Ojas building and packed with proteins and carbohydrates, Almond & fig milk rejuvenates patients with debility.

Autumn is a season of deficiency and change, provoking higher stress levels. As leaves fall, nourishing and seasonal foods like pumpkin and nutmeg and nervines to soothe the nervous system help us weather the change. Cooked pumpkins are soft and comforting. Both sedatives, pumpkin and nutmeg together reduce stress. Wearing oneself ragged in October's social calendar could result in compromised immunity for flu season come November. Alternatively, focusing attention inward frees up energy to help the body prepare for winter. According to Ayurveda, keeping the nervous system stable through fall is our number one tool for maintaining strong immunity and staying healthy.

In fall when the temperature starts to drop, the body scrambles to protect itself from heat loss. Nourishing foods seem all the more enticing while helping refortify deficient tissue, thicken the skin, and insulate from the cold. Pumpkins, ghee, almonds and sugar all build ojas in time for the coming winter. Ojas is Ayurveda's word for a nourishment.

In addition to nourishing tissue, pumpkin chai is also a rasayana (meaning tonic). Pumpkins are orange because of beta-carotene, a precursor to Vitamin A. Beta-carotene, also in carrots, gives pumpkin an orange color and encourages healing through rejuvenation and regeneration of tissue. Orange foods with beta-carotene are generally liver tonics that clear any residue of high pitta from the summer. They also purify the blood and soothe the eyes. The cooling demulcent and laxative properties of pumpkin soothe the GI tract.

Spices make these heavy ingredients lighter for digestion, and pumpkins a bit less gassy. While all spices stimulate circulation, cloves specifically move heat to the surface of the body, warming up cold extremities.

Miso Tahini Soup is a satisfying soup for autumn season. It helps warm a cold digestion and keep dry membranes hydrated. Miso is fermented soy bean. Fermented foods are sour and easy to digest. Tahini adds heartiness. Garlic adds a sleepy (see tamasic) quality, perfect for a cozy winter evening before the fireplace. Greens help with digestion and supply bitter and astringent taste.

Take before bedtime to induce sleep. Garlic is heavy and tamasic. Generally, Ayurveda says not to eat or drink heave meals before bed. However, a small glass of milk is often helpful for vata and pitta constitutions. Kapha beware!