Pumpkin Everything

     Everywhere you look you will see pumpkins! Fall seems to be transforming into “pumpkin season” but who actually eats pumpkin, rather than just carving them or setting them out as décor. I am not talking about the fake pumpkin flavored things either; I mean the actual orange fruit. With how readily available they are we should be eating more of them because they are so good for you.  

     Let’s start with how it can lower your cholesterol. Pumpkin can help raise you HDL, or good cholesterol, numbers, a  2011 study done by the National Institute of Health showed. Also of those who ate pumpkin, they had less headaches, joint pain and hot flashes (in women).

     Also having pumpkin (and pumpkin seed oil) can help with hair loss. Men especially were studied and those who had pumpkin were said to have 40% more hair after a 24 week trial.

     Eating pumpkin (and sunflower) seeds can protect you against breast cancer. Pumpkin seeds have both lignans (a plant biased estrogen) and omega 3-fatty acids, that can help combat breast cancer. This means eating just pain roasted pumpkin (sunflower) seeds, not the extra salty flavored ones.  

     Lastly pumpkin can aid in keeping your blood sugar in line. It is said by many local healers around the world that pumpkin can help treat diabetes by encouraging the release of insulin in the body.

     So go out and get a pumpkin and have it as a side dish and get all the benefits it offers. They not only make your porch look nice but they can help your body feel nice also.

**Just cut it in half with a serrated knife, scoop out the seeds for roasting, cube it up and roast it with salt, pepper and olive oil and just enjoy the great taste and benefits**

Live Healthy,
     Nadia

Stay Warm This Season

     As it starts to get cold out, I’m always looking for ways to stay warm. As someone who is always cold I love to drink something warm to really make me loose that chill from the inside out! I have come up with some options that are healthy and have some good health benefits as well.

Coffee— Now when I say coffee I am not talking about a cup with so much creamer and sugar that the coffee is a distant memory. I mean a cup of black coffee or with just one spoon of low calorie sweetener. Coffee had been known to lower the risk for type II diabetes, make you smarter and improve your overall brain health and it is full of nutrients and antioxidants like potassium, manganese, riboflavin and many B vitamins.

Tea— Green, black, white and oolong are the only true varieties of tea out there. Herbal “teas” are infused with many other plants and things that take them away from being actual tea and the benefits of drinking true tea. Tea can reduce the risk of heart attacks and improve cardiovascular health. The antioxidants in tea can help prevent many, many types of cancers. Green tea has been said to improve bone density and strength. Tea has been around for many years and the benefits are proven in many different cultures and countries.

Apple Cider— Homemade apple cider is just cooked apples that are then pressed to get the juice/liquid out and then cooked again (no sugar added). From my previous post we all know how good for you apples are so a nice cup of hot apple cider is almost as good for you as having an apple.

Infused water—The new trend seems to be adding fruits, vegetables and mint to your water (which does have great health benefits). Why not do the same with hot water, boil a cup of water and squeeze in some lemon, lime or orange juice into it, add some mint leaves also if you’d like. It is just as good as having it cold, but it will keep you warm through the winter.

     So this fall/winter, curl up with loved ones, a good book or move and something hot and healthy to drink and stay warm.

Live Healthy,

    Nadia

Creamy Carrot Soup

     I was off yesterday due to Columbus Day. It’s been kind of chilly and rainy so I thought I would make a soup. I wanted to try something new, and we had a bunch of carrots so I decided to make a creamy carrot soup. It’s great for fall, so good and good for you.   

Ingredients

2 lbs baby carrots

3 cloves garlic (halved)

½ a medium onion (roughly chopped)

8 cups water (or enough to just cover carrots)

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon pepper

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon cumin

Directions

-In a large pot, add butter, garlic and onion. Cook until onions are translucent.

-add carrots, sauté for 3 minutes

-add water to the pot, bring to a simmer

-add all the spices, simmer for about 30 minutes

-once the carrots are fork tender, turn off pot and cool slightly

-blend the carrots in batches in a blender until smooth (if you have an emersion blender feel free to use that)

-once everything is blended and smooth, add it back to the pot and simmer for 15 more minutes.

-this is the point to taste it, as it is the last chance to add any seasoning and make it to your liking before serving

     This soup is perfect for any fall/winter day, it is warm and full of vitamins and minerals your body needs. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

**I suggest eating it with a crusty bread**

Live Healthy,
   Nadia

Vitamin D Deficiency

      As we fully jump into the fall I want to talk about something that a lot of Americans suffer from especially in the late fall and winter, vitamin D deficiency. Many people don’t think they have a deficiency because they eat foods fortified with vitamin D, but that is just not the case. Some symptoms of vitamin D deficiency are feeling blue, if you are over the age of 50 you are more susceptible, you’re overweight, aching bones, head sweating and if you have gastrointestinal problems.

The only true place to get vitamin D from is the sun. This is why I think in the late fall and winter more people find they are lacking vitamin D with the sun is not out as much.  Now that the sun is still out it’s the time to get outside and soak it in. Also though many foods don’t have a good source of vitamin D there are some foods with vitamin D in them, so you can eat them, especially in the winter.

Fish (tuna and salmon)

Beef Liver

Cheese

Egg Yolks

Fortified foods (orange juice, cereals, soy milk)

I hope with this information you can be one step ahead of the winter sicknesses and keep healthy. It’s already cold and flu season we don’t want to add things to that when they can be avoided.

Live Healthy,

Nadia