Darker, Colder Days: Warmer, Heavier Meals!

Eating to Tune Your Daily Energy Cycles 

Recipe Alert!  Included below!

Harvest Stew: The perfect Ayurvedic fall food!

Our bodies are governed by a daily cycle, a monthly cycle, and a seasonal cycle.  With the morning brings an awakening, with the evening brings a need for stillness. Understanding and tapping into those energy cycles will give you more energy, keep you grounded, and help your sleep, digestion, and mental clarity. Going with the flow is always easier than going against it!!


We just experienced "Fall Back" to standard time, meaning we gained an hour, but also meaning that my son is SUPER confused and is now staying up until 8 PM every night in his bed, calling out for help putting on his robe, finding a new book, moving his arm because "it can't move anymore because it's sooooooo tired!".  He is adamantly working against his natural energy cycles.  I do not know why, but my guess is that if he doesn't soon fall into the new routine, his body will rebel and he will get a cold, virus, etc. You can keep your energy cycle in check - you cannot force others to do the same... apparently.  Even though I'm trying - really, really, really hard.

Daily Energy Cycles - What is this?

A quick look: 

Sunrise: 6AMish, Morning

• Rise your body
• Cleanse your body (inside and out)
• Move your body
• Eat a small breakfast

Morning (10AMish) - Noon

• Eat your largest meal of the day
• Most productive time of the day

Noon-2PM

• Be creative

2PM-6PMish

• Mental energy at its highest
• Eat a small dinner near 6PM (can be after), preferably soup or other easily digested foods

6PM-10PM

• If you are eating dinner during this time, ensure it is 2-3 hours before bedtime
• A time of stillness
• Do relaxing activities

10PM-2AMish

• Digestive fire is at its highest
• Do not eat during this time
• Body needs rest to digest!

2AM-6AM

• Body is working towards cleansing 

This is a general daily cycle. There are many tips and tricks for making the most of your daily cycle and how to ensure you're working in tune with your personal energy cycle, as they can shift slightly dependent upon your personal energy makeup. 

The key take-aways:

• Largest meal for lunch
• Eat 2-3 hours before bedtime
• Get to bed on time!

Let's talk about that Harvest Stew!

With the colder days upon us, the darker evenings come earlier and the feeling that we want to stay inside, bundled up in front of a fire fills us up.  The days have been dreary and my desire to be outside has dwindled to a big 0!! (And I'm an outside-all-of-the-time person!)

What to do when it's cold and dreary?  

Stay inside!  BUT, you should also prepare your body for the winter weather by eating warming foods, because at some point, probably, you will have to go outside.  Remember: Eat your biggest meal for lunch.  This is the meal that I like to eat protein at.  It gives the rest of the day to digest properly, and for dinner, a warm soup, roasted vegetables, or a warm salad is in order.

One-at-a-Time Protocol:

Above is a lot of "cycle" schedule to take in.  My suggestion is to start out by doing one of the following:

• Make lunch your biggest meal
• Eat a smaller, easily digested meal for dinner (i.e. soup, roasted vegetables, warm salad)
• Ensure you eat dinner 2-3 hours before bed

Take your time incorporating one of the above into your schedule (and stick to that one) and once that feels like second nature, then add another!  Or if you're bold, try all three! 2 weeks at a time is usually a good time frame.  Keep building upon each element.  Start with this routine and keep following my blog to learn about other easy to introduce concepts to align your energy!

Harvest Stew

This stew will warm you, lubricate you, and keep you strong against the cold winter days.

3 Quarts Chicken Bone Broth (or Vegetable Broth)

1 Jar Diced Tomatoes (preferably home canned) 12-32 oz depending on taste.

3 Tbsp Ghee or Coconut Oil and Ghee 

1 Onion (diced)

1 Garlic Clove (minced)

5 Carrots (1/2" slice) or 2 cups Shredded Carrots

2 Sweet Potato (large) (1/2" dice)

2 Potatoes (1/2" dice)

3 Zucchini or Yellow Squash (1/2" dice)

2 Bay Leaves

2 Tbsp Italian Seasoning

1 tsp Coriander

Other vegetable options: Butternut Squash, Cabbage, Acorn Squash, Brussels Sprouts, Asparagus

*Meat options: Shredded Chicken, Grass Fed Beef, Venison, Turkey

• If this is for lunch, I recommend the inclusion of meat.  If the soup is for dinner, I recommend no meat. 

Saute vegetables in Ghee in the following order and salt and pepper as you add (medium heat): Onion, Garlic, Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Zucchini.  Leave 2-4 minutes between each addition. Ensure vegetables stay lubricated with the ghee.  Add more if needed.  Add Bay Leaves, Italian Seasoning, Coriander.  Stir well.  Medium High heat. Let saute for 10 minutes, stirring each minute. Add Tomatoes.  Simmer 5 minutes.  Add in Bone Broth.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer until vegetables are desired tenderness.  Salt and pepper to taste. 

A few notes: 

• Ghee can be found in most grocery stores.  This is an important fat for your body during winter time.  It keeps your insides moving and your skin lubricated against the dry air. 
• Bone broth contains compounds that help boost your immune system - much needed during flu season! 
• Both of these are highly recommended as a staple for a winter time diet. 

Bee Well!

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