September’s Theme: The Art Of Preservation
We have officially reached the end of the wettest summer on record, at least for those of us on the West Coast of Scotland, so any remaining sunny days are now autumnal.
I do love all the seasons, there is something to love about- all of them, and although summer hasn’t delivered, autumn with its darker nights, dark luscious berries, cosy jumpers, candles, and the winding down and getting prepared for the darker months ahead is something I look forward to.
Our theme this month is apt for the season- we’ll be focusing on The Art of Preservation. Traditionally, Autumn is a celebration of the hard work over the summer months; it’s the time of year when the last harvests are gathered, and prepared for storage over the winter months. While we don’t all have farms and bounties to pick and preserve, we can still honour this time of year. Fermenting, pickling, dehydrating and freezing are all great ways to preserve foods for the winter. Preserving seasonal food is a wonderful way to connect with the earth and the shifting seasons,
Another angle of preservation is to see ourselves and our bodies as the precious harvest, learning how best to preserve our health and lay strong foundations for later stages of life. Aging well largely comes down to choices we make throughout the seasons of our lives; are we getting ample rest, drinking enough water and providing our body with the right nutrients? Just like crops, we also need regular care and attention, first to grow, then to preserve all the good work we put in.
We can age well or badly, it's up to us and I, for one, have no intention of succumbing to any of the diseases associated with advancing years. I feel better the older I get and that’s down to the knowledge I’ve gained and the fact that I mindfully implement it in my daily life. We just have to look at The Blue Zones, the countries with a high proportion of centenarians, all living well, with their faculties intact, and still fully active in their communities. There are similarities among these distinctly different countries:
they all eat real food
they are all active
they all have a reason for living and
they are all still valued members of their communities, respected and revered for their wisdom.
What can we learn from these people and how can we apply it to our lives? We will be looking more closely at The Blue Zones this month, and exploring the most up to date research on ageing.
Events coming up this month are an Autumn Equinox, day of balance on September 22nd at The Alona Hotel at M& D’s Theme Park, with Dr David Hamilton, June Moore and Stephen Elliot. I’ll be chatting about gut health and the importance of colour in our diet. It would be lovely to see some Wellness Hubbers there, here is the link to the event.
Here’s hoping we may just have an Indian Summer this September, we can live in hope!
In good health,
Janice x
