9 Healthy Fall Foods to Pack Into Your Diet Between Now and Thanksgiving

glamour.com:

make up much of the Western diet, and we know they’re not good for us. Studies show that the higher our consumption of junk, the greater our risk of developing mental health and as well as deadly diseases.

When we eat seasonally, we’re helping to look after our bodies and minds—and the planet too.“As lucky as we are to have access to most foods from around the world whenever we want them, it’s a whole lot better for our health and hormones to eat seasonally—and even better, locally—grown produce,” explains , a registered naturopathic nutritionist and the author of the forthcoming . “Seasonal produce doesn’t have to travel far to get to our plates, meaning it’s fresh and hasn’t been sprayed with as many chemicals to keep it fresh.”From a nutritional perspective, eating seasonally means you tend to enjoy fruit and vegetables that are full of nutrients and flavor because they’re picked at their peak and enjoyed close to the source, rather than being transported around the world. “Eating seasonally also means you naturally switch up the varieties of fruit and vegetables you eat, and the more diversity we can feed our gut microbiome, the more health-enhancing phytochemicals that our body receives.”One of Shand’s favorites at the moment? “Squash, which is in abundance right now,” she says. “I’ve been picking them and using them in warming and delicious , like my squash and butterbean curry.” High in fiber and carbohydrates, squash is brilliant for keeping us satiated, while its magnesium content contributes to good heart health.