Insights & Recipe by Ruth Smiley with Blue Oak Ayurveda in Mariposa, California.

Autumn is upon us.

A slight rustle and chill fill the air, even as the afternoons remain hot and dry. In Ayurvedic terms, we’d say Vata (air & space) season and its whirlwind of movement and distraction from sturdiness and regularity roves about in our daily lives.

Pulling from a hat of many, here are some useful ingredients I like to help maintain the body and steady the mind during this dry, variable, and mobile phase of the seasonal cycle: cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, nutmeg, winter squash, root vegetables, and sesame.

“In particular, if Vata is struggling in your constitution, or the winds and temperature from day to night are extreme, go the extra mile and move away from raw or cold foods and more toward root vegetables — hard squashes like butternut or acorn, and cooked, oiled, and warmly seasoned greens.”

Spicing in Fall

Overall, the effects should be warm, circulatory, pain alleviating, grounding, comforting, hydrating and slightly sweet. Any individual spices can be used, but keep in mind the overall result is comforting to Vata by being warm, nourishing and alleviating.

Cinnamon | a friendly spice with a circulatory bhava (distinctive trait), cinnamon offers a wide range of uses from sweet to savory dishes, herbal tea, or as a condiment.
Ginger | an ally in times of trouble, achy pain, digestive chill, nausea or lack of appetite. Wonderfully enlivening to the senses of taste and smell, ginger helps “bring you back” to yourself, becoming more awake and alive.
Black Pepper | warming the insides and helping neutralize the acid-alkaline fluctuation that naturally occurs with seasonal change from hot to cold. Later, when winter sets in, black pepper has already helped alleviate trapped mucous from the lungs and assist the body in storing the necessary heat to avoid chills and low tolerance to cold.
Nutmeg | a crucial gem for severe Vata disruptions, anchoring especially the anxiety and anguish of feeling irregular or out of control. Known for its slightly narcotic effect, in very small amounts nutmeg serves to provide an immediate sense of stability that can buy you some time to get your bearings in other ways.

Vegetables in Fall

In keeping with proper care of Vata’s illusory qualities, seasonal vegetables at your locality should be the right choice. However, spend a little extra time preparing your food so that vegetables are properly cooked and seasoned to support a warm, nourished, well-cared-for digestive environment.

In particular, if Vata is struggling in your constitution, or the winds and temperature from day to night are extreme, go the extra mile and move away from raw or cold foods and more toward root vegetables—hard squashes like butternut or acorn, and cooked, oiled, and warmly seasoned greens.

Oil is to the body what love is to the spirit

Or so we like to say! At no time is that more true than when the seasonal shift presents itself in the trees as drying out, fluttering, changing color, and dying off. Oils—both topically and internally—rise in prominence of importance during fall. Your relationship to your body and the way you show affection for it through self-care is directly tantamount to the gloss of the skin, brightness of the eyes, and the vigor of natural immunity.

Applying pure sesame oil, or an herbal sesame based oil (visit banyanbotanicals.com) for high quality herbal body oils) to the skin before or after showering helps feed the tissues and revitalize a sense of warmth and connection. Internally, you can increase your beneficial fat intake by 1/2-1 teaspoon a day to help insulate the channels, lubricate the joints, hydrate smooth muscle tissue, restore nerves, and revitalize the internal organs of the body.

Let winter squash and root vegetable varietals be the hero of the season with this easy roasted hard squash & carrot recipe!

Roasted Hard Squash & Carrot with Warm Sesame

Ingredients

1-2 hard winter squash (any kind), lightly steamed, cubed and peeled
6-8 medium carrots, scrubbed with skins on, cut into chunks and lightly steamed
1+ Tablespoon Sesame oil
2 teaspoon Ghee
1 onion, minced
2-3 seasonal bell pepper or spicy chili (depending on your heat preferences); chop into loose irregular pieces
1-3 bay leaves
1/6 teaspoon nutmeg powder
1/2 teaspoon dried ginger OR 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
Optional: toasted sesame seeds and scallions

Directions

After lightly steaming the squash and hunks of carrot, remove the squash skins and cut to reasonably similar sizes. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet or wok, add sesame oil and ghee, then your onion and bay leaves to reduce and soften the onion for 5-10 minutes.

Firing up the heat, add loosely cut peppers, and the remaining spices and salt, sautéing actively to merge the flavors into the oil. Fold in your cubed squash and carrot, maintaining a sufficient high heat to merge the flavors into the vegetables.

Once all those good flavors have been taken in by the squash and carrots, lower the heat, cover and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until veggies are firm but cooked through. Remove from heat and sprinkle with salt.

Optional topping: lightly toasted sesame seeds, with a little salt and finely chopped scallions. This seasonal dish is wonderful served with steamed basmati rice, chicken, and for a little extra juice a side of miso broth.

Staying Balanced Through the Seasons: Greeting Autumn with Spice, Oil, & Hearty Vegetables