***Delicious Soup Recipe Included!***

Any transition in life can be difficult. The changing of the seasons is no exception. Often the transition from one season to the next comes with changes that we experience physically, mentally and emotionally. The cooler temperatures, increased wind, and the diminishing daylight that accompany fall have an impact on our mind, body, energy and spirit.

As the sun begins to shift, you may notice your energy beginning to shift. By utilizing certain wellness, lifestyle and health practices, you can reduce any discomfort that you may experience with the seasonal changes. Foods and nutrition in particular can help to ease this transition and prepare your body for these changes.

When you eat according to what’s in season you can assist in this process to create more physical, digestive, energetic and emotional comfort. Certain foods and spices provide more grounding to offset the wind and others provide warmth to offset the cooler temperatures and diminishing daylight.

What do you love most about fall? I love warm sweaters and blankets, fall foliage, brisk walks and most of all-- I love Soup!

In my book, Wholistic Food Therapy: A Mindful Approach to Making Peace with Food, I introduce the 4 S’s of cooking as way to incorporate more vegetables into your daily meals. No matter what season, getting in a wide range of colorful vegetables and fruits helps to create optimal health and wellness.

The 4 S’s are: Soup, Salad, Stir Fry and Smoothies. During the summer, I love to eat and create flavorful, nutritious recipes for salad and smoothies to ensure a wide range of colorful vegetables and fruits make it into my daily diet. Now that fall has arrived, it is full-on SOUP season! 

Soups are such a great way to incorporate more vegetables into your daily meals. The fall provides more root vegetables and gourds and they are a simple and delicious addition to soups! Butternut squash, pumpkins and sweet potatoes are all fun to pack into hearty, warming, and nourishing soups!

Here is one of my favorite fall soup recipes: 

Creamy Curried Cauliflower and Butternut Squash Soup 

Ingredients:

·      1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced into about 1-inch cubes

·      1 large cauliflower crown chopped

·      1 medium yellow onion chopped

·      2 medium carrots chopped

·      2 stalks celery chopped

·      6 cloves garlic chopped

·      1 tablespoon curry powder

·      1 teaspoon cumin powder

·      1 tablespoon peeled and chopped fresh ginger root

·      3 inches peeled and chopped fresh turmeric root

·      2 teaspoons sea salt

·      2 tablespoons coconut oil

·      Pepper to taste

·      1 can unsweetened full fat coconut milk

·      4 cups organic chicken or vegetable broth

·      Pumpkin seeds, goat cheese and diced apple for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

1.    In a large soup pot, heat coconut oil over medium heat

2.    Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes

3.    Add carrots, celery, butternut squash, cauliflower and garlic, sauté for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally

4.    Add all seasoning and broth and bring to a light boil

5.    Add coconut milk, stir, turn heat to low, cover and simmer together for 15-20 minutes

6.    Turn off burner, let stand for another 10 minutes

7.    In small batches, transfer to a blender and blend until smooth

8.    Serve with pumpkin seeds, goat cheese and diced apple

Enjoy!

When you try it, let me know your thoughts! For more recipes, go to www.wholisticfoodtherapy.com Thank you for reading!