It may still be warm, but the fall veggies and fruits are rolling in.  It's time for squash, gourds, beans, potatoes and peppers, the comfort foods that keep you warm. Time for stews, soups and bread right out of the oven.  Here's what to look for at your local farmers market. 

Butternut Squash - Native to the Americas.  This gourd is low in fat and has a fair amount of fiber.  It's full of potassium, which is important for healthy bones, and vitamin B6, which helps the nervous and immune systems run properly.  The folate content boosts your heart health and guards against brain and spinal cord relatedbirth defects. 

 Carrots - Native to Afghanistan. These root veggies were not originally orange but purple in color. One of the best detoxifiers, carrots are cleansing, nourishing and stimulating to almost all the systems of the body.  This root vegetable is rich in antioxidant beta carotene - good for the eyes and your vision. 

Potatoes - Native to the Andean highlands of South America. This tuber is an excellent source of fuel.  Most of the good stuff is in the roots and shoots; the rest of the potato is mostly carbohydrate. The best way to eat them is steamed. The minerals and vitamins are largely lost in other cooking methods.  

Peppers - Native to the Americas.  They are antibacterial, antiseptic and a stimulant. When the body is properly stimulated, it can start healing and cleansing. Peppers and chilies normalize blood pressure, improve the circulatory system, and feed the cell structure of the arteries, veins and capillaries. Full of vitamins A, B, and C (up to six times more than orange). 

Apples - native to the Caucasus Mountains of western Asia.  This fruit is an astringent, digestive, diuretic, laxative and a tonic. It has a high water content (about 85 percent) which quenches immediate and cellular-level thirst.  Apples are a good source of fiber. They are high in pectin which helps clean the intestines. According to studies, eating an apple a day helps cut down on skin diseases, arthritis and lung and asthma problems. Apples - especially green - clean the liver and gallbladder and help soften gallstones. 

 Grapes - This fruit is so old it is thought to have been well established in the world before the coming of humans. Grapes have amazing cleanings properties putting them at the top of the medicinal foods list.  They cure constipation, gastritis and chronic acidosis. This small fruit has a high water content and the seeds are very important in the cleansing process. The high iron content makes them a good blood building.  They are also high in magnesium.

Pears - Originated in western Asia. They are rich in alkaline elements, a strong diuretic, helpful for constipation and poor digestion. The iodine content helps keep the thyroid functioning properly and the metabolism balanced.  This fruit is a great source of water-soluble fibers, including pectin - which cleanses the body of environmental and radioactive toxins.