Your fall cravings might be hormone wisdom in disguise

Ever noticed your cravings shift in the fall… like you'd murder someone for roasted sweet potatoes and cinnamon on squash?

That's not a random preference. It's physiology.

You're not just "in the mood" for root vegetables and warm spices.
Your hormones are asking for support.

But here's what nobody tells you…
Hormonal shifts in perimenopause change how your brain responds to blood sugar, inflammation, and micronutrients.

And fall is the perfect time to support that shift but most women are told to "watch carbs" or "eat more salads" right when their bodies are screaming for grounding foods.

Let me introduce you to one of my patients I worked with last year, Jessica.

She's 48, a VP at a tech company, juggling a demanding job, three teen daughters (yikes!), and a golden retriever who insists on 5:45 a.m. walks rain or shine.

Last November, she contacted me bone-tired and on edge.

She told me she'd burst into tears in the kitchen after burning a tray of butternut squash
Because she dot distracted and it was the only thing she'd been looking forward to all day as her one indulgence. 

She'd already skipped lunch and had been following a low-carb plan because a podcast said it would "fix her hormones."

Instead?

She was skipping meals, wired at night, bloated after eating, and so emotionally wrung out that she didn't recognize herself in the mirror.

So we did something considered radical in social media diet culture but foundational in naturopathic medicine:
We brought back warm, grounding foods.
Root vegetables. Pumpkin. Cinnamon and turmeric in her morning oats.

Within two to three weeks:

✅ Her 3pm headaches vanished
✅ She was sleeping deeper
✅ And for the first time in months, she said she didn't feel like "snapping at everyone for leaving crumbs on the counter"

Here's the truth I want you to hear:
Your body is not confused, it's trying to protect you.
And sometimes, that protection looks like a craving for grounding, warm, starchy food.

The fiber and slow carbs in root vegetables stabilize your blood sugar (which helps your cortisol lower, which helps your sleep quality and reduces morning puffiness).

The zinc and magnesium in pumpkin seeds support your luteal phase and lower PMS intensity.
And turmeric and cinnamon? Both reduce inflammation and have clinical relevance for heavy bleeding and hormone regulation.

✨ Little changes like this can shift your whole month.

Let me know if you try this and how you feel this upcoming holiday season.

Talk soon,
Dr. Tracy

If you no longer wish to receive these emails you may unsubscribe