Pumpkin Time of Year

Now that we have officially dipped into October, we are well on our way to the lovely colors of fall and the cool crisp air that precedes the cold winter months (depending where you live). I know that for many people this is their favorite time of year. But with this comes everything pumpkin! Pumpkin bars, cakes, pie, and who can forget every drink pumpkin! This year I decided to do pumpkin a healthier way, and so I made my own pumpkin puree to freeze and use in my cooking, baking, smoothies and beverages 🙂

Pumpkin is a member of the winter squash family. Pumpkin is actually a fruit as it has seeds, but its nutritional profile is similar to a vegetable.

• pumpkin is full of antioxidants such as beta-carotene and alpha-carotene which help fight free radicals in our body
• pumpkins are full of vitamins ( this is only a small sample of what each of these vitamin helps with), such as:
  • Vitamin A (supports eye sight, improves immune system, improves bone health)
  • Vitamin C (repair of all body tissues, bone, teeth, and connective tissue health, immune boosting, collagen production)
  • Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) (helps body’s energy supply by converting carbohydrates to ATP which is needed for energy creation)
  • Vitamin E (protects cells from free radicals and damage, converts food to energy, boost immune system and widen blood vessels)
• aside from all other functions, vitamins help boost our immune system which helps fight infections and prevent us from getting sick. This time of year we need to keep our immune system stoked because the crud (as I call it) is everywhere.

Be sure to check out my pumpkin recipes 🙂