11 Holistic Ways To Feel Your Best This Fall

You CAN feel better!

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We are in mid September now, and the fall Equinox is this Friday.

And for so many of us…

…shorter days and longer nights means a dip in our mood.

 

Fortunately, there are lots of great things to do to get prepared as the seasons change.

 

Of course there are things like pulling out your sweaters and boots and knitting a scarf or two and planting a winter garden and getting the fireplace cleaned that you might look forward to this fall. But one thing that I get every year, and absolutely never look forward to, is a drop in my energy level and mood as the days get shorter.

So I want to share with you today my annual fall post — a collection of 11 important, personal things that I do to prepare my body now for a smooth transition to winter. It works. Give any or all of these a try and let’s have your best fall yet!

 

Essential Fall Health Checklist:

 

1. Stock up on Omega 3 fatty acids.

 

I’ve already blogged a bit about how Omega 3’s can:

 

 

Omega 3 fatty acids are such an important whole-body nutrient that comes even more into play during the colder months.

Winter means everything from a permanent brain fog to dry tight skin.

Fish oil supports brain function, digestion, circulation and skin… all things that we need help with in the winter.

Although I absolutely recommend fish oil every single day of the year, if you don’t take it, then plan on starting to take it in the fall and it will help prep your skin for the dry air to come, protect your brain for the dark days to come, soothe your circulation for the colder winds to come, and smooth your digestion for the heavier, thicker, richer foods to come.

 

2. Boost your serotonin naturally.

 

Less daylight can mean a palpable drop in the mood boosting neurotransmitter serotonin. If you happen to be serotonin depleted, the winter blues are more likely to hit you harder than other people.

You can address this in two ways.

One, by taking supplements that help boost your natural serotonin levels.

A precursor to serotonin (the positive, mood enhancing neurotransmitter that most antidepressants are targeting, in the hopes to elevate brain levels) 5HTP is a nutritional supplement that makes sure your body is getting the building blocks it needs to make serotonin as efficiently as possible.

If you get a mild case of winter blues, you likely don’t need to take prescription medications for that.

Instead, you can make sure that your body is getting all it needs nutritionally in order to make its own, healthy levels of serotonin.

One way to ensure this is to take the nutritional supplement 5 HTP… because if you feed your body what it needs (most of us don’t get enough of this precursor as it is) then you have the best chance to naturally create the serotonin you’ll need to keep your spirits up as the light fades.

 

Or alternatively, if you want something to prevent the winter blues and boost serotonin without taking a supplement, Light Therapy is medially proven to not only prevent and treat the winter blues, but it actually treats all forms of depression (and even treats fibromyalgia!)

My very fav, compact, therapeutic light box is clinically proven and is waiting for you right here.

 

 

 

3. Consider Melatonin an hour before bedtime.

 

Just as serotonin can dip in the winter, adding to the winter blues… your melatonin levels can dip too, wreaking havoc on your nightly rhythm.

Even though the darkness makes you feel more tired and ready to turn in earlier, oddly enough you may find sleep elusive just when you crave it most.

This is because melatonin is actually made from serotonin… so folks who are low serotonin are generally low melatonin, and these levels dip in the winter because of the shorter days.

While 5 HTP may helps boost daytime serotonin, another approach is to take melatonin directly one hour before bedtime. Taking melatonin in the fall when the days grow shorter will help your body re-set to its natural rhythm once winter peaks.

 

 

4. Restore your magnesium levels.

 

Many of us are magnesium deficient and we don’t even know it.

As a result our muscles are tight and we feel anxious and have trouble relaxing into sleep.

Taking a magnesium supplement is one of my favorite recommendations for anyone with difficulty relaxing do to muscle tension or soreness, such as issues with tension headaches, fibromyalgia, grinding teeth at night, TMJ, etc….

Try taking melatonin or drinking a melatonin drink supplement before bedtime to help relax your body and creates a lovely evening ritual all fall, all winter… and all year long.

Sleeping well at night is a natural and easy way to feel brighter during the day, beating those winter blues.

 

 

5. Get outside and stay grounded, even as it gets colder.

 

Make your plan now for how you can still get outside and soak in the fresh air, sunlight, and healing earth energy even as the temperature falls.

Getting outside in even the cloudy grey days for a mid-day walk is better than staying inside even under the brightest artificial lights.

Even if the sun appears not to shine, your pineal gland senses the light in the environment and needs this pick-me-up to function best this fall and winter.

Make a commitment to get morning or mid-day light (sunshine if possible!) every single day.

Slip off your shoes for a few minutes, or, if it’s too cold, just use your fingers to hold onto a tree that is grounded in the earth.

I even have grounding gloves waiting for you so you can keep your hands inside a warm glove and still be grounded while touching a tree branch, cement, a rock, the earth.

Same with socks and shoe straps that allow you to be grounded through your feet without ever exposing your toes to the cold!

The time spent grounding to the earth will refresh your body and soul.

This one simple and free habit is probably the single best thing you can start right now to smooth your fall transition.

 

 

 

6. And along with daily exposure to sunlight, supplement with Vitamin D.

 

Yes, you will get some Vit D when you go outside each day… but as most of us are deficient in Vit D during the summer…

…nearly ALL of us fall deficient in the winter.

Not only is Vit D a powerful antioxidant, it prevents cancer, stroke, heart disease, boosts weight loss… you name it… we need it.

 

 

7. Drink twice as much water as ever before.

Hopefully you’ve kept yourself well hydrated during the summer, when hot temperatures and sweating drive us to remember to drink water more than at any other time of the year.

But in the cooler temps, ones in which you are shivering, not sweating… it’s more important than ever before to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

Dry heated air, dry cold outside air, wind chapping our lips, and no internal drive to remind us to drink leads to mid-winter dehydration, brain fog, and a sure-fire road to BLAH.

You can get so dehydrated that you actually feel semi-nauseous all the time and a bit depressed.

Drink water and then drink some more… and start right now.

I take the time to filter out the fluoride in my water… here is a blog post I wrote explaining how and why I drink non-fluoridated water.

 

9. Make homemade (Un)Petroleum Jelly.

 

If you like the barrier protection of petroleum jelly but, like me, you don’t want petroleum by-products anywhere near your body…

…make your own!

Yesterday, my daughter and I followed this recipe and really liked how it turned out… I’ll be keeping a jar by my bedside for my fall and winter cracked heels.

 

 

 

10. Make firestarters.

 

All fall I collect my dry lint and tons of items I typically would toss in the recycling bin (like cardboard egg cartons) and turn those free items into mega-awesome FREE firestarters.

I walk you through it in my Eco Friendly Firestarter Tutorial here!

You’ll use these all winter long and be so glad you took the time in fall to prepare a stash for yourself.

 

 

11. Repair your adrenals.

 

Fall is the perfect time to turn inwards, nurture your adrenal glands, boost your internal energy reserves, and emerge this spring feeling better than you may have felt in many many years.

It’s okay to take these upcoming months slower, to tend to our inner needs more, and to make sure we are getting lots and lots of sleep. It’s not only okay, it’s what we are *supposed* to be doing.

It’s like Mother Nature hand carved these months out for you to repair your adrenal glands and nurture your energy reserves so you can emerge this spring feeling triumphantly energetic!

Repairing your adrenal glands is the easiest to do in the fall… right now.

It’s easier to sleep longer with the days getting shorter, easier to prepare and eat warm foods like soup, roasts, stews, etc… rich with fat, protein and salt (all absolutely crucial when repairing your adrenals) and easier to cocoon in and nurture your body, with less exertion and more repair.

That’s why I run my Adrenal Repair Online Class in the fall — because if you start to take care of your adrenal rhythm now, in just a few short months from now you can be fully recovered from Adrenal Fatigue!

Emerge this spring feeling better than you have felt in many many years!

Ready to eat lighter, sleep stronger, lose weight, move your body more.

If you want to work with me to optimize this recovery,

I’m here for you.

 

Adrenal Repair 5 Day Online Class

 

In this 5 Day Adrenal Repair Class, together we will:

  • understand exactly why your cortisol gets out-of-wack and why it’s so important to nurture your adrenal glands
  • learn exactly how to support adrenal repair in a way that you can apply throughout the course and beyond
  • receive an awesome goodie bag filled with items we use together during the course, including adrenal supportive supplements, a grounding wrist band and my very favorite magnesium drink to help you sleep better, wake better, feel better and live better, all included free with the course!
  • get daily uplifting, positive, fun emails packed with information, tips, videos, activities, self assessment quizzes and more to get you into the healing flow of easily and effortlessly repairing your adrenal glands…
  • and finish with a LIVE Q&A phone call where I will answer every single one of your health questions personally, AND send you the recording so you can listen to it at your convenience and save for future reference forever!

 

Without understanding and implementing the crucial steps that I am going to share with you in this course, there is no way you are going to have full repair after a stressful circumstance and feel your best.

Just no way.

So let me help you right now with tons of fun, uplifting, actionable things you can do right now to address adrenal fatigue.

 

sacral

Click here to join my

5 Day Adrenal Repair Class today!

Class runs Nov 13th -17th, and space is limited,

so please reserve your spot today.

 

Let’s get you feeling better than ever… and enjoying this cooler weather and the beautiful fall colors that surround us.

I’ll be here for you all the way through it!

xoxo, Laura