Autumn: A Time to Honor the Harvest
September 30, 2026
I walked through my friends large fruit and vegetable garden the other day and realized that in just a few weeks, so much had changed. A sign of the subtle shift from summer to autumn here in the gateway to the Central Coast of California.
Where once the passion fruit, fig and stone fruit trees were full, now pomegranates and apples have filled in while the other bearers have gone dormant. The soft juicy flesh of summer bears way to the firmer hardier offerings of autumn.
How has the focus and fruits of your health shape shifted in your own personal "garden"? Do you find that you are gravitating more towards quality time with friends and family versus the fast active pace of summer?
Nourishing Yourself
Taking time to prioritize more practices that nurture and replenish your body's stores before winter is important. With cold and flu season on the horizon, the best prevention you can do is tending to what you eat, allowing for good quality sleep, being mindful of the food and beverages you imbibe in this season and continuing to move, even if it is not as structured as it normally is.
This is a season to practice not only giving thanks to the bounties of the world that fill your belly and fuel your efforts but a reminder to practice kindness by loving on yourself and the wonderful people around you!
Setting Effective Goals
If you have your eyes set on a big goal, sometimes all you can see is where you want to go and it can make that goal feel mysterious and daunting. If you were to hike or even drive around at night, all you can see is what is right in front of you. To get to where you want to go, you'll want a map to guide you. Without a clear understanding of where you're going and markers to look for along the way, it is easy to take a wrong turn or step off the path, leaving you in the dark.
Take a moment this season to slow down and plan out your route allowing you to achieve your goals with ease, one confident step at a time! If you need support understanding how to better see the grander picture of achieving your health, wellness and fitness goals, book a complimentary discovery call with Holistic Sports Dietitian Eleanor Baker. In this call we can start to assess your timeline to achievement, key aspects of your nutrition, recovery, lifestyle and fitness you need to focus on and start building the groundwork for shifting your personal rituals to support these changes!
Eleanor Baker MS, RD, CSSD
Hello! My name is Eleanor and I am a Registered Dietitian (RD) and Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD), founder of Elevated Nutrition and Wellness and the Sports Nutrition Consultant for UC Santa Barbara Athletics. Since 2016, I have helped athletes and active individuals fuel smarter, recover faster, and heal through simple and sustainable nutrition and lifestyle interventions. I combine my clinical expertise with a personalized, high-performance approach to help clients achieve lasting results so they can live happier and healthier lifestyles.