Harnessing Autumn’s abundance & shifting into nourishing and wholesome routines after the summer | Lucie Simons

As the days begin to grow cooler and the leaves start to change colour, it's time to welcome the comforting flavours of autumn into the kitchen. This is also a great time to assess our health habits, as we often feel ready to shift into more nourishing and wholesome routines after the summer. 

There is something magical about Early Autumn.  

Even if you have not stepped inside a school in decades, it still feels like a new chapter. Fresh notebooks. Tidy intentions. That slightly back-to-school smell in the air. 

While most people wait until January to “get back on track,” My experience over the years supporting clients with nutrition has taught me that the real power lies in this quiet shift into autumn to reset our health habits. We often feel ready to shift into more nourishing and wholesome routines after the summer. 

Coming into season now...

Squashes, rich in beta-carotene, beneficial for health of the skin and eyes, they are high in fibre, which helps support digestive system and may help to improve blood sugar regulation for those with Type 2 diabetes. - so why not get adventurous with the range of Red Kuri, Crown Prince, Turks Turban, Gooseneck, Spaghetti, and Custard varieties. Delicious roasted or blended into soups. 

Carrots, fennel and beetroot - Red, golden & chioggia varieties- are all in season, which all work well in soups or salads, or grated into a rainbow slaw.  

Bitter leaves - chicory, radicchio - are delicious added to salads, & help to stimulate digestive enzymes and support the liver - (Especially useful after excess of summer drinking).

We enjoy the last of summer fruits like Greengages, Figs & Grapes, and welcome in UK pears and apples, which make wonderful bases for cosy pies and crumbles, or peeled and cooked gently, with a little water, maple syrup and cinnamon to make a compote, to add to your morning porridge. Apples contain pectin, a soluble fibre, that binds to, and excretes toxins, cholesterol and heavy metals from the body. This helps to reduce the load of filtration in the liver and maintains digestive health.

How to harness the Autumn “fresh start” energy (without getting overwhelmed)

This time of year provides us with a window of opportunity. A moment to pause. To ground ourselves and check in with how we feel. To decide what we want from the rest of the year, rather than being swept along by it. So why not seize the opportunity? 

• Reinstate the good habits that might have slipped during summer
• Strengthen your immune system before winter
• Get your sleep routine in check
• Rebalance your blood sugar if stress or summer snacks threw things off
• Clarify your food goals without the emotional charge of January or the chaos of December

Create a quick win

You do not need a master plan. You just need a small success. Something that makes you feel proud this week. Try one of these:

• Add protein to your breakfast (via eggs, nuts, seeds) for sustained energy.
• Drink more water during the day
• Get outside for ten minutes in the morning
• Prep one simple meal in advance
  

These actions seem small, but they build momentum fast.

Are you ready for a Nutrition Reset? Join my Upcoming Autumn Revival Cleanse Programme..

Change is easier with encouragement. A 10-day, live nutrition group programme is coming, providing you with the inspiration, along with the structure and support to achieve your wellbeing goals. 

More info soon.. We start on Oct 6th, and participants will receive a starter box from The Seasons to support their cleanse. 

Lucie Simon, founder of feelgoodfood.co.uk, is a BANT registered nutritional therapist, retreat chef and recipe developer. Lucie champions fresh, local, seasonal, plant-focused food and supports clients with her online nutrition packages and group programmes. Lucie’s approach is positive, inclusive nutrition, to overcome energy and health barriers and feel fabulous. She also holds live cooking and well-being workshops for various groups within the Sussex community. 

Lucie specialises in nutrition around perimenopause, using science-backed research to support midlife women to thrive. and is on the expert panel at Menopause Experts, as well as an active member of the steering group at Lewes District Food Partnership, driving innovation and best practices on all aspects of healthy and sustainable food.

Lucie runs online nutrition programmes and packages, and local nutrition and cookery workshops, where she shares her delicious, easy, affordable recipes, and nutrition advice to optimise hormone health.