Ah, fall. Crisp air, bright foliage, your favorite sweaters and flannels—it’s a welcome reprieve from the heat of summer. But with this change of seasons also comes new challenges. Cold weather, dry air, and less light exposure combined with the threat of seasonal flu and colds. It’s a lot for your body to cope with. We’ve put together a list of the best natural remedies to stay healthy this fall and embrace the change of seasons with ease.
Indulge in Seasonal Produce for Fall
Eating seasonally helps get your body in tune with nature’s cycles and provides you with the freshest, most nutrient-dense foods possible. Fall’s harvest is rich with nutrients that heal, boost immune systems, and ground us. Fruits and veggies like pumpkin, chard, broccoli, apples, cranberries, and so much more all contain nutrients that help give us that boost we need to stay healthy and aligned with nature. Finding seasonal produce doesn’t need to be a challenge, either. Farmer Jones’s Best of the Season Box is an easy way to get fresh, in-season produce delivered right to your door.
Get a Vitamin D Boost
As the days continue to get shorter and time outside is not as plentiful, getting enough vitamin D is key for staying healthy in the fall. When you can, try and get outside in the sun for at least 15 minutes. Enjoy seasonal activities like visiting a local apple orchard or going on a hike. When you can’t get outside, you can add a vitamin D boost to your day with foods like salmon, whitefish, egg yolks, and fortified yogurt. For vegan and vegetarian diets, reach for mushrooms, soy milk, and fortified tofu.
Increase Your Vitamin C Intake
Autumn is the time of year when colds, cases of flu, seasonal allergies, and now COVID thrive. Giving your immune system a natural boost will help keep you healthy and thriving through the season. An easy solution? A simple glass of warm lemon water every morning right after you wake up. You’ll get to start your day with both that bug-fighting vitamin C and hydration. If you suffer from seasonal allergies, add some local honey as a sweetener. It can help you build up a tolerance to allergens specific to your region.
Reduce Stress
Fall welcomes in a seasonal slow-down. It’s a great opportunity to join the life all around you in relaxing and grounding. However, fall is also the time of year for large gatherings and holidays. Make sure you’re taking time for yourself to relax and unwind. Daily exercise, meditation, and drinking stress-relieving herbal teas are great ways you can reduce unnecessary stress from the seasonal shift. Incorporating lavender, especially before bed, can help slow your body and mind as you transition through the new season.
Say Goodbye to Cold and Flu Symptoms
Even if you get plenty of vitamins, sometimes a cold or flu is unavoidable. Luckily, there are several natural remedies you can tap into to stay healthy throughout the fall. If you have a sore throat, brew an easy lemon, ginger, and honey tea. For body aches, draw a warm bath and add a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil. The warm water will help you relax and the eucalyptus can help with respiratory issues you may be having. To clear your breathing passageways even more, you can use a Neti Pot.
Soothe Your Dry Skin
Colder weather brings drier air. This dry air can harm your skin, causing itching, irritation, and general discomfort. To naturally alleviate this symptom, all you need are oats and coconut oil. First, you will need to grind your oats with a coffee grinder until they are a fine powder. Then, draw a hot bath and stir in the oat powder. This tried-and-true natural remedy has been used for generations to soothe skin irritations. After your bath, massage coconut oil into your skin to provide your parched skin with some delicious moisture.
Greeting a new season and the changes that come with it doesn’t have to knock your health and wellness out of balance. Get out and enjoy everything fall offers by tapping into these natural remedies to stay healthy. With your health, you can more readily enjoy those large holiday gatherings, play in the leaves, and live more in sync with nature.