Welcome to Our 59th E-Journal!

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As autumn gives way to winter, temperatures drop, daylight grows shorter, and in many parts of the country the first snowflakes begin to fall. Just as nature changes with the seasons, our bodies must continually adapt to changes in light, temperature, activity, food availability, and our surrounding environment. 

Some of us are fortunate enough to live in warmer climates, but for many, the colder months can keep us indoors, restrict movement and social activity, and even influence our mood. Rather than simply enduring this time of year, however, we can work with the season and support the body's natural capacity for regulation, adaptation, and renewal. 

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Embracing the Rhythm of the Season 

Changing our mindset can change our experience of winter. Instead of viewing the darker months as something to get through, consider them a natural invitation to slow down. 

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Winter can become a season for guilt-free rest, reading, reflection, and rejuvenation rather than constant productivity. These next few months may be the perfect time to begin a new hobby, return to a creative pursuit, or finally dive into those books that have been waiting on your reading list. 

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Simple rituals can help us embrace the season rather than resist it. A warm salt bath, hot herbal tea, a candlelit dinner, or an evening spent reading by the fire can become restorative winter traditions. Even lighting a candle with the intention of welcoming and celebrating the darkness can transform our relationship with the shorter days. 

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Nature itself follows periods of expansion and contraction, activity and rest. Perhaps there is something we can learn from that rhythm.  

 

Keep Moving—and Keep Going Outside! 

Although winter naturally encourages us to slow down, our bodies still need movement. 

Maintain a regular exercise routine through home workouts, yoga, stretching, strength training, dancing, or other indoor activities when outdoor conditions are too harsh. And whenever possible, bundle up and get outside for a brisk walk. 

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In Norway, there is a popular saying: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.”

Time outdoors can be particularly important for children. Fresh air, physical activity, natural light, and outdoor play can support mood, sleep, appetite, and overall well-being. With appropriate clothing, children can often happily play outside even when it is cold, snowy, or rainy. 

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When everyone does need to stay indoors, try not to let screens become the default activity. Reading, make-believe games, drawing, painting, arts and crafts, music, and dancing all provide opportunities for creativity and movement. Dancing indoors means you’re getting exercise and having fun, which will help with physical and mental health – it’s hard to be unhappy when you’re dancing. 

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Seek the Light 

Waking up in darkness only to see the sun disappear again in the late afternoon can be challenging. During the darker months, make an intentional effort to seek natural daylight. 

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Whenever possible, spend some time outdoors during daylight hours, particularly earlier in the day. Even a short walk provides an opportunity for natural light exposure, movement, fresh air, and reconnection with nature. 

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Waking up in the dark, only to be shrouded in it again by 4pm is grim. You may also consider purchasing a 10,000-lux light therapy lamp and use it for 20 to 30 minutes daily in the morning may help combat the winter blues. 

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Our biology evolved in relationship with the daily cycles of light and darkness. Respecting those signals is one more way of helping the body stay synchronized with its environment. 

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Nourish and Protect Your Skin 

Cold outdoor air combined with dry indoor heating can be particularly hard on the skin—our largest organ and an important interface between the body and our environment. 

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Hydration should be a priority, meaning you should not only drink plenty of pure water for your body to function properly but also utilize moisturizing skincare products (like coconut oil, tallow, or medium chain triglycerides internally and externally) to protect and soothe your skin. 

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Winter can also be a wonderful time to incorporate massage into your self-care routine. Whether used to relieve muscular tension, encourage relaxation, or simply create a sense of warmth and comfort, massage can be a restorative seasonal ritual. 

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Eat With the Season 

Autumn offers one of the richest opportunities of the year to reconnect our diets with the natural growing cycle.

As temperatures cool, our meals often naturally shift away from the lighter foods of summer toward warmer, cooked, grounding foods. Soups, stews, roasted vegetables, porridges, and slow-cooked meals can provide both nourishment and comfort while incorporating an extraordinary variety of whole foods. 

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Look to the colors of fall for inspiration: pumpkins and winter squash; carrots and sweet potatoes; beets; dark leafy greens; cabbage and Brussels sprouts; apples and pears; cranberries and pomegranates; mushrooms; onions and garlic; and herbs such as rosemary, sage, and thyme. 

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Rather than eating the same foods throughout the year, consider allowing the seasons to bring natural variety into your diet. 

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A few simple ways to eat more seasonally this fall: 

● Visit a local farm stand or farmers' market and choose several foods currently being harvested in your region. 

● Build meals around root vegetables, winter squash, mushrooms, cruciferous vegetables, and dark leafy greens. 

● Replace some cold meals with warm soups, stews, roasted vegetables, and slow-cooked dishes as temperatures fall. 

● Incorporate naturally fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, or traditionally fermented vegetables as tolerated. 

● Cook with warming herbs and spices such as ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, rosemary, thyme, and sage. 

● Include adequate high-quality protein and healthy fats alongside an abundance of colorful plant foods. 

● Preserve some of autumn's abundance through freezing, fermenting, dehydrating, or canning, connecting today's harvest with the winter months ahead. 

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Seasonal eating does not need to become another set of dietary rules. Rather, it is an invitation to notice what nature is providing and allow more locally and seasonally available foods onto our plates. 

From a bioregulatory perspective, this variety may be particularly valuable. Food provides far more than calories. It delivers fiber, minerals, vitamins, polyphenols, phytonutrients, fats, amino acids, and countless compounds that interact with our microbiome, metabolism, immune system, and cellular signaling. 

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Support Your Inner Terrain 

The gastrointestinal tract and its resident microorganisms interact extensively with the immune system, making gut health an important part of overall health throughout the year.

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Fiber-rich plant foods, prebiotic foods, and traditionally fermented foods can help support a diverse microbial ecosystem. Depending upon individual needs, some people may also benefit from probiotic supplementation as seventy percent of the immune system is within the intestinal microbiome. 

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Winter is also a time when many people pay greater attention to nutrients such as vitamins C and D. Vitamin C plays a critical part in collagen production, making it a dual-benefit nutrient for immune and skin health. 

Rather than focusing on any single vitamin, however, consider the larger picture: nutrient-dense food, adequate protein, healthy fats, hydration, restorative sleep, movement, daylight exposure, stress regulation, social connection, and a healthy microbiome all contribute to the terrain in which health or dysfunction develops. 

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From a bioregulatory perspective, the goal is not simply to “boost” the immune system. A healthy immune response must be able to activate appropriately, regulate itself, and return toward balance when a threat has passed. 

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Remember the Basics 

Seasonal wellness does not have to be complicated. 

Eat nourishing whole foods. Keep moving. Go outside. Seek daylight. Stay connected with other people. Get adequate sleep. Create time for rest. Laugh. Read. Dance. Cook. Spend time in nature whenever you can. 

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Most importantly, remember that human health has always existed within the rhythms of nature. The changing seasons are not simply something happening around us—they are environmental signals to which our biology continually responds. 

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Perhaps instead of asking how we can escape winter, we might ask: What is this season inviting us to do differently? And if winter still feels long, remember—it’s only about 140 days until spring! 

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Support the Mission 

We sincerely thank all of our readers for their continued support, comments, article submissions, and engagement with our social media, biweekly podcast, YouTube channel, and E-Journal.

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BRMI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit private foundation dedicated to providing free, non-commercial educational information to the public. We accept no advertising and depend upon the generosity of our readers and supporters to continue our work. 

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For more than nine years, we have remained steadfast in this mission, providing educational resources through our bimonthly E-Journal, The Science of Self-Healing podcast, YouTube channel, website, and social media platforms. 

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If our work has been valuable to you, please consider making a tax-deductible donation of $20 annually—or whatever amount feels right to you. Every contribution, regardless of size, helps us continue providing independent educational information without commercial influence. 

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Those who donate $100 or more will receive a jar of raw Kentucky honey as our thank-you—while also helping us celebrate and support the beekeepers who care for these remarkable pollinators. 

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Donors may be eligible to claim tax-deductible contributions made to BRMI under IRC Section 170. And if donating isn't possible, there are many other ways to support the mission. 

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Share an article. Send someone a podcast. Recommend BRMI as a resource. Or simply start a conversation about bioregulatory medicine with someone who has never encountered it before. 

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Meaningful change often begins with a single exchange of ideas. 

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Connect With BRMI 

We would love to stay connected with you. 

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BRMI shares educational articles, interviews, podcasts, research, and news through our website, We maintain a YouTube channel, Facebook page, LinkedIn, and Instagram and post evidence-based articles and news events daily. To make it easier, we have also added a Linktree.

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Please feel free to interact with us through social media—or contact me directly at jpmodell@brmi.online. 

Your questions, comments, article submissions, and ideas are always welcome. 

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The Heidi Sullivan Award: Celebrating the Written Word

We are pleased to announce that the Heidi Sullivan Award has returned to its original format, inviting writers to submit original articles, essays, research-based perspectives, and personal stories that educate, inspire, and explore new ideas in health and healing.

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Established in loving memory of Heidi Sullivan, whose extraordinary talents and contributions helped shape BRMI, this award celebrates her passion for making complex ideas accessible and sharing knowledge that might otherwise go untold.

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Selected submissions may receive a $500 award and be featured in BRMI's educational publications.

We welcome submissions from practitioners, researchers, educators, students, and curious minds with something meaningful to share.​

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Help us continue Heidi's legacy through the power of the written word! For more information click here!

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Join Us at Sea in 2027! 

We are also excited to invite you to our next conference cruise: The Bioregulatory Medicine Summit at Sea: From Cell to Biofield Aboard the Celebrity Summit, we will set sail on March 28, 2027, for a seven-night journey through the Western Caribbean, visiting Cozumel, Belize City, and Costa Maya. 

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Our Summit at Sea offers something truly unique: days devoted to learning, exchanging ideas, and connecting with others interested in the future of bioregulatory medicine—combined with opportunities to explore, relax, and enjoy time together at sea. 

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Sea days for learning. Port days for exploring. 

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We hope you will join us!