Glory Hallelujah!
The cool mornings are here. I am ready for Fall and all the goodness of my favorite season. Warming and grounding foods, cleansing herbs, and some time in nature.
Tyler and I were long overdue for some unplugged time in nature. We wanted to take advantage of the crisp morning air of Fall in the woods. We loaded up Phil, our new rescue, our daypacks filled with a picnic and lots of dog treats, and headed up to Christopher Creek. We didn’t know if Phil had ever been in nature before. We quickly learned that he had not. We hiked, laughed, took in the fresh fall air, and hopped across stones on the creek, Phil mostly slipped and slid, but mostly, we allowed the healing power of nature to unwind our nervous systems.
I really want to encourage each and every one of you who is reading this to take some time to evaluate what is serving you and your greatest good right now. My friends, it is a lot right now. Almost everyone I speak to is overwhelmed and underfed. I don’t necessarily mean food-fed; I mean soul-fed. It is imperative that we take time to connect with nature during these times as we learn from the ancient sciences and philosophies, aka Ayurveda. We learn that we are nature. When we disassociate from nature we are disconnecting from ourselves.
Back to our hike. While tracking along the stream, we came across an apple tree. It was huge, and there were dozens of apples on the ground that had been enjoyed by various animals in the area. We were able to pluck some apples to enjoy for ourselves. I know when we get apples in Arizona, it is now time to begin a fall cleanse. One of the first things I do is to poach/stew an apple in the morning. This is an Ayurvedic go-to during apple season. Stewed apples are not only a delicious way I start my morning but also the most gentle energy igniters that will set your digestive fire to burn evenly through the day. Some days, I have stewed apples as breakfast, and if I feel I need more, I will wait a good 45 minutes after my stewed apples and follow with another meal. Poached or stewed apples are often referred to as a pre-breakfast.
There are so many benefits to having a stewed apple during the fall and into winter. Once pears are available, I will switch it up to enjoy a stewed pear.
As we move from summer to fall, the cooling, sweet, and astringent qualities of apples will help pull out excess pitta. When we poach them with some spices and a bit of ghee, it helps to balance vata too. This simple practice will not only strengthen your digestive fire, aka agni, but it will also gently cleanse your digestive system, boost immunity during cold and flu season, lower excessive hunger, and help lower acidity. Because they are high in soluble fiber, they feed the beneficial bacteria and act as a prebiotic.
Apples also contain polyphenols. When the polyphenols from the apple reach the colon, they can help to lessen inflammation, enhancing the growth of beneficial bacteria and inhibiting the growth of bad bacteria. It is really important only to use organic apples. We consume about 100 million bacterial cells with one apple. And the bacterial composition is very different in those organically produced. Organic apples carry a significantly more diverse and distinct microbiota, compared to a non-organic, almost 40% more!
This month’s recipe is stewed apples. I love to keep the apple water to cook oatmeal or quinoa or mix a teaspoon of Chyavanprash in the apple water and drink the liquid. It is also to drink on its own. I hope you enjoy the recipe as we dive into fall.