This is a warming, comforting and grounding meal perfect for cold, dark evenings. Squash is high in vitamin A, magnesium, calcium, iron, and vitamin B6 – all nutrients we require in order for the nervous system to feel calm and relaxed, as well as contributing to immune health. Whilst it’s in season, make the most of varieties that span beyond butternut squash, such as the green Crown Prince, Acorn Squash, Kabocha Squash or Spaghetti Squash. Mushrooms are a great source of vitamin D – something most of us lack especially throughout the Winter months – and quinoa is a great option for those who follow a plant-based diet, because it is a complete protein and contains all 9 essential amino acids. This stuffed squash recipe is easy to make but looks great on the table. Serve alongside purple cauliflower mash for an eye catching meal, as a main of its own, or with seasonal Brussels sprouts.
INGREDIENTS
1 small squash
½ cup cooked quinoa
6 good sized chestnut mushrooms
½ cup red wine (or stock)
1 tbsp ghee
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp paprika
1 red onion
2 cloves of garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 handful chestnuts, crushed in to small pieces to top
METHOD
Pre-heat the oven to 200C
Cut the squash in half, then scoop out the flesh and seeds (save the seeds to roast, or dry them, then store in a dark jar or envelope so you can plant them next year to grow your own)
Rub a little ghee or coconut oil onto the inside edges of the squash, then place with the open sides up in the oven to bake for approximately 40-45 minutes, or until tender
Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp ghee in a heavy bottomed pan
Chop the onion and garlic, then add to the pan with the paprika and cumin for a couple of minutes
Roughly chop the mushrooms, then add to the pan and cook for roughly 10 minutes, stirring well
Add the red wine or stock, bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat and leave to cook slowly.
5 minutes before the squash is ready, add the cooked quinoa, salt and pepper to the pot and stir
When the squash is cooked, remove from the oven, then scoop out a serving into each squash half
Book your place and prepare to receive an abundance of practical, inspirational info on living seasonally to support your physical, mental and emotional health this winter. Details below.
Join Emma for this special seasonal workshop, and understand how to support your health and wellbeing to feel your best this winter!
You’ll learn how humans have evolved to live differently according to the seasons, and how to make simple lifestyle changes to live more seasonally in the modern world. You’ll discover the seasonal and local foods to eat for better health in winter, and how to apply ancient wisdom from Ayurveda to find balance in mind and body.
We finish the session with a deeply rejuvenating gentle flow and restorative yoga session, focusing on the meridian lines and organs to care for in winter according to Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Included:
Free Urban Veda skincare goodie bag & winter spice blend to support digestion
Handout with key lifestyle and nutritional practices for winter
Join me for this special seasonal workshop, and understand how to support your health and wellbeing to feel your best this Winter!
You’ll learn how humans have evolved to live differently according to the seasons, and how to make simple lifestyle changes to live more seasonally in the modern world too. You’ll discover the seasonal and local foods to eat for better health in Winter, and how to apply ancient wisdom from Ayurveda to find balance in mind and body.
We finish the session with a deeply rejuvenating gentle flow and restorative yoga session, focusing on the meridian lines and organs to care for in Winter according to Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Included:
Free Urban Veda skincare goodie bag & Winter spice blend to support digestion.
Handout with key lifestyle and nutritional practices for Winter
There’s a reason we’re told to ‘eat the rainbow’, (and I’m not talk talking about eating packs of skittles….) colourful fruit and veg is full of phytonutrients, which reduce inflammation and oxidative damage, reduce risk of illness and disease, slow ageing, and promote health.
One of the key phytonutrients is a group called carotenoids, which includes yellow and orange veg like the squash, pumpkins and carrots in season right now in the UK. Carotenoids help make vitamin A, and as always nature knows we need this vitamin a lot right now.
Two key powerful benefits of carotenoids & vitamin A are that they strengthen the immune system & enhance eye health and vision. As we head into Autumn, this is an important time to focus on immune health, but the immune system also plays a big role in preventing pretty much all illnesses & life-threatening diseases.
Call me crazy, but it also seems reasonable that from a human evolution perspective, we would have needed more foods higher in vitamin A to care for our eyesight as we enter a period of more darkness and less light, as well as a time of year we would have needed good vision to spot mushrooms, berries and other wild foods to forage amongst the fallen autumn leaves.
To get the benefits of these beautiful seasonal nutrients, try this Autumnal squash recipe, and to start living more seasonally, click HERE to read my latest Tune Into Autumnblog for Ekhart Yoga.
Ingredients (serves 4)
1 kabocha squash (or 1 butternut squash, or 1 small pumpkin – anything orange!)
1 courgette – preferably one that is in season or grown in the UK
1 red onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 litre bone broth (or stock)
Pinch of salt and pepper
Optional: orange zest & mixed spice
METHOD
Fill a large pot with water and bring to the boil
Pop the whole squash in the pot and boil for 10 mins to soften
Safely remove from the pot & once cool enough to handle, chop into cubes
With the large pot now empty, heat the ghee and sauté the onion, garlic, fennel & cumin for a couple of minutes
Chop the courgette, then add that and the squash to the pan, stirring to coat in the ghee and spices
Cook for about 5 minutes, then fill the pot with the broth or stock and bring to a boil
Once boiled, turn down to a simmer for about 30 mins
Finally, either keep the soup chunky, or use a hand blender to whizz the soup smooth
Finally, grate in the zest of 1/4 orange and add a dash of mixed spice (optional)
Pour into bowls and top with pumpkin seeds, OR roasted squash seeds (recipe below), serve with sourdough and butter.
Roasted Squash Seeds
Remove the seeds from the squash and wash them to remove any stringy bits of squash.
Squeeze seeds in a tea towel to dry, then scatter over a baking tray
Sprinkle over salt and pepper, then bake in the oven for roughly 20 mins at 200C
Enjoy as they are or use them to top soup and salads.
With natural sweetness from applesauce, local blackberries and cinnamon, these muffins are a great way to welcome in Autumn tastes. I made these recently for a crowd who needed gluten free options, but if you aren’t baking for anyone with a gluten intolerance, simply use a high quality organic spelt or oat flour instead. If you want to omit flour altogether, try this recipe with half ground almonds, and half besan (chickpea flour made from ground chickpeas). Enjoy these with tea as the colder weather starts to set in, or warmed up for breakfast.
INGREDIENTS
(makes around 16 muffins)
* all tbsp are heaped
12 tbsp gluten free flour
2 tbsp ground almonds
1 cup applesauce or apple puree (simply steam and blend a couple of apples)
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp soaked chia seeds
1/2 cup coconut oil (melted)
1 cup blackberries – even better if you can pick them whilst we’re in the midst of blackberry season!
1 cup coconut water
3 tbsp maple syrup
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 175C & prepare the muffin cases
Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix
Add all other ingredients and mix
Scoop an equal amount into each muffin case and top with a blackberry
The Foods, Herbs, Self-Care Practices & Lifestyle Tips To Help You Move Into Autumn
As we approach September, there’s no denying Autumn will be with us soon. Of all the seasons, the transition from Summer to Autumn can be the one with the most changes and challenges, and the one where our lifestyle, foods and self-care practices need to switch the most. If you want to know how to change your energy along with the seasons, read on for a few quick tips from Ayurveda (the ancient ‘science of life’) on transitioning from Summer to Autumn.
Summer is a ‘yang’ time of year, when the energy of ‘pitta’ (think hot, oily, humid, intense and irritable) is at its peak. As Summer progresses however, the heat of Summer begins to create dryness in the air and earth, and this is what leads to a lot less humidity, and a lot more dryness in the air in Autumn.
The dry quality in Autumn is one of the most important qualities to balance-out, because when the air around us is dry, the nose and throat can become dry too, which leaves us more susceptible to coughs and colds. To remedy dryness, bring in more oiliness in the form of cooking with ghee or coconut oil, and using warm sesame oil for ‘nasya’ (applying inside the nose to prevent the nasal passages from becoming dry). The quality of dryness can also lead to dry skin and dehydration, so it’s important to hydrate both internally and externally. Think about drinking more warm water – add a pinch of salt to a large glass of water in the morning and drink this to assist with absorption and rehydration – and consuming foods that have a naturally hydrating and moistening quality (soaked chia or flax seeds, soaked almonds and pumpkin seeds, and oats). Autumn is the perfect month to focus on abhyanga or ‘self-massage’, using warm sesame oil to massage your body from head-to-toe, especially on the joints, which can become a little stiff and achy in colder months.
Lifestyle
According to Ayurveda, Autumn is governed by the Vata dosha, represented by the elements air and ether, from the root word ‘va’, a word that implies movement and change, and ‘vayu’, meaning ‘wind’. We can see these windy, changeable qualities in the way the leaves change and fall from trees, and the blustery, unpredictable Autumn weather. Indeed, these qualities of irregularity are a key characteristic of Vata energy, which can easily become excessive in Autumn and early Winter. To balance this sense of irregularity and potential for feeling scattered, it’s important to cultivate a steady daily routine that aligns with the rhythms of nature. Get plenty of sunlight in the morning, and it’s vital to make sure you’re not bathing your eyes in bright lights just before you go to bed – switch off the TV, laptop and as many overhead lights as you can in order to facilitate optimal sleep. If your Summer season was busy and bustling, it’s time to start slowing down and tying up loose ends. Finish up projects, and channel your energy into something you can settle into and focus on for the next few months. In terms of work and social commitments; set boundaries, and check in with yourself to ensure you’re living in a way that feels good to YOU, and not stressing over trying to fit too much in. It might sound silly, but if you’re prone to feeling cold, scattered and anxious, wearing a woolly hat when it’s windy outside can make a huge difference in helping you stay grounded.
Foods
At the end of one season, we tend to accumulate a lot of that particular season’s energy – think of the heaviness you might feel after Winter, when you’re eager to get out and about into the sunshine again, or perhaps the feeling of being a little frazzled after a busy and intense Summer. The transition between seasons is a good time to re-set the mind and body, so we don’t head into the next season already overloaded or undernourished. Moving from Summer to Autumn requires us to slow things down, and to move from consuming salad and cold foods, to warm, nourishing meals. To re-set your digestion, perhaps opt for a traditional Ayurvedic three-day kitchari cleanse (whereby you’d solely consume a kitchari recipe like THISfor three days), then bring in more nourishing and Vata-balancing foods like oils, nuts, root vegetables, bone broth and the tastes of sweet, sour and salty – all of these help to balance the Ayurvedic dosha Vata, which you can read more about HERE.
Autumn is also the time to ensure the immune system is strong, so try making these recipes, tonics and remedies:
As colder weather and shorter days start to set in, it’s useful to use more warming spices in meals, to keep the Agni or ‘digestive fire’ burning well. Favour cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, black pepper, cumin, ajowain, clove, chilli, as well as fennel, which can help prevent gas and bloating.
Autumn is the time to find a balance between movement and rest – aim to walk daily in nature amongst the beautiful Autumn colours, and focus on building strength, which is great for balancing blood sugar levels, boosting mental health, and immune health. To relax, practice restorative yoga, yin yoga, yoga nidra (a form of deep relaxation), and give yourself permission to have more days where you simply relax and rest all day – your nervous system will thank you, especially when we jump back into the more ‘yang’ seasons of Spring and Summer.
If your go-to breakfast looks like an invisible bowl of nothing, a cereal bar, or a sugary cereal, it’s time to re-think how you’re fuelling your body. It sounds cliché but we really are what we eat. Many of the issues we face as a society today like chronic inflammation, obesity and diabetes are largely down to diet and lifestyle choices, which means what we eat matters, and can be used as preventative medicine.
Although intermittent fasting and skipping breakfast is praised in the ‘health’ and biohacking world, skipping meals in this way is actually detrimental to women’s health. When we go for a really long time without food (unless you’re taking part in a specific planned fast for a specific reason), our metabolism slows down, our bodies move into a state of stress, and our energy, hormone and mood levels plummet. Even if intermittent fasting seems to sculpt your body into the physical shape you’ve been chasing, does it really matter if no one wants to be around you because you’re moody and tired? Many studies also show that when we skip breakfast, we’re much more likely to over-eat throughout the rest of the day, especially in the evening when our digestive system benefits from less food as it prepares for rest and sleep.
Breakfast doesn’t have to be a huge and heavy meal, but you’re likely to experience huge benefits when you start eating a good quality breakfast, including:
Balanced blood sugar (no more ‘hangry’ moments)
Improved metabolism
Enhanced energy levels
Healthier hormones
Less stress and more resilience
More calmness
Better fertility
Enhanced brain power
Healthier adrenals, which means you’re less likely to feel chronically overwhelmed
Sound good? Of course, the recipes below aren’t just for women, men can definitely enjoy them too. The point is that whilst men may benefit from skipping breakfast or fasting, women really really need to eat a good quality breakfast in order to feel our best. The key ingredients to include nutritionally are good quality fats (absolutely essential for women’s health), protein and complex carbohydrates, which these recipes all have a pretty balanced amount of. I hope you enjoy experimenting with these recipes, and that they help you move towards feeling great! Choose the breakfast that suits you depending upon how much time you have in the morning.
Overnight Oats
Let’s start with a simple classic recipe that I’m sure everyone is pretty familiar with. The reason it’s so important to include this type of breakfast a couple of times as week however, is because oats contain specific nutrients that help prevent and remedy anxiety and depression. Oats are even recommended often to new mothers to prevent post-partum depression too. They’re a complex carbohydrate that help keep mood, energy and hunger levels balanced for hours, and are a great source of fibre. I know a lot of women who consume dry cereals like muesli for breakfast, and tell me their hormone and mood levels are suffering – if this sounds like you too, then give this breakfast a try instead. Make it the night before, as soaking the oats makes them easier to digest. This recipe is high in anxiety-reducing ingredients, healthy fats, protein, antioxidants, potassium, and hormone-balancing goodness.
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup oats
1 tbsp ground flax
½ banana
1 tbsp nut butter
1 handful berries (blueberries or black berries)
Roughly 1 cup milk of choice
METHOD
Add all ingredients to a bowl or jar (a jar is useful if you’re going to be eating your breakfast at work or on your commute)
Stir well, and leave over night
Top with the other half of the banana, sliced the next morning, a tbsp seeds, or a dollop of yoghurt.
2. Eggs and avocado on sourdough toast
To make this recipe even quicker to make in the morning, boil the eggs the night before, and you could even mash up the avocado the night before too – store it in a bowl with a squeeze of lemon juice on top to prevent it from going too brown. This recipe is great if you’re looking for more healthy fats, protein, vitamin D, and complex carbohydrates to keep your mind and body satisfied.
INGREDIENTS
1 or 2 slices sourdough toast (keeps blood sugar more balanced than regular toast, and is better for gut health)
2 organic eggs
½ large avocado
1 tbsp seeds (pumpkin / sunflower / sesame)
Organic full-fat, regular butter to spread on the toast
Pinch of salt and pepper
A squeeze of lemon juice if you want to be fancy
METHOD
It’s pretty self-explanatory. Top your toast with the rest of the ingredients and enjoy! A savoury breakfast can leave you feeling satisfied for longer, and is very effective for reducing sugar cravings. If you’re making this breakfast in the morning, try to boil the eggs for a shorter amount of time so the yolks are runny, which makes them more nutritious.
3. Bone broth breakfast soup
Bone broth is a true superfood. Full of collagen, protein, natural electrolytes and with detoxifying benefits, traditional cultures have been consuming this healing liquid for thousands of years. When we eat real, whole foods, our bodies instantly recognise it and know what to do with the nutrients, whilst consuming overly processed foods all the time kind of confuses the body, and we don’t necessarily absorb all the ‘nutrients’ we think we’re getting. Use THIS recipe for the broth, or purchase a ready-made bone broth online. Adding the herbs to this recipe makes it truly healing and incredibly nourishing, whilst being very light and easy to digest. This recipe is full of protein, collagen, healthy fats, anti-inflammatories, digestion-boosting herbs, and herbs to helps detox heavy metals.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup bone broth
½ cup coconut milk
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 handful fresh coriander
¼ tsp turmeric
Pinch of black pepper
Tsp miso (optional)
Bring all ingredients to a gentle simmer, then switch off the heat immediately. Serve in a bowl or mug, with a slice or sourdough and organic butter if you like.
Enjoy!
4. The Green Smoothie
I love smoothies for their ability to contain an abundance of nutritional ingredients, but they shouldn’t necessarily be an everyday breakfast. We also need lots of foods that require us to chew, in order to maintain healthy teeth, digestion and jaw structure. A couple of times a week however, this is a great way to add more green goodness to your day. This recipe is high in vitamin C, vitamin K (essential for bone health), liver-loving ingredients, healthy fats and protein.
If you’re plant-based, chia seeds are probably in your cupboard. Used as a replacement for eggs, to thicken recipes, or swirled into smoothies, chia seeds are full of omega 3 fats and protein, which make them a great breakfast food. Make this breakfast the night before to allow enough time for the chia seeds to soak up all the liquid. This recipe is high in protein, healthy fats, magnesium and antioxidants.
INGREDIENTS
4 tbsp chia seeds
1 cup milk of choice (Note: I’d never advise soy milk as this isn’t necessarily healthy for hormone and oestrogen levels)
1 tbsp cacao or cocoa powder
1 handful berries (blueberries, black berries or raspberries)
¼ tsp cinnamon
Seeds of 1 cardamom pod
1 tbsp cacao nibs or 1 square of dark chocolate (try 80-90% dark chocolate)
1 tsp honey or maple syrup
METHOD
Add everything to a jar or bowl (a jar is handy if you’re going to be eating your breakfast at work or on your commute) and stir well.
If possible, stir again about an hour later (which will allow the chia seeds to set better)
Pop in the fridge overnight, and top with more berries or nut butter the next morning.
Traditional cultures have been consuming bone broth for thousands of years, and as well as being incredibly nutritious, it’s also great for gut health. Full of protein, collagen, and natural electrolytes, it has detoxifying benefits too.
If you’re looking to heal injuries more efficiently, to care for your skin, joints, hair and nails, or if you want to prevent osteoarthritis and protect your bone density, bone broth is the answer. When we consume real, whole foods, our bodies know exactly what to do with the vitamins and nutrients, whilst consuming mostly processed foods often increases inflammation, high blood sugar, and malabsorption of vitamins and minerals. Whilst we might not eat nose-to-tail or consume organ meats much today, bone broth is one of the ways we can get back to eating whole, real, traditional and healing foods.
A note on health and animal welfare: I know consuming animal products can be controversial, however research shows that this is how humans have been eating since the dawn of time, and it’s a choice I’ve made personally. Everyone is empowered to make their own dietary choices, and if going totally animal-free suits you, that’s great. We buy an organic, biodynamic chicken every few weeks from a local farm. The meat lasts us a few days, and everything else is thrown into a big pot to make bone broth with (which will often last us a whole week). You can also freeze the broth to use later as a base for soups, stews and to add to stir fries. If possible, it’s always best to buy organic and local.
INGREDIENTS
– 1 very good quality chicken
– 1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, sliced
– 1/2 thumb-sized piece of fresh turmeric, sliced
– 1 chopped red onion
– 3 chopped cloves of garlic
– 1 tsp oregano
– 1 tsp salt
– 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
METHOD
– Add everything other than the salt and vinegar to a large pan, cover the chicken with water and boil / poach for roughly 1 hr or until cooked through.
– When cooked, take the meat off the bone and set aside to eat whenever you want
– Place everything left of the chicken back in the pan, add the salt, pepper and vinegar and a little more water
– Simmer for 4-5 hours
– Turn the heat off and strain into a container
– Store in the fridge and drink daily, or use as a base for soup, stews or stir fries
If it forms a jelly-like consistency on top, you know you’ve made a brilliant batch, but as long as you follow these steps you’ll get the benefits.
For yoga teachers, teachers-in-training, therapists and those who want to learn about the art of healing touch. This weekend workshop explores how hands-on yoga assists and adjustments can help yoga students deepen their practice, as well as creating a safe and empowering space to let go.
Learn how to make restorative yoga postures even more relaxing, Ayurvedic Yoga Massage techniques, and pressure points to take your clients’ experience to the next level. You’ll gain confidence in giving hands-on assists and guided relaxation sessions, as well as enhancing your knowledge of teaching and adjusting restorative yoga postures. This course is especially important for those who may have completed their teacher training online.
All course students receive playlists to use the power of sound for relaxation, guided meditations and visualisations, a yoga flow and restore sequence, and goodie bags to support your personal and professional development.
Pre-course work: Develop a practice of Abhyanga or ‘self massage’. Abhyanga involves using a specific oil depending upon your mind-body ‘type’ according to Ayurveda, and massaging the body in a slow and mindful way. Course students are asked to practice this at least three times per week before the course starts, as a way to build confidence in giving hands-on massage, to develop intuitive touch, and enhance their relationship and respect for their own body. Your mind-body type and the specific oil to use can be discussed upon booking.
Post-Course work: Design a yoga and relaxation session, outlining the postures, adjustments, props, sounds, massage techniques and any guided meditations you’d use. Describe why you chose each posture and technique, and what affect this would have on the mind and body of the person practicing. Present the course either in essay form (800-1000 words), with photos and accompanying notes, or a video and accompanying notes. To be completed within 1 month of the course date.
Topics covered:
Touch Therapy
Yoga Posture Hands-On Assists & Adjustments
Marma Points & Practice
Marma Meditation
Therapeutic Use of Essential oils in class
The Nervous System
Restorative Yoga Postures and assists
Savasana and Savasana adjustments
Deep Relaxation techniques: Guided meditation and pranayama
According to Ayurveda, Summer is a time when Pitta energy (the energy of heat, acidity, sharpness, and irritability) is at its peak, and so any issues relating to Pitta – think rashes, mouth ulcers, acidic digestion and migraines, are a little more likely to occur in those of us who are susceptible to them. If you drink lemon water in the morning, it’s a good idea to switch to lime during Summer, as lime is slightly more cooling than lemon. You’ll still get the benefits of boosting digestion, and a good dose of vitamin C and antioxidants, without the overly sharp nature of lemon.
In the heat of August, it’s good to have a couple of tonics on-hands to sip (or in this case, shot) so try this combination of cooling cucumber, lime, mint and coconut water as a morning wake-me-up or to help you cool-off midday. There will be a good amount of pulp left over from this recipe, which you can freeze in an ice-cube tray, and use as a base for smoothies or cocktails!
INGREDIENTS
(makes roughly 1/2 litre)
1/2 cucumber
1 whole lime + juice of 1 more lime
1 handful fresh mint
1 + 1/2 cups coconut water (add a little more if needed)
METHOD
Add all ingredients to a blender and whizz well
Pour through a sieve into a large bottle (I use a funnel too, which prevents it from spilling everywhere!)
Freeze the pulp to use in smoothies or cocktails
Store in the fridge, and shake well before decanting into shot glasses
Emma Newlyn Yoga 