remove wakame, chop fine, and return to stock. Add tofu.

Dissolve miso paste in a ladleful of broth, and stir back into the soup. Remove from heat./p]

Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with the herb of your choice.

I sometimes add a carrot sliced thinly and some cauliflower or cabbage, basically a few vegetables of my choice ( or what I have in the fridge!)

What does Macrobiotic mean and how do I get started?

The word macrobiotic comes from the Greek macro, meaning large or long, and bios, or life. Macrobiotics is a lifestyle and dietary philosophy that promotes health, longevity and healing, through a largely plant-based diet. While at its most developed, it is a complex science involving diagnosis, lifestyle and nutrition, the average person can fairly easily adapt the basic principles into a busy 21st century lifestyle.

Traditional macrobiotics has its origins in a Japanese viewpoint using native ingredients, but we can apply the same concepts to a more modern, western approach.

This is a global perspective on macrobiotics. It is important to recognize that each culture in the world, whether rooted in Latin American, European, African or Asian traditons, has its own version of this philosophy.

Buy Local and In Season

Today “local” means grown within 500 miles of where you live; the idea being that you will be eating foods natural to your environment, and vital nutrients will not have aged out of your food by the time it reaches your table. Here in New York we see food shipped in from New Zealand, Chile, Israel and elsewhere. Many of these foods were picked before ripening and kept in cold storage for weeks. A far better option is to frequent the local greenmarkets in your area, where regionally grown produce is sold.

During the active growing season, buy from your local farmer’s markets, and during colder or transitional months consume more of the hardier fruits and vegetables (also local), which have longer shelf lives (apples, winter squash, onions, root veggies, etc).

Buy Organic or Minimally Treated Foods and Produce

This practice drastically reduces the presence of pesticides, hormones, dyes and other toxins in your food.

Whole Grains

These should make up 40-60% of the diet, as is true of most traditional cultures in the world. Grains include brown rice, millet, corn, oats, barley, amaranth, teff, quinoa, buckwheat and more. Grains are eaten in an unrefined state.

Vegetables

Veggies make up 20-30% of the diet, or about ¼ to 1/3 of a plate of food. Vegetables for a temperate climate include leafy greens, root vegetables, sweet, round, and ground vegetables, crucifers, and others. Amongst them we see lettuces, kale, collards, arugula, chicory, parsnips, carrots, rutabagas, turnips, radish, onions, garlic, leeks, sweet potatoes, all manner of squashes, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and more. Nightshade vegetables (potatoes, eggplant, tomato and peppers) are not used because they are considered to have inflammatory compounds.

Beans and Sea Vegetables

These foods should be 5-10% of the diet, or a small portion. A serving of beans is about ½ cup, while a serving of sea vegetables is about 2 tablespoons. Beans and bean products, as well as pulses, such as adzuki, black, kidney, great northern, chickpeas, edamame, tofu, tempeh, split peas and lentils all provide high quality plant protein. Sea vegetables (arame, kombu, hijiki, dulse, nori) provide exceptional, high quality minerals.

Soups

Soups are consumed daily in traditional macrobiotic diets and are a wonderful, flexible way to incorporate any or all of the above-mentioned foods. They can be as simple as Traditional Miso broth with Tofu and Scallions or as full bodied as White Fish Soup with Lotus Root Soba, Ginger and Lemongrass.

Condiments and Seasonings

These are varied and include fresh herbs as well as pickles, and dry or bottled seasoning, covered in Stocking Your Pantry.

Other Foods

Fruits in season, fish and seafood (especially smaller white fish), nuts, seeds, andunrefined sweets are consumed in moderation and not necessarily on a daily basis.

Chew, Chew, and Chew Some More

Carefully chewing our food serves dual purposes: the enzymes released by our saliva help digest the food, and prevent heartburn; and thorough chewing makes us less likely to overeat.

Bless Your Food

Take the time to set your table, and make eating a ritual. Sit down, slow down, and be present to the act of nourishing your body.