We are always in training. Our muscles and blood cells are, in essence, in a training mode to have opportunity for better health. As athletes would train for events, so our cells have the capacity to train for better function. Red blood cells live approximately 120 days and white blood cells live only 13 to 20 days. Since all of your blood is constantly being recreated, it is never too late to create health. There is an inherit mechanism called apoptosis that allows for dysfunctional cells or aged cells to be eliminated. It is a form of self-destruction that improves the quality of our lives. There is one theory that even suggests that cancer can result when the apoptosis mechanism goes awry.

Knowing that cells in our blood stream can live up to four months and knowing that we are what we eat (or absorb) gives us a better understanding of food and its impact on our quality of life. Seasonal cooking has many implications as we examine this phenomenon. Autumn cooking prepares the body for the “workout” that lies ahead on those cold winter months. Autumn is a time that we can start heating our bodies up so to speak. Remember that what you eat today affects you 120 days from now.

Autumn creates a shift in eating from salads, light-tossed vegetables, long grain rice and noodle salads to baked breads, baked casseroles, stews and hearty bean soups. Switching from steaming to baking and cutting vegetables bigger so it will take longer to cook are examples of great ways to transition. Regulating your “internal temperature” determines how you weather the external elements. Whether you are shifting from hot to cold or cold to hot, the transitional periods of autumn and spring create optimal opportunity to accomplish this shift.
Pungent is the taste that should dominate our cooking in the fall. Foods such as ginger, onions, cauliflower, scallions, medium grain rice, white beans, turnips and rutabagas are wonderful foods to help with this transition. The organs that are affected most in the autumn are lungs and large intestines. These organs are the most active and require nourishing during this period.

There are many aspects to creating a healthy body. Besides exercising, drinking plenty of water and eating alkaline, seasonal cooking ranks high. Developing knowledge on transitional cooking helps one to understand the importance of balance and its role in creating health. Autumn presents a wonderful time to begin this transition. My teacher would often say “don’t believe me, try it for yourself.” He couldn’t be more right.

Michelle Samples – Nicolosi owns The Rejuvination Center in Knox•ville. She may be contacted at
(865) 806-0356. Email your
questions, concerns or topics of interest to: msamples@usit.net.

Baked Vegetables
› 3 medium size sweet potatoes
› 1 rutabaga
› 2 turnips
› 1 delicata squash (optional)
› 8 cloves of garlic
› 1 onion
› 2 beets, red or yellow
› 1 tsp oregano
› 4 Tbsp olive oil
Cut delicata squash in half and remove seeds. Slice in 1-inch thick•ness. Cut sweet potatoes in half and slice in inch slices. Remove skins from garlic and leave whole. Cut onion, rutabaga, turnips and beets into 2-inch chunks. Place in baking dish with oregano and olive oil. Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for 15 min more.
Cauliflower Soup
› 4 cups cauliflower
› • cup sliced onion
› 2 cloves garlic
› 1 cup water
› 6 cups almond milk
› • cup chopped scallions
› 1 cup corn kernels
› 1 tsp sea salt or 1 Tbsp sweet miso
Cut cauliflower into 2-inch chunks. Add cauliflower, onion, garlic and wa•ter into pot and cover. Boil for 30 min. Let cool. Blend together with 6 cups almond milk. Place back into pot and add corn. Simmer 5 min. Add sea salt or miso. Serve warm with scallions.
Lima Bean Stew served
with cornbread
› 1 cup lima beans
› 4 cups water
› 1 clove garlic
› 1 cup cubed celery root
› 2 turnips, sliced
› • cup sliced burdock
› 1 cup sliced onion
› 1 tsp toasted sesame seed oil
› • cup parsley
› 1 tsp sea salt or to taste
Wash lima beans and then cover with water. Soak 6 hours or overnight. Dis•card soaking water. Place beans and garlic in pot with water. Cover and boil for 1 hour. Add celery root, burdock, turnips and onion. Cover and simmer for 20 min. Add sesame seed oil and sea salt. Simmer uncovered for 5 min. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve over cornbread.
Corn Bread
› 2 cups corn meal
› • cup gluten free baking mix
› 3 Tbsp safflower oil
› 2 Tbsp rice syrup
› • tsp sea salt
› 2 Tbsp frozen corn kernels
› 1• cup water (adjust to desired
consistency)
› Extra oil to line baking dish
Mix together. Oil baking dish and bake at 350 for 35 to 40 min depending on size of dish. For thicker cornbread, bake longer.