I've always loved this time of year - the leaves are starting to turn golden, the air is fresh, and pumpkin flavors are popping up all over the place. Fall is a beautiful transitional season, from hot, sticky summer to cold, dark winter.

During transitions like these, it's helpful to create a new routine to help us adapt. To keep our bodies and minds in tune with the environment, we need to create a new seasonal practice that helps us maintain a sense of balance.

Ayurveda, an ancient holistic science of health, focuses on creating a uniform balance between the emotional and physical bodies. Within Ayurveda there are three doshas.

Doshas are unique energies which are the forces behind our bodily functions. We all have a little bit of each dosha within us, but usually each individual has one dominant dosha, supported by the other two.

The three doshas are Vata, Pitta and Kapha, each one has its own makeup and are connected to different seasons. Ayurveda divides the year into three seasons, according to which the dosha is most prevalent in each season.

The Kapha season runs from late winter to spring, Pitta rules the summer months, and Vata is strongest in the fall through early winter.

If you want to know more about the doshas, ​​you can read more about them here.

During the Vata season, it is important to slow down. Allow yourself to rest more often and be kind to yourself. We are just coming out of the hot summer months, which tend to be full of movement and high energy.

This is the time to start unwinding and preparing for the darkest winter months. To help you, we've created a list of nine foods for a loving and nutritious transition this fall.

Fruit: baked apples
You know the saying: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." This old adage takes a new twist in Ayurveda. Cold raw apples can be difficult to digest, so opt for cooked apples.

Stewed apples, especially if you eat breakfast for the first time in the morning, are great for our liver. They help create healthy Ojas (OH-Gc). Ojas, a Sanskrit term for vigor, is a byproduct of a strong digestive system.

Our brain and gut are related to each other. Ojas is the energy that creates vitality, clarity and immunity in all of our bodies when our food is digested properly.

Apples and other sweet fruits help cleanse and eliminate impurities from the body. For a delicious stewed apple recipe to start the day, click

Ingredients:
1 organic apple (whatever variety you like)
1 Tbsp organic raisins
Pinch of clove
Pinch of nutmeg
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp cardamom
water to just cover the apples in a small saucepan

Directions:
Peel the apple or pear and chop it into small pieces.
Place the fruit is a small saucepan and add the water.
Add the raisins and spices.
Bring it to a boil and then simmer it on low.
Cook it for about 20 minutes until the fruit is very tender.
Remove the apples and place them on a serving dish.
Use the remaining liquid as a tea.