Food as Medicine for the Fall

Author: Lamia Gibson

This month we explain how you can prepare for winter using a fall food program to align your unique and current constitution to the needs of the season.

How can we use Fall food to prepare for Winter?  (and why would I do that anyway?)

Using food as medicine to prepare and warm your system from the inside out gives you the internal strength and digestive support to nourish abundant Qi and optimal flow for the winter months.  If we take the time now to take extra care with food for just one week and build our Qi with Spleen, Lung and Kidney Qi friendly foods we are making our best effort at staying vibrant and healthy for the winter months ahead.

For the past few years we have offered Spring and Fall Food Prep 3 week programs at Six Degrees.  This year we move away from a specific 3 weeks to do this and welcome you to choose the best time for you to take a week (or 3, with Acupuncture) to prepare for winter with delicious food to support you.

To do a Fall Food Prep you would meet with me for an Eastern Nutrition Consult and (if possible) commit to weekly Community Acupuncture (from any practitioner) for a 3 weeks.

**please note:  the Food Prep food consult does not require you to do a food diary

When we meet to talk about food we would cover what you like you like to eat and what your digestion is like.  I would take your pulse and look at your tongue to get a sense of what is happening internally and then we would go over what specific foods you would eat for a week to make space for your body to harmonize seasonally, while also using certain foods to build Qi and (probably) clear Damp.

Talking about food does not have to be damning or judgemental.  It can, and needs to be, empowering.  Food is something we can work with everyday, making choices to support our health in body and soul.  Over the years I have worked with many people and we have been able to speak frankly about making changes to daily food intake for short times like this in order to have long term benefit.

I like to work with people to add foods to their daily food intake that aims to help us feel better rather than taking foods way to help us feel better but ending up just making us feel bad.

Having said that, this 1 week commitment would definitely require a week of reducing sugar, caffeine and processed food.  To prepare our systems we use whole foods, proteins, vegetables and fruit to give our internal organs a break and build that Qi for the future.  I try to focus on it being only a week and I advise people to pick a week that seems easier than others (don’t try this on birthday week!).  I also suggest that you ask a friend (or 2) to do it with you!

You can book the food consult online and the cost is on a sliding scale.  This includes a 30 min consultation, food guide planner for going grocery shopping and to support you during Food Prep week with follow up access over email.

See you in the clinic or in community. Please do drop me a line if you have questions and let us embrace the season that asks us to get ready and get into the change that seasons bring.

With these time limited commitments we can make significant change  and strengthen the bodies and spirits that support us in this life.

Thank you for this opportunity to respectfully share what TEAM has been teaching me for the past 16 years. It is an honour and a privilege.