Early fall is one of the most beautiful times of the year in the country. The air turns crisp, the summer heat finally breaks, and the leaves begin their slow drift to the ground. For those of us who struggle with heat sensitivity, cooler days can bring welcome relief. But managing MS naturally in autumn goes beyond enjoying the change in temperature. It’s also a chance to adjust our daily habits to support how we feel as the seasons change.
But as the calendar flips to October, a new, hidden seasonal challenge sneaks in.
The sudden drop in daylight hours, changing atmospheric pressure, and damp, cool air can trigger a unique type of autumn fatigue. Our joints and muscles can suddenly feel stiffer (hello, drop-foot and tripping hazards), and the lack of daily sunshine can cause a sharp dip in our baseline energy.
Over my 20+ years of managing MS naturally, I’ve learned that the habits that help me through summer often need a few changes in autumn. To help avoid an October slump, I start shifting to my autumn routine at the end of September, giving myself time to settle into the season.
Here is exactly how I protect my myelin, boost my energy, and fight autumn stiffness completely naturally as the seasons change:
1. Pivoting My “Food as Medicine” Pantry
In the summer, we lean heavily on cold, raw, hydrating foods. But when the cooler fall weather rolls in, your digestion and nervous system crave warmth and anti-inflammatory circulation.
Right now, I transition my diet to comforting, deeply nourishing fall foods that are packed with Vitamin A and beta-carotene to support our immune system’s regulatory T-cells (Tregs). Here are my absolute staple autumn comfort recipes that are entirely gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free (I’m egg-free because they give me gut pain):
- Easy Cinnamon Delicata Squash: Delicata is hands-down my favorite winter squash because it tastes incredibly sweet and is ridiculously easy to handle. The skin is so thin and tender that it requires zero peeling. No struggling with a hard peeler and no sore hands. I just slice it into half-moons, toss it with melted coconut oil and cinnamon, and roast.
Check out my full Easy Cinnamon Delicata Squash Recipe to try it tonight! - Immune-Supporting Roasted Carrots: This has been a cozy fall favorite on my table for nearly 20 years. I use larger organic carrots (easier to scrub so you can skip peeling!) and roast them in extra virgin olive oil. Right at the end, I add a drizzle of raw honey and a handful of chopped walnuts for an anti-inflammatory omega-3 crunch.
Try my Roasted Carrots with Honey and Walnuts recipe. - Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash: This is my ultimate fatigue-friendly skillet meal that works for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It’s loaded with sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, mushrooms, and leafy greens. It adapts to whatever you have in the fridge and makes amazing leftovers.
Try my Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash recipe — it’s one of my favorite recipes. - My Hard-Squash Shortcuts: I also absolutely love spaghetti squash and butternut squash, but let’s be honest: butternut squash is rock-hard and a total energy drain to cut. My favorite energy-saving trick is to pop the whole butternut squash into the microwave for a minute or two to soften it up before slicing (make sure you poke holes in it before microwaving it). On exceptionally high-fatigue days, I skip the knife work entirely and buy high-quality frozen cubed butternut squash, so I can enjoy the nutritional benefits without draining my energy bank.
🍂 Healing Tip:
Add some orange to your plate. Carrots, sweet potatoes, and winter squash provide beta-carotene, which your body converts into vitamin A. Tregs act like your immune system’s brakes, helping keep excessive immune responses in check. A small study in people with MS found that vitamin A supplements increased the activity of genes linked to these regulatory cells. While this doesn’t show that eating these foods changes MS symptoms, they’re a nourishing way to help meet your vitamin A needs. Try adding carrots to soup or serving roasted squash with dinner.
2. Fighting the Early Sunset “Light Dip”
As the days get shorter, your body naturally produces less Vitamin D and more melatonin earlier in the day, which can cause an overwhelming sense of autumn exhaustion.
- My Alexa Light Hack: To beat the twilight fatigue crash, I rely heavily on my smart-home routines. I have Alexa set up to turn on our warm smart bulbs 15 minutes before the sun sets. Keeping your indoor environment bright and cheerful prevents your brain from slipping into that heavy, cloudy winter hibernation state.
- Optimizing My Winter Shield: Because we can easily go a week in rural areas without seeing a clear sky in the winter, late September is my cue to get serious about my supplementation. Keeping your Vitamin D at an optimal level is non-negotiable for immune regulation when the sun goes into hiding.
If you want my exact tracking methods, check out my Vitamin D Comprehensive PDF Guide Link here!.
3. Adapting Movement for Cool Weather Stiffness
When cold air hits your muscles, spasticity and stiffness love to flare up, turning door thresholds into immediate tripping hazards.
Instead of pushing through it aggressively, adapt your movement to the weather:
- The Morning Bed Stretch: Just like my pets do the second they wake up, I never let my feet touch the floor without doing a full-body, gentle stretch while still under the warm covers. It lubricates the joints before you place any weight on them.
- Porch Pacing with Precision: When I walk toward my driveway I love to listen to the satisfying crunch of the fallen leaves, I slow down completely. I concentrate on toes up, lift foot, step forward, keeping my chin level to the horizon.
- Seated Heat Building: If it’s too damp to walk outside safely, I take my portable fabric loop bands to my rocking chair. Doing sitting marches, toe lifts, and shoulder-blade presses right in the living room keeps my blood circulating and my spine tall without exposing my nerves to the biting chill.
By making these proactive lifestyle tweaks during the last week of September, you don’t just survive the seasonal transition—you get to fully enjoy the peace, the smells, and the beauty of autumn.
Embracing the Season: Your Next Steps for Managing MS Naturally in Autumn
At the end of the day, transition seasons do not have to mean a loss of independence or an automatic fatigue crash. By pacing your days, letting smart-home technology do the heavy lifting, and nourishing your body with warming, anti-inflammatory squashes and root vegetables, you can safely navigate the changing weather. Managing MS naturally in autumn isn’t about fighting against your body—it’s about listening to it, adjusting your habits, and protecting your peace so you can fully enjoy the beauty of the season.
What is your favorite way to save energy when the weather turns cold? Do you use smart devices or have a favorite no-peel squash recipe? Let me know in the comments below—I love connecting with fellow MS warriors!
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