Dear Osa friends,
I hope you have enjoyed a beautiful summer!
I’ve returned with some wholehearted inspiration to help guide you through the “back to school” transition from summer to fall. Keep on reading through to the end for a delicious recipe for this ripe time of year. Enjoy!
The Fifth Season 🍅
Do you ever chide yourself for “falling off the wagon”? Or do you aspire to “get back on track?” Well, you might want to sit down for this:
That wagon you were supposed to be on, or that track you intend to get back on, those don’t exist! 🤯
Ok, you already knew that, at least on some level.
But these metaphors have power over us nonetheless. The “back to school” vibes are in the air, and I’ve received a number of emails this week encouraging me to get “back on track” with my food or my health in general (yes, even nutritionists read nutritionists’ newsletters). This wording just doesn’t resonate with me, for a few reasons:
First, my work with clients is always about moving forward, not going back.
Second, metaphors like “the track” or “the wagon” (or, the horse, or what-have-you) imply a binary state of being–you either are or are not “on” that wagon. This doesn’t leave much room for the seemingly small changes that we may not think qualify us to be on “the wagon” but which can in reality have a very large impact cumulatively and over time.
And lastly, maybe that wagon isn’t even where you want to be after all! Yet, as long as you believe in its existence, it may continue to vie for your attention, keeping you from exploring other avenues.
There are many, many paths to health, and I think it’s important that we don’t limit ourselves with metaphors that fail to capture the nuances of making change and the beautiful complexity of our rich and messy lives.
But if not the wagon, then what?🤔
As an alternative, I think that tuning in to seasonality, perhaps envisioned as an upward spiral, has more resonance with our day-to-day experience of life.
One way to think of this in terms of the earth’s seasons–winter, spring, summer, fall, AND…. I just recently learned that Chinese medicine recognizes a fifth season that is happening now–late summer. More on that later.
Another way to think of seasonality is seasons of life, and I think of these as not simply time frames but growth experiences and periods of new self discovery. Sometimes these periods of time coincide with age-related hormonal shifts, such as adolescence and peri/menopause, sometimes they happen due to life events, such as a move or career change or the beginning or ending of a relationship. Or other times we feel new callings with the shifting energy of the earth’s seasons or simply the quiet urgings of our souls, if we are listening.
If you are not sure where you are finding yourself these days, I hope you can give yourself some time to check in. Instead of chasing that proverbial wagon, my recommendation is to turn inward.
Ideas for Late Summer Reflection🌻
How about taking this late summer transitional season that we are in as an invitation to pause for reflection and quiet the inner narratives about what you “should” be doing right now. Just pausing these inner voices can be very hard!
If you can manage that, here are some questions to help you check in with yourself:
What am I grateful for right now?
What am I hopeful about?
What am I excited about?
Where am I feeling excessive stress and what are some options for working through the stress (by finding and addressing its cause) and/or letting it go (through breathing, meditation, journaling, or therapy)?
As late summer turns to fall, the season of pruning and releasing what no longer serves us, it’s a fitting time to reflect on how far you’ve come this year and to spend some time feeling into what your next best step might be. Perhaps the upward spiral has brought you back to something you’ve faced in the past that you now have more life experience and inner resources to address. Perhaps you are charting brand new waters and need to be sure you have an anchor when you need it.
Hey, perhaps you are even thinking about how nutrition and lifestyle affect your health trajectory or your current health condition. Book a free Discovery Call and let’s chat about it!😉
Recipe Sharing
I’ve been making casual late summer fare recently and wanted to share this one with you. This salad is great for a picnic, potluck, quick dinner, or a make-ahead lunch. It’s very amenable to what you have on hand, and you can even tweak the net carbohydrate content as desired by increasing the vegetables and decreasing the grain. However you eat this, please be generous with the herbs!
Late Summer Whole Grain Salad
makes 4-5 servings
For the salad:
1 heaping cup organic farro or similar chewy whole grain such as barley cooked according to package instructions, drained, and cooled*
1 cup fresh herbs (mint is a must for me; I also like dill, parsley, basil, cilantro, and arugula)
3 cups chopped vegetables including red onion, cucumber, tomatoes, or any of your choice (I do think onion is a must though!)
3-4 ounces crumbled cheese such as feta or blue cheese**
For the dressing:
1 medium-small clove garlic
3 tbsp vinegar (I have tried both apple cider and rice vinegar; red wine vinegar would also be good)
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 heaping teaspoon mustard (Dijon or stone ground)
1/2 tsp salt
To assemble the salad:
In a large bowl, place all of the salad ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until fully emulsified. Pour over the salad and toss to evenly coat.
To make this a full meal:
Add a protein such as cooked chopped chicken or turkey, beans (chickpeas or white beans would work well), or tofu.
*millet, quinoa, or buckwheat groats may be substituted to make this gluten-free
**substitute chopped nuts or seeds such as walnuts, pistachios, or sunflower seeds to make this dairy-free
As always, thanks for reading and for sharing this with any family, friends, or colleagues to help me grow the Osa community. I’ll be back next month to talk about bone health!
Warmly,
