Autumn and the fall are changes in seasons as the earth and it’s people begin to cozy in for the winter. Before the biting cold of the winter settles in, fall offers the perfect balance of comfort and chilly weather. As if the earth knows that warm, hearty meals are needed to compensate for the changing weather, the ground produces delicious produce like squashes, gourds, and other root vegetables in addition to crisp fruits like apples and pears. All of these foods have specific benefits that are helpful to recovering the mind and the body. Warm soups, vegetables, pies, and baked chunks of squash and gourd are soothing to the soul with just the right flavor palette to give you the sensual, safe feeling of the fall.
Squash
Zucchini and yellow summer squash are a different kind of squash from what grows during the winter. Winter squash is its own kind of squash. As a collection of squash, there are Delacotta, Acorn, Butternut Squash and other squashes. Best baked or as a soup, squash is rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Unlike many other vegetables, squash is unique in that it is also rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. Mental health recovery of any kind is greatly benefitted by Omega-3’s which only come from food.
Gourd
The most popular fall season gourd is pumpkin. Great for internal and external health, pumpkin can be used on the skin and in the stomach. Pumpkin is a large source of B-vitamins which makes it great for skin and hair. One of the more fibrous fall foods, pumpkin can account for 20 percent of daily fiber intake. A great tip: check the labels on pumpkin products. Most often, other kinds of squash or gourd is used instead of actual pumpkin. Bring on the pumpkin pie!
Root Vegetables
Parsnips, turnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, rutabaga, carrots, yams, and others are all root vegetables. Good sources of fiber, each root vegetable has different benefits like potassium, vitamins, minerals, and even anti-inflammatory benefits. Root vegetables are great baked, made into a hash, roasted, or served as a soup.
Apples and Pears
Apples are rich in antioxidants and loaded with fiber. During the fall, you can look out for your favorite selection of fall apples like Honeycrisp, which makes the sweetest cider. As a snack, apples combine well with other “superfoods” like almonds and cashews. Put apples in a salad, make applesauce, or bake them into a crisp with granola. There’s always apple pie, too.
Pears also supply a large amount of fiber and have a special taste different from apples. Whereas apples are full of antioxidants, pears are helpful for getting a source of mineral like copper. Pears make for good jam, pies, or as an on-the-go snack.
Improving Recovery with Nutritious Autumn Foods
The Guest House in Ocala, Florida, proudly serves residents with organic, local food sourced from our own estate and local farms. Prepared daily by an in-house chef, residents have all of their dietary and nutritional needs met in order to fully recover from trauma and addiction. Contact us today for information on life at the estate and our residential treatment programs: 1-352-812-2780.