The benefits of Fall... gardens, fav probiotic, recipe for you

It's November.  Around here, the leaves are nearly all fallen, it's getting dark before dinner, and we're feeling chilly.  

When kids spend time outdoors, they connect with the seasons.  

They bring in the calming grounding effect of being in touch with the earth, balancing their electrons, and they bring in the beneficial microbes that support great attitudes and flexibility (the "happy" microbe, mycobacterium vaccae).  

They get the tactile experience of crispy leaves, coarse bark, and cold air on their cheeks even as they get so hot from running they must take off their jackets.  

They get the lymph moving, detoxifying benefits of movement, and the joy of freedom. They get to hear the crunch and swish of fall leaves around their feet, and see the colors of autumn close-up in all their glory.  

Kinda makes you want to get out there and roll around in the leaves, too, right?  (DO it!!)

It's reassuring to feel the turn of the seasons.  

Summer is a time of brightness, energetic play and work, and the bounty of bright summertime veggies, greens and fruits!  Spontaneity!  Extroversion in the plant, animal and human world.  

By now, the summer harvest has been eaten, we're bringing in squashes and pumpkins and root veggies, and putting away the last of the cabbages into crocks and jars to ferment into sauerkraut to sustain us long after the sunny harvest.  

With deep autumn, we're entering a time of introversion.  Thoughtfulness and reflection.  Rest.  (BTW Your child can and should fall asleep quickly and sleep soundly, for their health and yours - so you have time for rest and reflection yourself - if sleep is a problem, hit reply now so we can fix it.)

What we eat, traditionally, shifts throughout the year, depending on the season.  This supports different microbes in our bellies at different times of year, from the fruits of summer to the lean times of late winter.  

Our guts have seasons too, based on the seasonality of our food!  We can restore these rhythms in our children's bellies and our own, so great health, bright attitudes, flexibility, calm, sleep and physical resilience are around all year long.  

In our LIVE group session yesterday, I shared how I put my garden to bed, and how I've gradually created a garden that re-seeds itself with plants we love, with just a little bit of occasional weeding.  It took some directed, dedicated work up front, to cultivate what's become a very low-maintenance, high-production, and perfect-for-our-particular-family garden.  

I do the exact same thing with our guts!

FAVORITE FRONTILNE PROBIOTIC for RESTORATION AND MAINTENANCE 

My favorite probiotic to seed our internal garden is Bifido Maximus.  Start seeding your family's bellies with this gut-restoring, immune-stabilizing, dairy-free and histamine-free blend of potent Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus species.

EASY COZY RECIPE

Here's what we've been eating as a cozy dessert, and even at breakfast time - with out the sugar and with plenty of good fats, it's a wonderful treat!

boil

turn down the heat and stir for 15-20 min (perfect for listening to a podcast)

serve plain (delish!) or with toppings like goji berries or Lily's chocolate chips

Cozy Banana Tapioca

• 3 cups plant-based milk of your choice (we like Native Forest simple coconut milk and/or Tempt vanilla unsweetened hemp milk)

• 1/4 cup tapioca (we like "Let's Do Organic brand)

• pinch sea salt

• 1/2 scoop monfruit powder (we like PurMonk)

• 1 tsp banana extract

1. heat milk to a boil in a heavy bottomed saucepan

2. reduce to a simmer, and stir constantly for 15-20 minutes, til thickened.

3. pour into ramekins and eat warm or let cool, or store in fridge.

4. enjoy plain or top with your favorite toppings!

By the way, though I'm writing about the the mid-november season as a serene time of turning-in, you can bet these ideal moments are precious few!  

The reality of having a family is extremely busy if not chaotic!  As I'm finishing this email, I've got three things on the stove, and am listening (and semi-guiding) my son's drum practice!  Ha - far from peaceful, but I've got a secret weapon for calm that really takes the cake.  You can have your calm cake and eat it too...

Love,
Elissa

PS  Did you try the tapioca pudding?  Let me know how you like it!!