Finding Your Balance This Season by Sara Jackson from SJ Health

As we’re shifting into the new season, it’s time to look towards our nutrition, reconnect with nature, and reset our lifestyle habits to help prepare our bodies and minds for the Autumnal changes ahead….

Take the lead from Mother Nature who has a knack for providing exactly what our bodies need and when.

Root vegetables are in themselves very grounding, as their name suggests. The roots that lie beneath these vegetables provide an anchor deep down in the ground and form a solid foundation for their growth. Embrace dietary powerhouses such as carrots, parsnips, ginger, pumpkin, squash and sweet potatoes to help us connect to nature itself and boost our essential immune-supporting antioxidants such as alpha and beta carotene, the building blocks of Vitamin A, fibre, vitamin C, K,B and E. I love orange-hued spicy root veg soups and adding sweet potato and ginger to warming Autumnal lentil dahl.

Mushrooms: I am a huge fan of mushrooms all year round, but they come into their own in Autumn. Like root vegetables, they can provide a very real connection to the earth. The fungi kingdom has survived for millennia by adapting to ever changing climates & environments - they were here long before us and will be here long after. Did you know that fungi have built an underground web-like connection with its branching threads, referred to as ‘the internet of nature’, that some say the world wide web was based on? Basically tnature’s version of the internet, right under our feet. Penicillin was even developed originally from a fungi and I frequently see the benefits in clinic of using bespoke mushrooms for their anti-tumour, immuno-modulating, anti-viral and anti-parasitic properties.

We have all heard lots about Vitamin D in recent months as connected to Covid related immune support. Mushrooms naturally contain some Vitamin D, but you can supercharge your magic mushrooms by simply exposing them to sunlight while we still have it. Placing any type of mushrooms in the sun between 10am-3p for between 30-60 mins to multiply their vitamin D content by up to tenfold. They also have many other immune supporting properties so one to boost this time of year. I love eating them warm with organic eggs and piles of fresh herbs for a Sunday brunch.

Harness tried and tested herbs to encourage your calm

Ashwagandha is one of my favourite adaptogenic herbs which can work in harmony with your body to support and manage the way our body reacts to the everyday stresses and stressors that can destabilise us. There are numerous papers and studies to suggest it’s efficacy with reducing cortisol the stress hormone, and it may even reduce insomnia, fatigue, and the symptoms of depression but more research is needed in these areas. I see first hand the way it works in clinic to help many of my clients during times of stress, poor sleep or hormonal imbalance.

The Shatavari root has been used in traditional medicine to help restore vitality, support immunity and studies have indicated it’s strong antidepressant properties and I find it works well alongside some of these other herbs.

Lemon balm leaf is another favourite that has been linked to relieving stress, reducing anxiety, boosting brain function and assisting with sleep. I often recommend it in supplements and tinctures to my clients and it’s also wonderfully soothing when drunk as herbal tea - especially now that we need more warming up as we approach Autumn.

Life Armour’s Drops of Balance contains some of these herbs in an effective yet gentle formula to help find your balance again.

Here and now: Research has shown us that mindfulness meditation can reduce the symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression on a cellular and systemic level in our bodies. We know that chronic stress can tax both our immunity and our adrenal function, and when prolonged, it can drive more severe signs and symptoms like anxiety, depression, fatigue and sleep disturbance just to name a few. Meditation can work by switching off the emotional centre of the brain and encourage our brains to stay grounded where we are better able to engage the rational part of our brains, helping us make better decisions, balance our emotions, be more resilient to stress, and improve systemic stress biomarkers. Just 5-10 mins of meditation a day can make a huge impact on retraining your brain and body and there are so many accessible apps like Calm or Headpsace available to try.