Seasonal Pick: Pumpkins

Pumpkins are a seasonal favorite packed with nutrition.

It’s that time of year again when stores and cafes pack their shelves with pumpkin flavored products of all kinds, families take trips to the pumpkin patch and people of all ages break out their kits and carve up Halloween jack o’ lanterns. Modern Halloween and pumpkin carving evolved from an old Irish festival that marked the transition to the darkening time of year when they believed spirits could linger in the autumnal shadows. In order to fend off the spirits, townsfolk carved faces in turnips and lit them with candles. When Irish migrants arrived in North America, they carried on this tradition but began to use pumpkins, native to North America.

Pumpkins aren’t only good for carving into seasonal decorations, they’re also packed with awesome health benefits! They help keep eyesight sharp, protect against cancer, maintain skin elasticity (anti-wrinkle), boost the immune system, and lowers the risk of heart disease!

Pumpkin seeds (or pepitas) are also packed with impressive health benefits and make for a great snack or topping! Pepitas can strengthen your metabolism, help the body to heal efficiently, boost mood, promote sleep quality, support bone health, alleviate kidney stones and inflammation and bolster the immune system! So after carving your pumpkins or cooking up those pumpkin pies, don’t toss the seeds, roast ‘em up!

Vitamins & Nutrients (pumpkins & seeds):

• Vitamin A – builds body’s immunity, keeps skin and eyes moist, supports overall eye and vision health, strengthens bones and teeth, promotes soft, healthy skin
• Vitamin C – boosts the immune system (making it a popular choice to treat the common cold), helps lower hypertension, promotes mood stabilization, and helps prevent heart disease
• Fiber – essential for healthy digestion, regulates cholesterol levels, satiates appetite with lasting fullness
• Manganese – supports healthy bone structure, regulates blood sugar level, protects against epilepsy, osteoporosis, and cancer, boosts thyroid health, maintains healthy metabolism
• Phosphorus – boosts bone health, digestion, regular excretion, and hormonal balance, improves energy and nutrient extraction, aids in cellular repair
• Copper – supports normal growth of body, speeds up healing wounds, reduces cholesterol

Some of our favorite pumpkin and pumpkin seed recipes from around the web:

• Creamy Roasted Pumpkin Soup
• Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Feel Good Hearty Granola Bars
• Roasted Pumpkin Salad

Do you have a delicious and healthy recipe you would like to share with us? We’d love to hear about it!

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Sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/04/pumpkin-health-benefits_n_1936919.html
http://dailyburn.com/life/health/pumpkin-health-benefits/