With the arrival of autumn, there’s a renewed emphasis on the well-being of your microbiome. Just as the leaves undergo a transformation during this season, it’s time to consider a positive change for your internal ecosystem. Imagine your microbiome as a thriving garden, full of untapped potential. Nourishing it with a diet abundant in prebiotic and probiotic foods is comparable to supplying essential nutrients for robust growth. Much like how nature thrives with sunlight and fresh air, your microbiome flourishes with consistent physical activity and exposure to the outdoors.
As we embrace the autumn season, we’re eager to share seasonal insights aimed at enhancing your microbiome health. These valuable tips will empower you to nurture your inner garden, ensuring it not only survives but thrives, contributing to your overall well-being.
Supporting your Microbiome In Autumn
With Food
Embrace cosy, colourful meals. Think hearty soups and stews made with pulses or cheaper cuts of meat (get that slow cooker out!), warm lentil salads, a steaming mug of miso soup, and meals packed with seasonal foods. Some of our favourite foods at this time of the year are blackberries from the hedgerows, squashes of all shapes and sizes, and the under-appreciated prebiotic powerhouse which is the Jerusalem artichoke.
Think beyond citrus and explore other foods which nourish the immune system, such as raw or lightly steamed green vegetables (e.g. cavolo nero, kale, brussels), mushrooms, oily fish, eggs, garlic, ginger, berries, and offal.
Vitamin D: check your level and get topped up! Testing our vitamin D status going into and coming out of the cooler months is a good routine to make sure we have enough vitamin D when we need it
Experiment with fermented foods, such as kombucha, kimchi, and sauerkraut, to supercharge your diet with probiotics. You can buy them pre-made or make your own. Sauerkraut is just salt and cabbage and the making of it is a slow and therapeutic activity for a rainy day.
Re-stock your herbal tea cupboard with warming teas rich in spices such as cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric.
With Lifestyle
Follow the sun as the days get shorter to help you embrace the change of the season by catching the transition in all its beauty. Getting daylight into your eyes will also help to keep your body clock in check and mood lifted. Have a think about what would work best for you. You might want to get up a bit earlier to catch the sunrise, go on a lunchtime walk, have your morning cuppa in the garden, or pop out for an evening stroll or run to catch the sunset.
Consider buying a sunrise/sunset clock to help you wake up easier on the darker mornings and keep your body clock entrained.
Get cosy! Scandinavians called it ‘hygge’ while the Scots call it ‘coorying in’. Get creative and see how your can make your home environment ultra-relaxed and cosy, perhaps with a new candle, blanket, book, or board game, so you can take time out from the daily rush and changeable weather to enjoy simple pleasures.
If further support is needed, you could also consider rejuvenating your supplement protocol to make it especially nourishing for the strength and balance of your immune system and gut health.