by Karen Stokes, RN

Pumpkins are everywhere and the familiar colored corn can be seen decorating many home and businesses. It’s great fun to embellish our dwellings and workplaces for the season of autumn. It helps us to get in the spirit of things to see colorful things of fall. It’s fun to make whimsical art from pumpkins, carving scary faces into their flesh. This member of the squash family is a powerhouse of vitamins and good nutrition. Its history of cultivation goes back to 7,000 B.C. in Central America. Now pumpkins are popular worldwide and have become synonymous with autumn festivals. This vegetable can be made into lovely soups and luscious breads, cakes, cookies and muffins.

Other members of the squash family are also in season now. Eat lots of these brightly colored vegetables. Enjoy it baked, boiled, steamed and pureed into soup with a little veggie stock and a dash of nutmeg. Simple, healthful and delicious! Orange colored vegetables like pumpkin and winter squash are loaded with beta-carotene and other important vitamins.

Generally speaking, foods that are in season are what we should be eating. Eat the locally grown produce whenever possible. It has better nutrient content and flavor than goods that have been shipped for miles and miles. Local is greener too. Reduced shipping means less carbon fuel used. Many farmers’ markets are still offering local apples, pumpkins, squash and beets. Check your local grocer as well. Many carry the local fruit and veggies. The foods of autumn are as healthful as they are colorful and tasty.

Remember what they say about an apple a day? Apples contain healthful fiber and there is research to support the idea that eating apples can prevent colon cancer. The fiber in this crunchy fruit can also help to lower cholesterol. Apples have vitamin C and anti-oxidants that prevent the breakdown of our bodies’ DNA structure. Eat only organic apples free of pesticides and other toxic chemicals of possible. If you can only get conventional apples, be sure to scrub all of the bad stuff off of them prior to cooking or eating. Take a fresh crisp local apple to work or school as a healthful snack alternative to junk food.

I remember going apple picking as a youngster and eating a belly full. Pies, crisps, cakes and simple applesauce are mouth-watering additions to the autumn meal. What is it about Mom’s apple pie that makes us feel so good? Is it the mouth-watering scent of the cinnamon and clove is it the tangy taste of fresh baked apple? I think it’s a fabulous combination. Fresh organic cider is a wonderful naturally sweet beverage to replace soda. I add some sparkling water to my cider to create a refreshing fizzy drink. In pagan religions, the apple is sacred to the goddess. I have wonderful memories of autumn when my children were young. We would go apple picking and take them home to make wonderful treats. I would cut the fresh apples horizontal slices to reveal the five-pointed star inside. Magic! The girls would gobble up this enchanted food while we made our Halloween plans.

After the fall leaf cleanup, the gardens are put to rest for the winter ahead. This is the time to harvest most of our medicinal roots. Roots like ginseng, Echinacea and marshmallow are ready for harvest. I am going to dig up some elecampane root this fall to dry and store for use all winter long. Elecampane (Inula helenium) can be huge and invasive, but very effective medicine comes from this plant, a native of central Asia. The tea, made of one teaspoon of dried root per one cup of water, is helpful for coughs and other lung complaints. It is popular as a remedy for bronchitis and asthma. Elecampane is also powerful anti-bacterial and anti-fungus plant. It is very useful during the cough and cold season. The tea is also used as a medicinal wash for skin afflictions of all kinds. Elecampane was known as scabwort in the early days because of this ability to heal the skin. This tall plant with a feathery bright yellow flower has naturalized in Michigan. It can be found along roadsides as well as in medicinal gardens. After digging up the root, I wash it and then cut it into very thin slices. These slices are chopped for laid out for drying. Once dried, the cut root is stored in glass jars, ready for use as a tea.

Take in all things autumn while you can. A walk in the woods will offer you the colors of autumn. Observe the brilliant shades of yellow, orange and red. These are the colors of autumn. In terms of color therapy, yellow is energizing. It gives us a feeling of self-esteem and inner power. Orange is freeing to the emotions. It gives us a sense of vitality and a sense of renewed energy. Red promotes grounding and feeling of self-awareness. It’s warming and stimulating, while it recharges your power of creativity.

The odors of autumn are quite distinct. There is a slightly sweet scent of decaying leaves and vegetation in the air. The smell of the earth has taken over the scent of flowers. It reminds us of the cycle of decay, rebirth, growth and death. Indoors, the aroma of cinnamon and clove from the mulled cider simmering on the stove brings a feeling of comfort and contentment. There is so much to appreciate during the fall. Take in the splendor and feel the joy.

Karen Stokes, RN Herbalist is a member of the American Botanical Council and the Michigan Holistic Nurses Association. She can be reached at (248) 515-9863 or karen.stokes@yahoo.com.