Its Pumpkin Season: Pick a Pumpkin and Eat It, They Are Healthy for You

Halloween doesn’t have to be all about stuffing our faces with leftover candy if there is any. The leaves are changing, the weather is cooling down, the holiday season is around the corner, squash is in season and that means pumpkins are too. Surprisingly, pumpkin can serve as more than a coffee flavor or a festive decoration on your door step; they are considered a healthy and beneficial snack, and here’s why.

Pumpkins are an antioxidant and inflammatory food. Whether you’re an athlete, someone who suffers from joint pain or someone who is looking to relieve some stress, you might find it helpful to know that pumpkins help with organ health, joint health, stress relief and soft tissue injuries.

Are you sick of spending money on anti-aging creams and serums that don’t seem to work? The high levels of Vitamin C found in pumpkins help the immune system and promote collagen production for the skin to maintain elasticity.

According to MedlinePlus, In the United States one in four women die due to some form of cardiovascular disease. The carotids in pumpkins is what creates that festive autumn orange color; more importantly carotids prevent premature-aging and cardiovascular disease.

Are you thinking about changing your eating habits? Pumpkins are a great source of fiber to help clear out toxins and keep your body running smoothly. It is a great way to start off on a clean slate and possibly begin to incorporate more protein into your diet by eating pumpkin seeds. The protein and plant-based fatty acids found in pumpkin seeds help regulate cholesterol levels, promote healthy skin and improve brain function. Halloween falls right around mid-term week for college students, so snack on some pumpkin seeds while you’re studying for the big test, it just might help.

You can’t exactly go to the grocery store, grab a pumpkin and snack on it during break time, nor can you squeeze it into your child’s lunch box, but there are some fabulous pumpkins recipes. The Pumpkin Pie Shake is a twist on the original crowd pleasing pumpkin pie. Both adults and children can enjoy these sweet shakes, and at the same time they will be benefiting from the vitamins and nutrients that pumpkins have to offer.

Pumpkin Pie Shake

• 2 cups vanilla reduced-fat ice cream (such as Healthy Choice), softened
• 1 cup fat-free milk
• 2/3 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
• 3 tablespoons frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
• Pumpkin-pie spice (optional)

Preparation

Combine first 5 ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Pour 3/4 cup ice cream mixture into each of 4 glasses. Top each with about 2 teaspoons of whip cream.