It’s time to start getting into the Autumn groove!
Fall is a favorite season because it’s crisp, colorful, and comfy. The cooler weather sets in, and it’s time to break out the sweaters, take long walks, enjoy warm drinks, and treat those tastebuds to some special Fall flavors. Wonderful fall foods aren’t only rich with flavor but can also be packed with nutrition and health benefits, especially for the immune system.
We’ve picked six Fall Foundational Foods you need to embrace this season:
Apple
Apples provide fiber to the diet promoting gut health. They have high antioxidant activity and can reduce risk of cancer, decrease lipid oxidation, and even lower cholesterol. Because of the presence of repair inducing phenolic compounds like quercetin, raw apples can even improve garlic breath!
Ways to use: Whether you crunch into an apple whole, chop it up in a salad or eat it cooked in oatmeal, including this common though special fruit in your Fall diet is a no brainer!
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a delicious aromatic spice. Did you know that the distinct smell and flavor of cinnamon are due primarily to its essential oil component, cinnamaldehyde? This is what gives cinnamon’s its high nutritional qualities. Not only is it packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, it has a beneficial effect on blood glucose and cholesterol. It can prevent tooth decay and bad breath because of its anti-bacterial qualities and is neuroprotective as well.
Ways to use: Add a dash of cinnamon to your morning coffee, dust apple wedges with it or sprinkle it on oatmeal or iced/hot tea.
Ginger
Ginger root, commonly called “ginger, is touted as being among the healthiest (and most delicious) spices on the planet. The rhizome (underground part of the stem) is the part commonly used as a spice. Ginger has a long and rich history of use in traditional cuisines especially in Southeast Asia. Its principal compound gingerolis is what provides its fragrance, flavor, and medicinal properties. Extremely helpful as a digestive aid, ginger can help with nausea and vomiting, including morning sickness. It also possesses antioxidant properties, promotes repair by its anti-inflammatory qualities, and can assist in managing optimum weight. Ginger is one of Nature’s Alkaline Way GGOBE foods, and we think it should be used as a staple, rather than a condiment.
Ways to use: Use fresh ginger shredded in Asian stir fry dishes, chopped with honey as a salad dressing or marinade, in soups or as a hot tea.
Turmeric
Seen in kitchens in India and other parts of Asia, this spice is interwoven into daily life, cuisine, and culture as well as ancient healing traditions. A member of the ginger family, turmeric has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. Its main active compound is called curcumin. To achieve its full antioxidant/anti-inflammatory potential, blend turmeric with piperine – the active component of black pepper. When combined with curcumin, piperine can increase bioavailability of turmeric by almost 2000%!
Ways to use: Use it while making lentil, curry and rice dishes; in vinaigrettes, soups, or stews; or blend it in your favorite smoothie.
Brussels Sprouts
These “little cabbages” are chock full of goodness – high in fiber, low in calories, antioxidant rich (Vitamin C) and a good source of Vitamin K for healthy blood clotting. Being a part of the Brassica family, they contain sulforaphane, a vital antioxidant and cancer protective nutrient and are one of the recommended bio detox foods.
Ways to use: Roast, boil or steam them; shred them in a salad, or stir fry the leaves.
Sweet Potato
The blend of antioxidants and balanced fiber in a sweet potato promotes growth of healthy bacteria,making sweet potato a gut friendly food. Rich in beta carotene and anthocyanins, sweet potatoes also support vision health. These colorful components also differentiate the sweet potato from “regular” white potatoes, which are slightly higher on the glycemic index, as well.
Ways to use: Nicknamed “Orange wonder spud,” sweet potatoes are extremely versatile: Use them baked, to make breakfast hash, in a chili with beans, with kale in a frittata, in a casserole, in a pie… the list is endless. Enjoy this special fall vegetable any way you like!
Here is our special alkalinizing sweet potato recipe.
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