As the long days of hot suns and outward activity come to a close, many of us find ourselves reflecting the season by slowing down and looking within. Getting back to your roots can mean many things this time of year, including eating your roots.

As a gardener, I find it so exciting to pull up a fall harvest root and see how the shape and colour developed over the season. Roots, such as beet, onion, turnip, potato and carrot, provide much grounding and nourishment as we transition from summer to autumn.

Grounding roots
Root vegetables are seasonal gifts that directly link us to the soil-a source of life. Even  the smell of a fresh root vegetable connects us to the earthy feel and energy of the ground it came from.

From a holistic viewpoint, roots are anchoring, providing strength and stability to their plants, and can impart these same qualities in us when we eat them. Roots grow from their seed down-deeper into the darkness and quiet, as we instinctively do this time of year.

Root vegetables are also very powerful. Some can even crack the rocks that stand in the way of their growth. South American folk wisdom suggests that in addition to gaining power, eating root vegetables helps us to establish our identity. Perhaps this is why children love to eat raw carrots, aside from their wonderful orange colour and sweet taste, that is.

Nourishing roots
Warming and cozy, parsnips, turnips, potatoes and other popular root vegetables are substantial foods in terms of nutrition. Roots are high in fibre and in vitamins such as potassium and beta-carotene. They also gather the benefits of many minerals during their time in deep soil. As tasty as they are, roots are also low in both calories and fat.

You won't find a vegetable with more pro-vitamin A than Bugs Bunny's favourite veggie. Carrots are also an excellent source of vitamins K and C. Research shows that adding carrots to the diet may benefit heart health, colon health, lungs, vision and blood sugar balance.

Beets are a good source of folate, manganese, potassium and iron, and have long been prized for their beneficial effect on the blood and liver. More recent research shows they may also be helpful in the case of heart disease and inflammation.

While it may or may not ward off vampires, garlic will help you out in many other ways. It is a good source of vitamins, especially B6 and C, and garlic's sulfur-containing compounds are responsible for its amazing reputation as an effective remedy for both preventing and healing disease. Garlic is not only a proven friend to the cardiovascular system, but is also a potent anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial and antioxidant.

Onions, which offer high amounts of the mineral chromium, also have healing sulfur-containing compounds as well as beneficial effects on blood sugar levels, the cardiovascular system and for gastrointestinal health.

The high amount of vitamin B6 in potatoes is beneficial for the nervous system, which may explain why it's thought of as such a comfort food. Potatoes are also chock full of vitamin C to prepare our immune systems for the winter ahead. Eat them with the skins to benefit from the 60 different types of phytonutrients and vitamins contained there.

If you're not growing your own, be sure to purchase organic root vegetables. Since roots grow in the ground, pesticide use will strongly affect their quality and safety.

Storing your roots
Enjoy root vegetables while they're in season, but also take advantage of the fact that they are hardy and store well. Most of us don't have a root cellar these days, which was traditionally used to store root veggies. Instead, try to find a place as close as possible  to the conditions of a root cellar-dry, dark, cool and safe from critters. A corner of the basement, garage or back porch may work.

Carrots can be stored in the refrigerator. Store them unwashed in the coolest part of the refrigerator in a perforated plastic bag, or wrap them in a paper towel to decrease the amount of condensation that forms.

Before storing roots, cut all but the last 5 cm (2 in) of green and stem so that they won't steal moisture from the root. Don't compost the beet greens, steam and eat them for a good dose of vitamins A and C, plus minerals calcium and iron.

Check onions and potatoes once in a while and remove any that have sprouted or shriveled. Garlic and onions are best stored loose in paper bags away from light and heat as well.

As you feel intuitively drawn inward and pulled back to your roots, be sure to take advantage of the many root vegetables available to us this time of year. They will add nutrition, colour, strength, comfort and grounding to your body and your season.

Roasted Roots Recipe
2 lbs (900 g) potatoes (cut large potatoes in half)
1/2 lb (225 g) carrots, halved
2 onions, quartered
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 Tbsp (15 mL) + 1 tsp (5 mL) coconut oil
3 Tbsp (45 mL) olive oil
1 Tbsp (15 mL) each thyme, rosemary and parsley
3 medium beets, cut into one-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Gently wash and prepare the vegetables. Rub 1 Tbsp (15 mL) coconut oil onto the bottom of a glass baking dish or small roasting pan.

Place all vegetables, except beets, into the dish. Mix the olive oil and herbs in a small bowl, then drizzle over the vegetables in the dish.

Rub the remaining coconut oil onto the bottom of a small baking dish, such as a loaf pan. Add the beets. (Baking the beets in a separate dish will prevent the other vegetables from turning pink.) Put both baking dishes in the oven to roast for 45 minutes.

Once roasted, mix the beets with the other vegetables and season with sea salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Sandra Tonn is a natural health journalist and registered holistic nutritionist who lives in Powell River, BC. sandra_tonn@telus.net

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