Alexandra Marie MSc | Berkshire and Worldwide Personalised Nutrition & Functional Medicine

October is here. Leaves are beginning to fall, pumpkins are popping up in the shops, and we are inching closer to the chilly embrace of winter. Understanding how to nourish our bodies is crucial. Especially for those in the sacred stages of fertility, pregnancy, and motherhood. If you have littles in the house, focusing on supporting the immune systems of the whole family now can help to keep those winter bugs at bay. Let's dive into some immunity-boosting tips to nurture you and your family through Autumn.

The Beauty of Seasonal Eating

Mother Nature has a way of providing exactly what we need, when we need it. Embrace seasonal foods for their nutrient-packed punch. You might have noticed that elderberries are currently in season popping up on your walks, just in time to support our immune system given they are packed with antioxidants and vitamins - no coincidence with their timing there. They aren’t grown commercially, so you’ll have to be prepared to forage to reap the benefits. They also need to be cooked, made into a Elderberry syrup is great to keep throughout the A/W season.

However, if you’re not up for that adventure, then just look for the seasonal veg on your weekly shop. Autumn is a serious abundance of variety. Just some of the current seasonal picks are:

apples
beetroot
broccoli
cabbages
Jerusalem artichokes
kale
carrots
chard
quince
Brussels Sprouts
Butternut squash

I love this guide to seasonal foods across the year. If you’re looking for inspiration, the cookbook Everyday & Sunday from Riverford Farm is one of my favourites. Month by month it describes the veg that are in season and how best to use them.

Tip: Roast a tray filled with autumnal veggies like butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, and beetroot. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with rosemary and sea salt. Enjoy a warm seasonal salad, or add to curries and stews across the week. Remember to enjoy the abundance available this season, as variety is the diet is key to supporting gut health (point 5).

2. The power of bone broth

Revered in traditional diets, bone broth brims with minerals and amino acids vital for gut health, which plays a pivotal role in immunity. Think of bone broth as nature’s multi-mineral. As the weather becomes colder, it’s perfect to make a batch every week to have on hand for soups, hot pots, curries, and stews. Or to enjoy a hot savoury mug to warm up after Autumn walks.

Tip: To make a basic bone broth, simmer organic chicken or beef bones with onions, carrots, celery, any veg cut-offs you can keep across the week and herbs in filtered water for 12-24 hours. Adding a dash of apple cider vinegar before cooking can also help draw the minerals out of the bones. Strain and store in the fridge or freeze.

3. Essential fats, for pregnancy and beyond

The significance of Omega-3 fatty acids, especially in fatty oily fish like salmon, can't be stressed enough. You may have heard of ‘DHA’ being vital for baby’s brain development, but they are hugely important outside of pregnancy too. They possess anti-inflammatory properties. Keeping inflammation in-check is key to a balanced, healthy immune system.

Tip: remember ‘SMASH’ to help you recall the omega-3 rich fish. Salmon, Mackerel, Anchovies, Sardines, and Herring. Tinned sardines in olive oil are a great cupboard staple for Autumn lunch ideas, or try making a mackerel pate with crème fraîche, lemon juice and zest.

4. vitamin d: the sunshine vitamin

Do you know your vitamin D levels? If not, know is a great time to get them checked. It is a simple finger-prick test at home and is around £30. It’s so crucial to know levels to have a targeted supplement plan. Often ‘normal’ levels aren’t actually enough, and I look to target ‘optimal’ levels. Vitamin D is crucial for immunity (along with many other functions) and even if the sun is out at this time of year, it’s position in the sky means we don’t have enough UV exposure to make sufficient vitamin D. Therefore, everyone in the UK is advised to supplement from October to April.

Tip: get those levels checked and supplement through Autumn and Winter. Did you know if you’re out in the sun and your shadow is shorter than you, you’re likely able to produce vitamin D (with the right skin exposure), but if it is longer than you, you’re not.

5. gut health

Gut health is integral for immunity. A healthy gut microbiome can provide essential health benefits to it’s “host” i.e. you, including regulation of immune homeostasis (fancy word for balance). However, if you have imbalances in your gut microbiome, digestive issues, or poor gut health this can be detrimental to your immune system. Nurture your gut throughout Autumn and Winter. The bone broth can be a great start, try to include a variety of colour and plants in the diet, and include natural pre and probiotics.

Tip: aim for at least 30 different plant foods a week and eat a rainbow of colour. Ask me for our tracker to see how you are doing and set yourself the challenge to meet these across Autumn and beyond.