Discover How Seasonal Eating Reduces Stress Naturally
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Have you considered that seasonal eating supports calm, digestion, and resilience in your life?
TL;DR
Autumn is Vata season — light, dry, and mobile — and our bodies crave grounding rhythms. Eating seasonally supports circadian balance, calms the nervous system, and nourishes gut bacteria. Look for sweet, sour, and salty tastes in foods like root vegetables, apples, pears, sauerkraut, and warming soups. Aligning with seasonal rhythms reduces hidden stress and builds resilience for the winter months ahead.
The time that I spent in Germany recently has made me realise something: in more rural areas, the seasons and living with nature are much more embedded in the rhythm of life. There is a natural sense of grounding and calm that comes from living this way.
One of my students said something similar. She had just come back to yoga after the summer and told me that the sessions gave her a sense of structure again. Throughout the summer, she had felt a bit of free fall because the rhythm was missing. She is retired now, and noticed that without the anchors of routine, she felt unsettled.
This really highlighted for me: the nervous system thrives on rhythms and routines. They are deeply embedded in our makeup over millennia. Life on this planet has always been dictated by nature — by light and dark, by food and shelter, by the cycle of the seasons. Only in the last 50 years have things changed so rapidly. But just because opportunities change doesn’t mean that our evolutionary makeup changes at the same speed. It doesn’t.
That is why the body and the nervous system still thrive on circadian rhythms. Our whole physiology is shaped by them. Throughout the day, the body needs food and nourishment. During the night, it needs rest to process what has happened during the day. When this rhythm is disrupted, there is naturally more stress. Modern research now confirms this: consistent mealtimes strengthen circadian rhythms and metabolic health, while irregular eating patterns increase stress and imbalance (study here).
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Our association of stress is mostly based on deadlines that we need to adhere to, but that's not the full picture. Stress in the body is also created by missing rhythms — irregular eating, food that the body cannot digest well, or food that doesn't fit the season.
Did you know: even our gut bacteria change with the seasons? They help us digest different types of food, and there is an immense variety of bacteria in our system. They thrive on variety too — and most of all, on seasonal food.
When these rhythms are missing, there is a subtle stress in the system. It doesn’t always show up as restlessness or anxiety, but digestion doesn’t function the way it could. And over time, issues develop — like inflammation that we are not even aware of. Studies of traditional communities show the same: gut bacteria shift dramatically with seasonal diets, aligning with what the environment provides (study here).
This is why seasonal rhythms matter. And it’s why, when we step into places where they are still lived — like rural areas — we feel more grounded and calm. That is what we all crave, right? The body strives for homeostasis. The mind strives for balance. And when we live out of sync with these rhythms, we feel disconnected.
Ayurveda and Autumn Rhythms
Ayurveda teaches that each season brings particular qualities and that we can balance these by choosing foods and routines wisely. Autumn is the season of Vata dosha — light, cool, dry, and mobile. To balance this, Ayurveda recommends the tastes that ground and calm us, tastes that build the tissues: sweet, sour, and salty.
And here is the beauty — nature provides exactly what we need. Root vegetables are naturally sweet. Apples, pears, and late berries, both sweet and sour, and they are abundant. The autumn harvest is designed to carry us across the winter months when little grows. Unlike the high-water foods of summer (berries, cucumbers, courgettes) that provide most need hydration but spoil quickly, autumn’s foods store well and provide lasting nourishment.
As the classical Ayurvedic texts remind us:
“The body which follows the course of time, seasons, and place remains free from disorders.” — Astanga Hrdayam (IV.35)
This is why I created my Lift Your Mood with Food programme — to help you put these seasonal principles into daily life, without the stress of figuring it all out on your own. It’s about learning which foods and rhythms support your nervous system, digestion, and mood, season by season.
Seasonal Harvest in the UK
It is really tricky to know what’s in season when everything is available all year round. Here is a short guide to what to look out for when you do your shopping.
In season in the UK through the autumn and into early winter:
September
Fruit: Damsons, Pears, Plums, Raspberries, Rhubarb, Strawberries (some late or second harvests may appear, though flavour is less rich than in summer)
Vegetables: Aubergine, Beetroot, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Butternut squash, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Courgettes, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks
October
Fruit: Apples (late varieties such as Cox’s apples start to shine), Elderberries, Pears (Conference pears are at their best)
Vegetables: Aubergine, Beetroot, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Butternut squash, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chestnuts, Chicory, Chillies
November
Fruit: Apples (late varieties like Cox’s and Boskoop), Cranberries, Pears (winter pears store well and carry into the colder months)
Vegetables: Beetroot, Brussels sprouts, Butternut squash, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chestnuts, Chicory, Jerusalem artichokes, Kale
December
Fruit: Apples (late Cox’s, Boskoop), Cranberries, Winter Pears
Vegetables: Beetroot, Brussels sprouts, Carrots, Celeriac, Celery, Chestnuts, Chicory, Jerusalem artichokes, Kale, Leeks, Mushrooms, Onions, Parsnips
Notice how the variety reduces as the year progresses — nature gently moving us toward simpler, heartier foods that sustain us through the cold months.
And remember: harvests shift slightly year by year depending on the weather. If you see Cox’s apples, Boskoop, or winter pears in your local shop, that’s your cue that autumn’s rhythm is alive and present.
Recipes for Inspiration
Here are a few ideas to bring these foods to life in your kitchen:
Root Vegetable Soup — grounding, warming, and easy to digest. Root vegetables are naturally sweet in taste and help to calm Vata. Find recipe here
Spiced Apple Compote — bringing in both sweet and gently sour, perfect as a snack or side dish.
Homemade Sauerkraut — adds the sour taste to meals while nurturing your gut bacteria with natural probiotics. Find recipe here
Pumpkin Risotto — nourishing, balancing, and perfect for cold evenings. Find recipe here
(Ayurvedic tip: cook with warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cumin to support digestion in the cooler months.)
Final Thoughts
Living with the seasons is not about restriction but about support.
It gives us exactly what our body and mind need to stay grounded, calm, and resilient.
Sweet foods like root vegetables and apples nourish and rebuild.
Sour foods like sauerkraut add balance, stimulate digestion, and keep our gut bacteria thriving.
Salty foods like salt, seaweed and tamari — in moderation — help us feel stable and anchored.
When we eat seasonal foods, we align with circadian rhythms, support our nervous system, and nourish our gut bacteria. Most of all, we feel less stressed and more connected.
Autumn invites us to slow down and gather what we need for the winter ahead. Sweet, sour, and salty — grounding tastes that balance Vata and bring us home to ourselves.
Resources
Studies:
“The Interplay between Early Mealtime, Circadian Rhythms…” by BaHammam (2023) discusses how feeding schedules and internal clock genes regulate metabolic function. PMC
A study on the Hadza people (hunter-gatherers) demonstrates significant changes in gut bacterial composition between wet and dry seasons. Axios
Recipes:
Root Vegetable Soup Find recipe here
Homemade Sauerkraut Find recipe here
Pumpkin Risotto Find recipe here
Dive deeper
The Six Tastes of Ayurveda Read more here
FAQ: Autumn Food and Seasonal Eating
1. Why does my body feel more stressed when my routines are irregular?
Because the nervous system thrives on rhythms and routines. Our physiology is built around circadian rhythms — the cycles of day and night, eating and resting. When we eat at irregular times or skip meals, the body experiences subtle stress, even if we don’t consciously feel it.
2. How do gut bacteria change with the seasons?
Research shows that our gut microbiome shifts with seasonal diets. Different bacteria thrive on different foods, so eating with the seasons keeps this balance healthy. For example, autumn’s root vegetables, apples, and fermented foods like sauerkraut support gut bacteria that strengthen digestion and immunity.
3. What tastes are best to eat in autumn according to Ayurveda?
Autumn is Vata season — light, dry, and cool. Ayurveda recommends balancing these qualities with foods that are sweet, sour, and salty. Root vegetables, apples, pears, warming soups, and fermented foods naturally bring these tastes into your meals.
4. How can I tell what’s really in season when supermarkets stock everything all year round?
It can be confusing. A simple rule is to notice what local farms, markets, or UK-based produce sections are featuring. In autumn, look out for Cox’s apples, Conference pears, Boskoop apples, winter pears, root vegetables, and hardy greens. These are signs that you’re eating with the season.
I’d love to hear from you — did any of this resonate with you? Is seasonal eating total news to you? Feel free to leave a comment below, or message me on Instagram, Facebook, or even via email.
And if you’d like a little extra support right now, don’t forget you can download my free guide, 5 Ayurvedic Shifts to Move from Scattered to Centred in a Week.
I love hearing from you!
Katja x
