Autumn Season Harmony

Shifting your food choices for autumn

Autumn is a time of transition from the warmth of summer to the cool of winter.  This is a time when you may find your attention turning more inwards, becoming more contemplative and focused on family, work and projects in the home.  That natural rhythm you experience in your outer life is the same rhythm your body is experiencing inside.  For example, just as you will naturally start to wear more clothing to keep your body warm, your blood vessels will contract somewhat during this season to assist in keeping your blood warm.

Here are a few menu choices to help your body come into alignment with autumn.

Beans
Black eyed peas
Navy beans
Lentils

Grains
Millet
Quinoa
Rice

Vegetables
Root vegetables
Broccoli
Collard Greens
Corn
Leaks
Sweet Potatoes and Yams

Fruits
Apples
Cranberries
Pears
Pomegranate

Herbs
Cilantro
Parsley
Rosemary

Yams and Sweet Potatoes

True yams and sweet potatoes are biologically unrelated plants.  In the U.S. the terms are used interchangeably and typically refer to different varieties of sweet potatoes. The orange flesh variety is generally called yam, and the white or yellow flesh variety is called sweet potato.

True sweet potatoes are related to morning glories and, while native to South America, are now grown in the U.S.  They have moist mouth feel and a sweet flavor.  The tubers have a thin skin and can be short and blocky with round ends, like a potato, or longer, with tapered ends.  True yams are native to Africa, and today are imported from the Caribbean. The mouth feel is dry with a starchy taste.  These tubers have a thick, scaly skin, and the flesh varies in color from white to yellow to purple, and their shape is long and cylindrical, often with off-shoots called “toes”.  True yams can grow to 7 feet and weigh over 100 pounds.

Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A, beta-carotene and potassium. Yams are rich in vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, manganese and dietary fiber.