Seasonal Strategy for Fall Superfoods.
The influence of the seasons on the delicate balance of your body is one of the most vital but overlooked aspects of total health.
There is an amazing organic synchronicity between the foods that grow naturally in your locale in each season and the physiological challenges presented by the changes in weather, daylight hours, and plummeting temperatures.
Besides, buying foods that are in season (www.FruitandVeggiesMoreMatters.org tells which these are), can save you as much as 75% on your produce bill.
As the autumn leaves change, your body is starting to ready itself for the cold and dark winter months ahead.
This is the time to wean off of summer’s raw, cooling foods and savor more warming, cooked foods in the forms of soups, stews and casseroles.
It’s time to break out the slow cookers and roasting pans and fill them with Nature’s bounty.
The harvest season is upon us!!
Seasonal Savvy
Autumn is the perfect time to consume more folate-rich dark leafy greens like collards and kale which thrive in the crisp autumn cold snap of the season and help to build immunity.
Warm bean and non-gluten grain dishes from amaranth, quinoa, and wild rice are wonderful transitional and sustaining foods to help your body adjust to the crispness of fall following the soaring temperatures of summer.
Nourishing autumn meals should feature at least ½ cup of sustaining root veggies like fiber-rich parsnips, rutabagas, and turnips or colorful beta-carotene-laden squashes like butternut and acorn as well as my personal fave—pumpkin. (Raw grated turnips, parsnips, and rutabagas help with fat digestion—similar to daikon radish.)
Bring on the Pumpkins
But pumpkin—a Superfood Fall veggie if ever there was one—contains one of the highest levels of potassium of any root veggie I know of.
With about 33% more potassium than a banana, it contains nearly 300 mg of potassium in ½ cup. Potassium has an interesting association with bone mineral density helping to neutralize excess acidity to help maintain calcium in the bones. It’s also a natural muscle cramp stopper!
Pumpkins contain a treasure trove of carotenoids that support lung and colon health—which happen to be the focal points of the season according to traditional Chinese Medicine.
A ½ cup of pumpkin contains about 2,500 mcg of beta-carotene, 400 mcg of alpha-carotene and more than 2,400 mcg of the superstar eye-health nutrients lutein and zeathanthin—which can help forestall macular degeneration.
Since oil helps the carotenoid family to be absorbed more efficiently, a drizzle of coconut oil or butter will do the trick. I love my signature flaxseed oil drizzled on the pumpkin after it is cooked!
Here’s a Pumpkin Latte Smoothie you can enjoy first thing in the morning:
1/2 cup unsweetened canned pumpkin
1 cup water (hot)
1 TBS flax seed oil
1-2 TBS ground flax seeds
Dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves
1 scoop Fat Flush Vanilla Whey or Body Protein
1 scoop Flora-Key probiotic (for immunity against those nasty viruses going around!)
Transitional Autumn Foods
- Two servings of fruit (low sugar, like peaches, berries, and cherries) for phytonutrients and enzymes. Avoid summer fruits like melons and bananas at this time of year that are too cooling and congesting.
- Five servings of leafy greens and low carb, high fiber and fermented veggies for folate and magnesium to build up blood and help detoxification plus fortify probiotics.
- One to two servings of non-gluten grains (quinoa, amaranth, brown rice, wild rice, buckwheat) or seasonal veggies like squash, sweet potatoes, yams, rutabagas, turnips, parsnips, and pumpkin for fiber, beta-carotene, and potassium.
- At least two to three servings of protein including organic red meat and Omega 3 “pastured” eggs to build up iron in the blood and to activate a sluggish metabolism and increase metabolism by 25%. The Fat Flush Body Protein for vegans and vegetarians helps to fix a broken metabolism and provides 3 to 4 hours of satiety. With its heavy-metal free and non-GMO guarantee, it serves as the basis for morning smoothies and snacks.
- Two 1-tablespoon servings of plant-based oils (flax and olive in months 1-3; Macadamia, coconut, sesame in month 3) to feed the nervous system and provide energy. As weight permits, add more raw butter, ghee, yogurt, kefir, and cheese from hormone-free cows.
- 1-2 cups Fenugreek tea daily to dissolve mucus in lungs and GI tract. This tea softens and helps to eliminate mucus in the lungs and lubricates the GI tract to prevent constipation.
- 2-3 tablespoons chia seeds—sprinkled on eggs or veggies or added to soups, stews and dressing and smoothies for high fiber and calcium to improve regularity, blood pressure and maintain fullness.
- 64 ounces of cranberry water between meals and snacks to open up liver detox-pathways and provide anthocyanadins for blood vessel integrity, blood sugar control and lymph cleansing.
- Hot lemon and water upon arising to tone liver and kidneys and trigger peristalsis.
- Green Life Cocktail: cranberry water + green powder (I like Liver-Lovin Formula because it is a copper-free green formula unlike the sea veggie or chlorophyllin-based formulas on the market that contribute to copper overload and its resulting low thyroid, hyperactivity, anxiety, and insomnia) plus a probiotic (like Flora-Key which is a powdered five-strain probiotic that doubles as a sweetener)—to purify all organs, tissues, and cells.
As the weather becomes cooler and that old familiar nip in the air returns, become revitalized and ready for the wondrous winter just ahead! 
Following Mother Nature’s lead, you can tap into the power of eating by the seasons and reap help benefits throughout the year.
Discover the seasonal weight loss connection with Fat Flush for Life – The Year-Round Super Detox Plan to Boost Your Metabolism and Keep the Weight Off Permanently.
Ann louise
some of us can not afford all of the thing you suffest, can you put it on our level, I would love to do it but can’nt affort it,i live in the south..dorothy
To Dorothy,
It seems to me that there are enough options to be able to pick and choose what you can afford to buy. I love the basic concept of the diet overall which makes the most sense to me. Ann Louise is usually light years ahead of anyone else and many of her philosophies (gluten-free, good oils, sugar-free, seasonal eating for health and longevity) have beeen touted by others in the field after her books have been on the market, I have noticed.
For autumn eating, I use her listings to choose the right root veggies at my local grocery store and make my own cranberry juice from the recipe in the book.
I buy frozen cranberries when they are aviailable and stock up. The cran-water is amazing and really cleans out the system and levels my blood sugar so my cravings are “crushed.”
Her suggestion to buy organic is quite valid and if you can’t afford that, then you can look for food sources without preservatives and additives or use a vinegar wash to “purify” your food.
I would use a couple of tablespoons of kale, cilantro, or collards as my daily greens for the Green Life Cocktail. You could also use parsely, I would imagine.
Since this blog is a synopsis of what is discussed in Fat Flush for Life, this blog is a gem.
There are many protein powders and probiotics available today so choose what makes the most sense to you!
Hello Dorothy:
I hear the frustration in your post but I did my very best to offer enough seasonal food choices for everyone of every economic status.
My suggestions are an updated “take” on Fat Flush for Life principles. Simply, pick and choose what suits you in all ways to the best of your ability.
Please select what is most comfortable for your budget and eat what is locally available. Unfortunately, I cannot control the cost of organic and “Omega 3 enriched or pastured’ foods – which are, of course, higher priced.
If you eat what is available at your farmers’ markets and in the grocery store rather than consume tropical/imported foods, your health will be immeasureably improved in all ways.
The website detailed in the blog can also be of help.
The protein powder and probiotics I mention in the blog serve as “liquid meal” healthy/fast food subsitutes for many of my followers. When considered from that perspective, the cost per meal is much lower than a full wholefoods meals. They are listed by brand name because they are all third party tested for quality control.
Lemon and water, cran-water, and Green Life Cocktail as well as Fat Flush Body Protein are all signature elements of my protocol and I would be very remiss not to mention them for those who want advanced detox and cleansing.
If I can be of further assistance to you, please email me directly at [email protected].
Wishing you health and happiness.
Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D., CNS
I agree Dorothy. I live in Calgary Alberta Canada and with the exchange rate it is very expensive. I tried to do the diet but stopped because of the cost.
Ladies: Eating according to the seasons is the most cost-effective way of eating, which is the focal point of the blog and Ann Louise’s book. Seasonal fruits and vegetables with elements of the Fat Flushing staples make this a cleansing protocol. If you can’t buy the specific name-brands of protein powder, probiotics, greens powder and cran-water suggested than try to find something in your vicinity that matches the formulas. There are plenty of substitutes available on the Internet but I have found that what ALG recommends is usually the purest and highest quality.
I totally agree with you Lacey. The overall concept is very doable and I do the best I can with what my budget allows.
Ditto for me, Lacey and Pamela. I am with you. When I read other blogs or articles or even books, I just select the recommendations that fit into my lifestyle and bank account and proceed accordingly. Thank you Ann Louise for sharing your wisdom!
Wow! I think these suggestions sound easy and healthy. I started today on the hot water and lemon and just found the fenugreek teabags at the health food store. I will do what I can but doing something is better than nothing.
It ALL makes so much sense. I appreciate this very much, Ann Louise and Team ALG for all you do.
Just want to add my 2 cents because I have been following this thread. The program rocks and you will save $$$ in doctors’ expenses by investing in your health.
I live in the South, too, and can find everything that Ann Louise mentions in my supemarket, except for the fenugreek tea, maybe. I think this is the most economical way of eating and am grateful for these creative and innovative food choices.
Hi All:
It goes without saying that you should follow any diet according to your lifestyle and means. These seasonal tips are great, I am in agreement with the majority of ladies who love the material and find it very motivating and helpful. Mucho gracias!
It is a sad commentary on life these days but staying healthy can be expensive. You would think that pesticide-free produce and hormone-free meat would be less costly, but lo and behold – not! I have no objections to any of the recommendations made in the blog. If you can’t afford something, it is not the fault of the author, whom I believe is trying to present a program for many already familiar with her protocols.
There is nothing overly expensive or self-promoting in Ann Louise’s blog. Many health experts have their own products that you can choose to buy or not. If the products were not mentioned by name brand, I am sure someone would ask for ALG’s recommendation anyway. With so many products sourced from China, I would rather feel safe than sorry with formulas endorsed by a health expert I trust. Bring on the pumpkin power!
This is a wonderfully informative blog! Thank you Ann Louise! I can’t wait to try that Pumpkin Latte Smoothie
Having a garden, no matter how small, is a really cost effective way to have fresh seasonal food. Even a couple of pots in a window can yield fresh herbs or some tomatoes. I had a small area this year and was amazed how much food I harvested!!!
I am just starting the Fat Flush journey. Look forward to following this blog and Anne’s helpful suggestions.
Hi Susan! You are welcome to join us at http://www.community.fatflush.com as well! It’s free 🙂
Ann you mentioned many sea veggie green formulas can contribute to copper overload. How much copper in one of these formulas would be too much?
You really don’t what to have any extra copper from a green formula that you take on a regular basis. That’s the beauty of using Liver-Lovin Formula. You get the detox benefits of chlorophyll without the copper. Your copper load builds up based on the copper rich foods you eat or drink and any supplements you take.
How do you know if you have too much copper in your system
The best way I know to find out about the copper levels in your body is to take a Hair Tissue Mineral Test. You will be able to find out levels of 29 nutrient minerals and 9 toxic metals.This test is available at http://www.unikeyhealth.com