7 Ways to Enjoy Autumn Wellness

o Stay Centered with Self Care

o Hydrate

o Move Your Body

o Eat Seasonal Foods

o Prep Ahead for Less Stress

o Boost Your Immune System

o Focus on Quality Sleep

1. Self-Care is Health Care Halloween, Thanksgiving, Xmas & New Years are right around the corner. It doesn’t matter how you choose to celebrate these events in your life, it’s always a hectic time of year. You’ll enjoy these times much more if you remember to take time for yourself. Meditation, yoga, writing in a journal, etc. Do whatever you need to do to keep yourself centered, relaxed and able to be in the moment.

2. Hydration is Key Drier air and dropping temperatures combined with vigorous rides can cause dehydration in your body faster than you think. It’s easy to forget to keep drinking fluids when you’re cold. Don’t forget that your body is dependent on a regular and sufficient amount of purified water each day from beverages and food to function optimally. It’s one of the reasons we created the Equestrian Wellness’ RiderAide. It’s easy to add to your water, is great for increasing hydration in the body and it’s chock full of great minerals and Vitamin C. We also recommend adding fruit, herbs, and spices (ie, cinnamon stick) to your water bottle to make your water palatable and more absorbable.

3. Couch Potato Alert With the shorter days, it's easy to turn into a couch potato. There are lots of fall activities outside the barn to help keep you moving and connected to the change of season including, fall hikes, pumpkin and apple picking, fall harvest events, farmers markets, etc. Keep exploring and keep moving.

4. Eating Seasonally It’s always best to choose local and seasonal produce from a nearby source. Check with your local farmers to learn about their practices. Some may not be classified as organic, but they may utilize systems that don’t include using pesticides, herbicides and germicides. Some of our favorite seasonal fruits, vegetables and herbs include sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, bok choy, butternut, acorn and delicata squash, apples, pears, grapes, pumpkins, broccoli, cauliflower, chard, eggplant, kale, mushrooms, mint, cilantro, parsley, oregano, leeks, garlic, parsnips, peas, pecans, walnuts, sage thyme, yams, zucchini, turnips and tomatoes, pomegranates.

5. Meal Prep Ideas For breakfast, you may want to transition from a cold smoothie to a warming porridge made with pre- soaked oats or a gluten-free grain such as millet, quinoa or amaranth. Add a plant-based milk like coconut, almond, cashew, along with grated apple, ginger and cinnamon and some nuts and seeds of your choice. Lunch ideas could involve creating a warm bowl comprising green vegetables, roasted root vegetables, a lean meat or fish protein or legumes with nuts and seeds and homemade dressing. Dinner is a great time to have some soup, a stew or meat / fish and vegetables. Remember to shop and prep ahead of time so meals are easy to pull together and don’t require a lot of thinking at the last minute.

6. Boost Your Immune System With less sunlight, our bodies’ best source of Vitamin D, we need to remember to supplement with this amazing Vitamin / hormone/ immune booster. If you’re not getting a little sunshine each day, we always add a liquid supplement version of Vitamin D to our routines to make sure we’re getting our fill. Great food sources of Vitamin D: fatty fish, mushrooms, oysters, shrimp, liver, cheeses and egg yolks. Additionally, with fluctuating temperatures and a majority of our activities now taking place inside, our immune systems are working overtime to fend off allergies (mold and pollen), colds and flus. One of our favorite ways to stay ahead of the game is by adding in Equestrian Wellness’ Elderberry Syrup. It’s perfect for supporting the whole family, tastes great and can go a long way towards boosting your immunity and helping to kick a cold or virus to the curb more quickly.

7. Sleep Hygiene I can’t say enough about this all-important part of the day. Sleep is the cornerstone for your wellness practice. We suggest creating a sleep hygiene routine that is easy to replicate night after night. So what to do? Start by winding down your day once the sun sets…just like our horses do. Remember not to eat too late; finish your meal at least a few hours before bedtime so your body can go into detox mode instead of digestion during slumber. Be sure your room is dark and cool and your bedding is clean and comfy. Personally, I like to take a warm bath or shower before bed to calm my nervous system down and clean off the stress of the day. Keep the lights low an hour or two before bed. No bright lights or computer or phones an hour or so before bed. Read a book instead and keep a journal by your bed so you can write down all the things that are on your mind so you don’t have to stress about them while you rest. Keep your pre-bedtime thoughts positive and avoid arguing with loved ones.

Happy dreaming!