Nutrition, Lifestyle & Planning Changes I’ll Be Making This Autumn

Holistic HealthSeasonal WellbeingSeasonal livingSeasonal Planning & Productivity

25 Sept

As the seasons shift, so do our bodies. Autumn is a time of slowing down, gathering in, and preparing for the colder months ahead. Do you feel the pulls and cravings of your body to sink into Autumn?

It's usually around this time of year — the beginning of September for me this year — where I start to feel the need and gentle craving for warm breakfasts, switching out the fresh, cooling, water dense fruits of Summer for the stewed fruits and warming porridges of Autumn/Winter.

While Summer was light and expansive Autumn asks something different of us.

The weather gets markedly cooler, and damper (at least here in the uk),the air becomes drier, the nights shorter and our energy begins to turn inward. The fruits and vegetables that were in season through summer fade away and the fall berries, apples and heartier vegetables come into season.

As the seasons shift, so do our bodies.

This is our cue to start making changes to our routine and habits. Changes that will better support us through autumn and into the cold winter months.

Seasonal Nutrition

Just as the natural world shifts its rhythm with the turning of the seasons, so too do our bodies - Our digestion, metabolism, and immune system all subtly change with the seasons.

Autumn is a time of slowing down, gathering in, and preparing for the colder months ahead. Where summer calls for light, fresh foods that keep us cool and energised, autumn invites us to root, ground, and nourish. This is the natural rhythm of seasonal eating - aligning our food with the cycles of nature so that we feel supported, energised, and resilient throughout the year.

Seasonal eating is more than just buying what's fresh at the market. It's about listening to what our bodies truly need as the light fades and the temperatures drop. In autumn, we tend to crave warmth, depth, and stability.

Hearty soups, roasted vegetables, and grounding grains replace the cooling salads and tropical fruits of summer.

And there's wisdom in that craving —because as the air becomes drier and colder, we need foods that bring moisture, heat, and grounding energy back into our system.

I'm leaning into this shift with some gentle but intentional nutrition changes. Instead of clinging to summer habits, I'm giving my body what it's asking for: warmth, comfort, and deep nourishment.

For me, that looks like transitioning from the lighter, hydrating foods that cool the body and keep me energised through summer to more grounding, substantial meals. Ones that warm from the inside out.

Nutrition Changes I'm Making for Autumn

This year, I'm making some simple but meaningful adjustments to what I eat in autumn:

Switching to warm breakfasts. Instead of overnight oats, fresh fruits or smoothies, I'm making porridge with warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg and topped with fruits and blackberries. And stewed apples with yoghurt, cinnamon and a sprinkle of seeds.
Focusing on roasted and root vegetables. Sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and squash are not only in season but also grounding and naturally sweet, which feels so comforting.
Choosing warming drinks. Herbal teas like ginger, chamomile, and cinnamon blends are replacing iced teas and cold brews. I've also started making golden milk in the evenings as a cosy ritual.
Adding more legumes and whole grains. Lentils, chickpeas, barley, and brown rice feel hearty and sustaining, helping me stay energised as the days shorten.
Eating more soups and stews. These meals are easy to digest, deeply nourishing, and a great way to use up seasonal produce.
Boosting immunity with seasonal fruits and Rosehip syrup. Apples, pears, plums, and blackberries are perfect for snacks, bakes, compotes, or to add to porridges and breakfasts.
I'm also adding more vitamin C-rich foods like cabbage and kale to support my immune system.

The foods that served us well during summer often feel insufficient now, leaving us craving more grounding, substantial meals. This is not simply a matter of preference but of biological wisdom: our bodies are preparing for the colder months, seeking foods that offer stability, warmth, and resilience. Root vegetables, whole grains, and warming spices step into their rightful place as seasonal allies, supporting not only our digestion but also our immune system as we face the seasonal shift.

The natural sweetness of autumn produce, such as squash, carrots, and apples, also helps soothe the nervous system, offering comfort as the external world grows darker and quieter.

When we step back and look at the cycle as a whole, it becomes clear that seasonal eating is not a modern trend but an ancient rhythm that has always existed.

Before supermarkets and global imports, humans had little choice but to eat what was growing in their region at a given time. In doing so, we naturally ate in harmony with the seasons, strengthening our connection to the land and supporting our bodies in the most intuitive way.

Today, we have the privilege of choice, but also the challenge of disconnection. By returning to seasonal eating, we remember that what nourishes us is not just about calories or nutrients, but about rhythm, relationship, and balance.

By honouring these shifts, we not only feel more balanced, but we also strengthen our connection to the earth and to our own natural cycles.

Meals I'll Be Eating This Autumn

Here's a peek at some of the meals that will be nourishing me through the season:

Breakfasts:

Spiced cinnamon stewed apples with yoghurt, nuts and seeds
Warm quinoa with stewed pears and cardamom
Spiced protein oatmeal with mixed berries, pumpkin seeds and honey

Lunches:

Lentil and vegetable soup with fresh sourdough
Roasted squash and chickpea salad with tahini dressing
Roasted root vegetable bowl with herbs & chicken or Tofu

Dinners:

Pumpkin soup with lots of warming spices and brown rice
Baked sweet potatoes with lots of yummy fillings
Slow-cooked Chicken casserole/stew full of root vegetables
Snacks & Treats:
Apple slices with peanut butter (my staple any season!)
Roasted chestnuts
Blackberry compote stirred into yoghurt

These meals feel grounding and deeply satisfying, but they're also gentle on digestion and filled with nutrients that help my body adjust to the changing season.

Autumn is a season of transition, and how we eat car make that shift feel smoother, softer, and more supportive. By choosing foods that align with the rhythms of the earth - warming, grounding, and nourishing —we give ourselves what we truly need: resilience, balance, and a sense of being held.

Eating seasonally isn't about strict rules or cutting things out. It's about listening, noticing, and honouring both the land and the body. This autumn, I'm choosing to let food be part of the ritual of slowing down, rooting in, and nourishing myself for the months ahead.

Seasonal Lifestyle Shifts

This isn't just about food though. Our bodies, minds and energy all benefit from changes throughout as the seasons change. That means looking at habits, daily rituals, sleep, exercise, spiritual practices, hobbies etc. and switching things up to best support your body’s needs. Because we need something different in every season to be at our best.

Making seasonal lifestyle changes helps us stay in flow with the natural cycles of Nature rather than pushing against them, supporting our health, energy, and emotional balance. Autumn carries a natural invitation to simplify, to nourish, and to gently turn inward, creating space for restoration before the depths of winter.

By aligning our habits with the energy of autumn, we strengthen resilience and wellbeing. Lighter foods and longer days give way to heartier meals, warming drinks, and practices that build immunity. Social calendars naturally quieten, offering time to reconnect with ourselves and prioritise rest. If we ignore these seasonal cues and continue living at summer’s pace, we risk burnout, imbalances, or feeling out of sync with life around us. But when we make conscious adjustments—whether through the food we eat, the way we move our bodies, or the rituals we keep—we tap into the wisdom of the season, allowing change to feel like an ally rather than something to resist. Autumn, then, becomes not just a season of endings but a sacred transition into deeper presence and steadier rhythms.

Here are some other habits, rituals and routine changes I'll be making again this Autumn to support me and my body - changes I've been making and honing for myself over many years now as I've adapted and refined what works best for me....

Changing my sleep routine to adapt to my circadian rhythm as the mornings stay darker and the days grow shorter. This looks like letting my body sleep a little later in the mornings and having slower mornings
Adding in additional rest days in my workout schedule. Because Autumn and Winter are meant to be slower seasons and I find my body recovers better and responds well to this kind of training rather than going all out all year.
Slowing down work-wise. I plan all my big projects for the first three quarters of the year, so from mid-September through to the end of February, my priorities are refining systems, reorganising and improving, learning and expanding my knowledge and spending more time creatively exploring.
Infrared Saunas x3-4 a week. These are not only glorious as I feel the cold, but they also help my body deal with the inflammation, pain, and achiness that come with the damp and colder months. It's also wonderful for my sleep and mindset.
Switching up my skincare to more protective and moisture-rich creams and oils. Our skin needs more moisture from now until the Spring as the air is drier and we begin to experience central heating etc., again.

Seasonal Resets for Aligned Planning & Progress

Autumn is nature's invitation to pause, reflect, and realign in terms of our work and plans too.... It's the season of harvest, both literally and symbolically - gathering the fruits of your efforts, honouring what has grown, and gently releasing what no longer serves you.

In astrology, this is the time when the Sun moves through Libra, Scorpio, and Sagittarius, guiding us from balance and harmony, into depth and transformation, and then out into vision and wisdom. It's a natural reset point in the year, where planning becomes less about endless to-do lists and more about intentional progress, rooted in clarity and alignment with your deeper values.

Seasonal resets in autumn ask us to slow down and notice: What worked this year? Where did energy flow easily, and where did resistance show up? How can you prepare your inner landscape, just as nature prepares the soil, to nurture the seeds of next year's dreams? This season carries both a practical and soulful call —setting boundaries, refining routines, and creating space for what's meaningful. It's the perfect time to map your path forward with both structure and softness.

It is also a time of releasing and refining. Letting go of what isn't working so you can give more of your time and energy to what is. These times of reflection allow you to see where things need improving and changing, and what has been holding you back, keeping you stuck, and generally causing more issues and heaviness than necessary.

Autumn Work & Planning Focus Areas -

Harvest & Review - Reflect on what projects, intentions, and goals have flourished this year, and which need releasing.
Refinement & Simplification - Streamline workflows, cut out busywork, and reset priorities for the final stretch of the year.
Balance & Boundaries (Libra Season) - Reassess your schedule, relationships, and commitments to bring things back into harmony.
Depth Work (Scorpio Season) - Dig into what's beneath the surface-clarify long-term visions, uncover hidden blocks, and bring transformation to lingering projects.
Future Visioning (Sagittarius Season) - Begin sketching out what you want to expand into for the next year, focusing on aligned growth and bigger-picture goals.

Practical Seasonal Reset Tasks could look like -

• Create an autumn review spread: note accomplishments, lessons, and gratitude lists.

• Reorganise your workspace - declutter, refresh, and make it cosy for the darker months ahead.

• Revisit budgets and resources, ensuring they align with your seasonal and yearly goals.

• Plan rest days and slower rhythms into your calendar before winter arrives.

• Map out a 90-day plan to carry you from equinox to solstice, with both soul goals and practical steps.

• Sync key projects with the Moon phases for natural checkpoints of progress and release.

• Journal on: What am I ready to shed? What wisdom is this season offering me?

Live, plan & flow with the seasons

Your days weren't meant to be crammed into rigid boxes. They were meant to follow the rhythm of nature

- spacious, cyclical, and nourishing.

The Aligned Life Planner is more than a planner — it's a guide to living seasonally, supporting you to align your plans, projects, and self-care with the natural flow of the year.

What makes it different?

• Rooted in the wisdom of the seasons, astrology, and the cycles of nature

• Gentle guidance for reflection, intention-setting, and soulful productivity to stay on track ano create ease in your days

• Space for daily planning that honours both structure and flow

• Rituals, journal prompts, and seasonal check-ins to keep you connected to what truly matters

This is planning that doesn't push you into hustle — it pulls you back into alignment. And the 2026 Planner is arriving soon!!