Butternut Bliss

Autumn brings root veggies and winter squashes to the table. As the evenings cool, eating soup for dinner is one of the best things you can do for your digestion and sleep.  
Soups are easy to digest because all the ingredients have been cooked together and are already partially broken down. Easy peasy on the stomach!

Eating soup in the evening, at least three hours before you go to bed, allows for your body to feel nourished AND to finish digestion before you go to sleep. Digesting while sleeping leads to poor sleep quality, inflammation, and a buildup of undigested food in the gut. We call this Ama, and too much Ama creates dis-ease.

Warm, cooked foods help calm and nourish the nervous system. This means feeling more grounded, less anxious, and more at ease. The elements of Air and Ether increase in Autumn, which can lead to ungrounded feelings in the emotional realm. We can balance this out with warm, cooked, moist foods. Food can be your medicine!

So, for Autumn health and happiness, start easing away from the raw veggies in the evenings and focus on soup to nourish your body, mind, and spirit.

Here is a soup recipe from joyfulbelly.com that I made for the Heartfelt Wellbeing Equinox Retreat last weekend. It is mighty tasty, and simple to make. Click on each ingredient to learn more about its Ayurvedic properties. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup with Fennel, Ginger & Garlic
1/4 tsp BLACK PEPPER
4 c BUTTERNUT SQUASH
1 tsp FENNEL SEEDS
2 clove GARLIC
2 tbsp GHEE
1/2 inch GINGER (FRESH)
1/2 whole LIME
1/4 tsp SALT (MINERAL SALT)
4 c WATER
1/2 c YELLOW ONION

1. Roast the butternut squash in the the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove and let cool. The skin will peel off easily with a potato peeler after roasting. When it cools, chop the butternut squash into 1 inch cubes.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a large stock pot. Add diced onions and saute.

3. Chop ginger and garlic, and toss them in the pot when your onions begin to brown. Add salt, pepper and fennel seeds. Continue frying another thirty seconds, taking care not to burn the garlic.

4. Now, add the butternut squash cubes, and 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil.

5. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes. Then mash with a potato masher, or puree in a blender. Squeeze the juice of half a lime into the finished soup.

Soups can be useful as a tasty last meal of the day, or they can be utilized at each meal in order to provide a gentle detox. The Heartfelt Wellbeing Autumn Detox is set up to use cooked soups and stews to gently detox the digestive system. Eating a variety of food (some cooked some raw, sometimes cold) each day, asks our digestive systems to work very hard. A detox allows for a break from so much variety, while still nourishing you.

Along with recipes provided in the Heartfelt Wellbeing Autumn Detox, you will also get support in understanding your constitution and learning lifestyle tips that will make each day more filled with energy and ease. This 3 week online, group detox will be kicking off October 6 and running through October 28. You can join from anywhere!