‘The trees are about to show us how beautiful it is to let go.’

As we move into Autumn, can we embrace the change of the season and lean into nourishing our bodies and minds in the most comforting ways? What feels good now may be very different to what felt good in the Spring and Summertime. It’s time to tune in and listen to what your body wants and needs.

For me, that involves cooking hearty family meals that include satiating and energising complex carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, butternut squash, leeks, carrots and parsnips, an array of warming spices like ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon that are such a delight to the senses with added health benefits and garlic to keep the bugs at bay! Stews, soups, curries and dahls are firmly on the menu at this time of year.

Here is a delicious warm salad recipe I made this week. Salad in Autumn/Winter you may ask?! Yes, I can assure you it was warming and satisfying plus nutritionally supporting for my immune system and stabilising for my blood sugar levels providing me with great energy! Additionally, it was super quick and easy to throw together and was full of flavour from the paprika-infused squash cubes, the salty olives, creamy avocado and peppery rocket dressed in a tamari and apple cider vinegar dressing, which really brings it to life…what’s not to love?!

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH, OLIVE, AVOCADO AND ROCKET SALAD (you can also check out the easy to follow instructional recipe video on my Facebook and Instagram pages.)

Serves 4

• 1 large butternut squash
• 1tbsp paprika
• 1tbsp dried mixed herbs
• 2 bags rocket (150g)
• pitted olives
• avocado (use the amount you want – I use a small amount of the olives and avocado to reduce the overall fat content, which helps me manage insulin resistance.)
• For the Dressing – 1 tbsp tamari, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, olive oil (or leave out the oil as I did to reduce fat content) and salt/pepper.

Method

• Peel and cut butternut squash into bitesize pieces, place them on baking tray, drizzle with olive oil if using or bake without – it comes out just as good, sprinkle over the paprika and herbs, salt and pepper and mix well to coat. Roast (200 degrees C) for 40 mins. Once soft, leave to cool.
• Make the dressing by mixing all the ingredients together.
• Mix the rocket with the dressing and add the olives and chunks of avocado you are using.
• Add the squash to the salad once it is cooled.

I like to feel well fuelled for brisk Autumn walks. Continuing to be physically active as much as possible during the Autumn/Winter helps to oxygenate the body, stretch and strengthen muscles and bones whilst giving you the opportunity to admire the trees as they change colour so enchantedly. Walking outdoors in nature also offers us the chance to soak up the remaining rays of sunlight, supporting Vitamin D levels as we head into the shorter, darker days. Although diet can provide small amounts of Vitamin D through sources such as mushrooms, eggs, oily fish and some fortified cereals and plant milks, this is not enough to ensure adequate Vitamin D levels. About 60% of people in the UK are deficient all year round. Over 80% are deficient during the winter months! Taking 400IU to 2000IU of Vitamin D per day has been shown to reduce infection.

At this time of year I like to cosy up with stress soothing and restorative ‘at home’ practices involving Yoga Nidra – slowing down and focusing on holding a few stretches for a longer period of time means that you can even do this in your comfy pyjamas, which I love to do. I can roll out of bed straight into this kind of practice or wind down in the evening and am ready for bed straight afterwards as it promotes relaxation and sleep. Soothing my nervous system in this way always beneficially influences my blood sugar control too. If I leave stress unmanaged then my blood glucose control is sure to suffer as cortisol, the main stress hormone, wreaks havoc with insulin signalling.

Even though you may feel like ‘hibernating’ at this time of year, remember to make an effort to keep your social connections nourished as well as your body and mind. There is nothing better than human interaction and conversation, even if that is simply passing the time of day with strangers on the street. Making time for friends and family, our usual hobbies or involvement in our communities in some way is so important to prioritise – even when we are busy and the days are drawing in.

Research from the ‘Blue Zones’ – the places in the world with the healthiest, longest-living populations, including Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California has shown that in these unique communities, where they cherish their relationships with family and friends, this serves to provide supportive networks that are extremely beneficial to overall health and actually contribute to longevity. Many people in these Blue Zones also carried out volunteer work in their local communities involving taking an active role to help others in a purposeful way and to spread kindness. After watching the incredible series on Netflix called ‘Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones’ recently, I was inspired to search for local support groups for people with Diabetes that I could become involved in but this search was not fruitful and I saw a gap and a great need for something like this in my local area. Hence the reason I am looking to set up a Diabetes Support Group for people with Diabetes and their families so that they can feel better supported and less isolated – whilst at the same time boosting my own health and longevity by having this very important purpose in my life that I feel so passionately about! For further information please visit the ‘Diabetes Care’ section of my website and watch this space!