October - Believing for 120 years- Genesis 6:3b, “Their Days will be a Hundred & Twenty Years.”

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October - Looking Within

October needs little introduction, especially for those of us in the DMV. Fall announces itself in so many beautiful ways. The mornings and evenings become a little crisper, seasonal pumpkin spices return to our local favorite eateries, and the landscape transforms into a breathtaking display of reds, oranges, yellows, and golds colors. Although on the surface, it is evident of what is going on the outside, Fall is actually the manifestation of what is happening within.

Proverbs 17:22 (AMP) reminds us, “A happy heart is good medicine and a joyful mind causes healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.”

As we admire the beauty of Fall, we can also pause and ask ourselves: What is happening within me? The trees indeed do put on a splendid show of color, but it’s at a cost. Before they put on their spectacular display of color, they begin preparing for the season ahead. They conserve energy, recover valuable nutrients, and create a natural process for releasing what they can no longer carry. There is wisdom in that process for all of us.

Three lessons from Trees:

1.      Energy conservation – Maintaining leaves throughout the winter would require more energy than many trees can afford to spend. Instead, trees make an intentional sacrifice: they release their leaves so they can conserve resources and protect what matters most…..their roots and overall survival.

2.      Nutrient Recovery - Before the leaves fall, trees take the time to reabsorb valuable nutrients, recovering what will be useful in the next season. Proving timing is everything.

3.      Abscission Phase - This is a preparatory phase, which prepares the trees to let go. It’s a natural separation that trees are graced to do. The trees understand the mission and prepare for the fall. So, that they are not left deficient during the transition.

So how can we Fall in line this month with health and nutrition? What if we approached our health the same way as the trees?

1.     Energy Conservation - Health and Nutrition Habits - From a nutrition perspective, October is a wonderful time to enjoy seasonal foods, such as apples and pumpkin seeds. Apples provide fiber and a variety of plant compounds, including quercetin. While pumpkin seeds provide nutrients, such as magnesium and zinc. All these nutrients support immunity and recovery of the body.

But energy conservation isn't only about what we eat. Its habits we create as we prepare for the changing season. Try incorporating 3–5 minutes of intentional breathing into your day. Pause. Close your eyes. Take several slow, deep breaths. Notice where you are holding tension and give yourself permission to release some of it. Sometimes conserving energy simply means learning when to pause. It gives you a chance to find gratitude, which makes room for happiness and joy.

2.     Nutrient Recovery with Health and Nutrition Habits - Fall provides plenty of opportunities to enjoy warm, nutrient-dense foods and beverages. Bone broth can be incorporated into a balanced diet as a source of nutrients because it supports recovery, when coughs and colds are common. Other options, such as golden milk lattes, which are made with turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, and your choice of plant-based milk can be a comforting flavorful alternative to a traditional coffee beverage. Since, they also provide a host of anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally, nutrient recovery isn't always about adding another food or supplement. It is about changing how we eat. Try eating without distractions when possible. Put the phone down. Turn off the television. Slow down. Notice the colors, textures, aromas, and flavors of your food. Mindful eating plays an important role in how we prepare our body for the nutrients. Awareness promotes better absorbing and hence better nutrient recovery.

3.     The Abscission Phase - Health and Nutrition Habits - The tree knows something important: What sustained me in one season may not be what sustains me in the next. That is a powerful lesson for us. October can be a wonderful time to begin preparing for the holidays and the new year, not by rushing ahead, but by looking within. Letting go doesn't always mean giving something up forever. Sometimes it means recognizing that something has served its purpose for this season. This can be diet, habits or relationships.

Either way Fall, is approaching with the visual reminder that you cannot always do what you have always done, if you plan to survive for the next season. So, as you walk, or drive by the trees this month, take note on how they are preparing for the next season. Also, how they are doing it with beauty and grace and that so can you!

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Blog written under Mommy Docs, LLC:

Dr. Tiffany S. Maxwell is the Founder and CEO of Mommy Docs, LLC, an organization dedicated to promoting revelation, restoration, and healing for women worldwide. Mommy Docs centers women in leadership, particularly those pursuing or holding medical or doctoral-level roles who are navigating the journey of reclaiming their identity. The organization serves as a bridge and pathway to wholeness and healing for women seeking personal, professional, and spiritual growth. Dr. Maxwell is an Associate Professor with more than ten years of experience in medical education and over twenty years of clinical practice as a board-certified physician associate. She is a devoted Christian, wife, and mother, and a committed ally and advocate for women of faith.