How to boost your Autumn energy

by Tania Noble, Oxfordshire Wellness

I used to slightly dread Autumn! I have always loved Summer, heat, and sunshine so at this time of year I would be grieving the UK’s brief glimpse of reliably sunny days and bemoaning the onset of shorter days of dismal, grey winteriness! I also used to catch a cold at this time of year, and in my 20s my eczema would always flare up when the seasons changed.

It’s not surprising that we get affected by the change of seasons. Us humans often find change challenging.  What I find surprising is that we don’t acknowledge this, or try to make life easier for ourselves, like resting more, prioritising sleep, or looking after ourselves. On the contrary, we tend to do the opposite, as we launch into October, and then race towards Christmas!

In a study conducted by the University of California in September 2022, seasonal light changes have been shown to alter the neurotransmitters in our brains that control stress, metabolism, growth, immune and other autonomic functions.

So, it just makes sense to support our immune system and energy at this time of transition and change, and as the days get shorter.

Nowadays I love Autumn! Since making my health and self-care a priority (for the past 20 years), I embrace all that is Autumn, and I no longer seem to get ill (fingers crossed!). I now have a deep appreciation for Nature’s incredible colour show, cosy evenings by an open fire, warm jumpers, snuggly slippers, Hallowe’en, Bonfire Night and making tasty, warming food!

I’d like to share with you what has worked for me, and for many of my clients who I have supported; either with energy-balancing shiatsu massage (over the past 20 years) or more recently through a love of nutrition, as an independent health and wellness consultant with Arbonne.

I sincerely hope that this blog will give you a few helpful tips to take back control over your own health, so you can also enjoy this season.

Energy

Energy is essential for everything! It’s important to protect our own energy as sadly in today’s world of speed and stress it’s easy to get frazzled! Just as your phone needs recharging, so do you.

So what can we do to boost our energy?

• Prioritise sleep.
• Avoid stress & minimise stimulants like caffeine, especially on an empty stomach (this releases cortisol which puts us into a stress response, thereby depleting our energy).
• Prioritise activities that ground you and activate the parasympathetic nervous system…the opposite to fight or flight. 

What is it that you like doing? I personally get my energy from yoga, swimming, mindful walks in Nature with my dogs, special connected conversations with friends, receiving or giving a shiatsu massage, reading, meditation and cooking.

Once you’ve worked out what really lights you up and energises you, make sure that you have it scheduled in your diary!

• Give yourself permission to take time out from this busy world. It’s not easy to be mindful in the present moment nowadays, but this is super-important for our brains and our parasympathetic nervous system. Us humans can’t really multitask; we can only think of one thing at a time.
• Surround yourself with positive, high-vibe people. The people around you can play a big part in either lifting your up or bringing you down.
• Avoid sugar, to keep your blood sugar balanced.  This will also help with hormonal fluctuations.
• Re-programme your brain to look for the positive.  Speak affirmations to yourself each morning (you can google suggestions on the internet, but creating your own to counteract your own limiting beliefs is more powerful).
• Develop a gratitude practise; each morning or evening take time to focus on what you are grateful for in your life.
• De-clutter the environment around you! This will help to clear your head. Journaling can also be helpful for de-cluttering the mind – write down your thoughts and feelings, so that they don’t control you.

On the subject of de-cluttering, I feel that it’s important to spring clean our bodies as much as our houses.  If we get rid of the toxins in our body it can help us to feel clearer and can free up our energy.

One option is to avoid inflammatory foods and do a body reset, like Arbonne’s 30 days to healthy living plan. Eliminating inflammatory foods and drinks, nourishing your body and gut with good food and nutrition, and reducing the toxic load on the body so it can heal itself, become more streamlined, absorb more nutrients and boost your energy. (If you’d like more info about this plan, then do contact me and I’ll happily explain more.)

Energy from the Chinese medicine perspective

Energy or Qi (Chi) is a fundamental root of Traditional Chinese Medicine, together with yin and yang.

The whole emphasis is on freeing up energy so it can flow.  While the concept of yin and yang are about the harmony of opposites, and so the harmony of the whole system, Qi is the vital energy flowing through that system, taking on many forms and purposes.

Autumn is associated with Spleen and Stomach Qi. For this blog I’m going to concentrate on the Spleen Qi. It’s a good idea to support this energy at this time of year, which will set us up as we head into winter.

In Western Medicine the Spleen contains infection-fighting white blood cells which are used to fight invading germs in the blood as part of the immune system. It also controls the level of blood cells in the body as well as filtering the blood and removing and recycling any old or damaged red blood cells.

Traditional Chinese Medicine sees the Spleen as having other functions too, that are not recognised by western medicine. These are as follows;

• Governs the Transportation and Transformation function
• Controls the muscles and four limbs
• Spleen houses thoughts
• Spleen manages blood
• Opens into the mouth and manifests on the lips
• Controls the Upright Qi

When the Spleen is functioning well, a person’s digestion will be smooth, they will have regular, heathy bowel movements, they will have clear thoughts and will be able to concentrate well.

When the Spleen is imbalanced the following symptoms may arise; fatigue and lethargy, digestive upset including loose stools, poor appetite, low energy, oedema, nausea, vomiting, weakness in the limbs and muscles, pale lips and complexion, organ prolapse, bruising and generally feeling cold.

How to support your Spleen/ Autumn energy:

• Stay away from sugary foods
• Include plenty of naturally sweet vegetables in your diet, like slow-cooked onions, carrots, parsnips, squash, and sweet potatoes.  These will all help to nourish your Spleen with the right amount of sweetness.
• Warming foods and drinks, such as soups, stews and broths are great for the Spleen.
• As a result, avoid too many raw foods, and iced or cold drinks.
• Try not to flood your Spleen with drinks during a meal.  Drink them before or after.
• Have regular meal times and chew your food well.  Be mindful of your food while you are eating and avoid other distractions.

Nutrition ideas

At this time of year, it’s also a good idea to give your body a helping hand with some quality nutrition.  Eating a home-cooked, balanced diet, ideally using organic meat and vegetables, will go some way towards this, but I personally feel that we need to add in extra nutrition nowadays.

Below is some of the nutrition (simplified) that has really helped to boost my energy and overall health. I use Arbonne nutrition, because I love how it is all vegan, gluten-free, cruelty-free, grounded in science and excludes artificial colours, flavours and sweeteners.

• Zinc

Zinc is particularly good for supporting your immune system, and protects cells from oxidative stress.  Zinc-rich foods include oysters, Brazil nuts, beef, egg yolks, liver and pumpkin seeds.

• Vitamin C

This is widely known for its benefit to the body.  For those who are menopausal, this has also been shown to increase progesterone levels

Vitamin C-rich foods include citrus fruits, kiwis, peppers, and sauerkraut.

• Vitamin B6

This vitamin is an essential vitamin that helps maintain the health of your whole body.  It plays a key role in brain development and keeping your nerves and immune system working as they should.

B6-rich foods include sunflower seeds, ricotta cheese, eggs, liver, chickpeas, tuna, spinach and lean red meat.

Nutrition products:

1. Arbonne’s Vitamin & Mineral Shots act like a tonic and contain 38% RDA of zinc and 150% RDA of Vitamin C. This juice-based tonic is packed with superfruits like Blueberry, Pomegranate, Amla, and Açai (all great antioxidants) as well as turmeric and Selenium.

This “shot” delivers a cornucopia of benefits. It contains naturally derived caffeine from Green Tea Leaf and Guarana Seed along with botanicals Yerba Mate Leaf and Ginseng Root Extracts to deliver a gentle boost of energy.

• Arbonne’s daily multivitamin & mineral powder contains a whopping 100% RDA of zinc, 150% RDA of vitamin C and 536% RDA of Vitamin B6!

• EnergyFizz Ginseng fizz stick drinks

These contain a vegan blend of Ginseng Root, Coenzyme Q10, Chromium, and B vitamins (including Riboflavin and Niacin) as well as naturally derived Caffeine from
Guarana and Green Tea. Available in a variety of great tasting flavours.

• MushroomPowder Daily Defence

This is a daily super blend of mushrooms that only contains 5 ingredients. It is derived from mushroom extracts and contains standardised bioactive beta glucans. Beta glucans have been shown to stimulate the immune system by increasing chemicals that prevent infections.

Featuring Reishi (known to the Chinese as the mushroom of immortality) with adaptogenic properties to help manage stress, and Lion’s Mane, which supposedly protects heart, liver and kidney health and is known for promoting healthy energy levels and combating fatigue.

With a slightly earthy, yet neutral taste, it blends seamlessly into a shake, smoothie bowl, porridge or preferred beverage. This nutrition is third party tested, free of fillers, binders and additives.

I hope that all these tips to boost your energy at this time of Autumnal change will be helpful.  If you have any questions about any of what I have mentioned, then don’t hesitate to get in touch at tania@oxfordshirewellness.co.uk or send me a message at 07594899672.