Pumpkin and it’s amazing benefits!!!
Yaaaaay fall! I love the color of fall- the changing leaves and chilly temperatures!
Pumpkin spice is the unofficial flavor of autumn, and without pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread, the season wouldn’t be the same. But, this popular winter squash also has some impressive health benefits. Here are some reasons why pumpkin is one of the best seasonal superfoods.
When cooler temperatures arrive, our bodies need extra help combating viruses, colds, and the dreaded Covid. Our immune systems weaken as it cools outside and pumpkin is a terrific way to boost them! Incorporating pumpkin into your diet can help your immune system become more effective at fighting off germs. Pumpkins contain vitamins C and E, beta carotene, folate and iron, which all help strengthen your immune system. Our pumpkin tea is one of my favorite ways of adding pumpkin to my diet, since our teas are organic and contain real pumpkin and seeds!
Here are more benefits of pumpkin!
Pumpkin is a good source of potassium, which helps moderate blood pressure by counteracting the impact of sodium, as well as fiber, which lowers blood cholesterol. It also contains arginine, an amino acid your body needs to make nitric oxide, which is critical for blood vessel relaxation and blood pressure reduction.
2. The vitamin C and E in pumpkin serve as potent antioxidants that reduce damage caused by free radicals and promote the production of collagen, which helps to keep skin youthful and supple,
3. Pumpkins are rich in beta carotene, an antioxidant that your body turns into vitamin A. Vitamin A helps sharpen your vision, allowing you to see more clearly in low light. It also helps support the health of your retina and cornea. Pumpkins are also high in vitamin C, which reduces your risk of developing macular degeneration and cataracts.
4. Because they’re rich in vitamin A, pumpkins also lower your risk for certain types of cancer, including prostate and lung cancer. Additionally, pumpkins contain carotenoids, a pigment that functions as an antioxidant. Carotenoids may lower your risk of developing throat, pancreatic, stomach and breast cancer.
5. Because they are rich in potassium, which I mentioned earlier pumpkin can help regulate your blood pressure, lowering your risk for heart attack and stroke.
6. Pumpkins are high in fiber but low in calories, which means they can help you feel full without increasing your overall food intake. Because they’re such a good source of fiber, pumpkins can also help curb your appetite.
So all in all, the benefits of pumpkin are substantial! I don't mean pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread- although they are my all time fall favorites! Roasted pumpkin, pumpkin tea, pumpkin seeds are the ways I like to enjoy this fall veggie. Also, if you need to get canned pumpkin, it's almost as good as fresh as long as you only use the cans that list pumpkin as the only ingredient.
Look for our pumpkin tea on our website, www.2sisterst.com. We also offer a honeybush pumpkin chai that is amazing and offers all the added benefits of the honeybush plant! Maybe I will talk about that next month!
I hope you enjoy all the traditions of fall, the family time and slowing down that comes with the time change later this month. I hope you make wonderful memories with your kids, that you mend fences with family, and live each day with a grateful heart. That is my goal- to be content, and be grateful. In that lies true happiness.
Wishing you wellness, peace & so much love,
Christina