8 Reasons Why Pumpkins Aren’t Just for Halloween

Pumpkin is a pretty rare occurrence in your diet. You might make use of the insides of your jack-o-lanterns come Halloween, but the truth is that you should eat much more pumpkin than that. Eating pumpkin is vastly beneficial to your wellness, with the seeds alone providing your wellbeing with a healthy does of protein, iron, zinc and magnesium. However, the benefits of pumpkin are not solely linked to what nutrients are in its seeds. So what health benefits can pumpkin provide?

 

1. Better vision: According to award-winning wellness writer Hope Gillette, ‘One cup of cooked, mashed pumpkin contains approximately 200% of the recommended daily allotment of vitamin A, a nutrient essential for vision, especially in dim lighting.

 

2. Efficient Weight Loss: In a cup of pumpkin, you’ll find ‘more than three grams of fibre and only approximately 50 calories,’ says Gillette. ‘This means you stay fuller, longer, and can count pumpkin as a good additive to a weight loss diet. Eating pumpkin before a meal may make you less inclined to over eat higher caloric foods.’

 

3. Heart Health: Gillette explains, ‘Pumpkin seeds contain chemicals called photosterols which have been linked to an ability to reduce levels of “bad” cholesterol in the body.’

 

4. Cancer prevention: ‘Pumpkins–like many other orange vegetables–are rich in beta-carotene which has been linked to a decreased risk of cancer,’ Gillette notes. ‘Carotenoids in pumpkin may be beneficial not only for cancer prevention, but for promoting skin health.’

 

5. Mental Health: Gillette points out, ‘Pumpkin seeds are rich in the amino acid tryptophan which helps promote a positive mood.’

 

6. Better Workout Performance: ‘Cooked pumpkin can be a great addition to a workout recovery meal,’ Gillette asserts. ‘A cup of cooked pumpkin has more potassium (564 milligrams) than a banana (422 milligrams).’

 

7. Cold Prevention: Gillette details, ‘A cup of cooked pumpkin contains 20% of the daily recommended intake of vitamin C, a nutrient responsible for immune system health.’

 

8. Digestive Health: Not only does the fibre content in a cup of pumpkin help stave off feelings of hunger, it encourages your body to digest food more efficiently and helps prevent constipation.

 

So all that sounds good, but how do you incorporate more pumpkin into your diet? You could do something as simple as incorporate pumpkin into your favourite recipes, such as throwing a cup of it into a bowl of chilli. However, if you’ve got your baking apron on, why not try this recipe for spiced pumpkin biscuits?

 

Ingredients:

• 9 ounces plain flour


• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder


• 1 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• 5 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces


• 1/3 cup fat-free buttermilk


• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin


• 3 tablespoons honey

 

Gillette instructs, ‘Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a large bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Chill 10 minutes. Combine buttermilk and honey, stirring with a whisk until well blended; add canned pumpkin. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moist. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly four times. Roll dough into a (1/2-inch-thick) nine- by five–inch rectangle; dust top of dough with flour. Fold dough crosswise into thirds (as if folding a piece of paper to fit into an envelope). Re-roll dough into a (1/2-inch-thick) nine- by five–inch rectangle and then dust top of dough with flour. Fold dough crosswise into thirds; gently roll or pat to a 3/4-inch thickness. Cut dough with a one and 3/4-inch biscuit cutter to form 14 dough rounds. Place dough rounds, one inch apart, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400° for 14 minutes or until golden.’

Categories: cooked pumpkin, dough crosswise, flour fold, Health Benefits, health gillette, health nbsp, inch thick, pumpkin, pumpkin pie, pumpkin seeds, roll dough, spiced pumpkin biscuits

The Jetsons Diet: Why Seeds Can Take Us into the Future

If you were ever into science fiction as a kid, you probably thought that, by the time you reached the age you are now, your diet would be comprised of nutrient-dense, wellness boosting pills (just like in The Jetsons). However, if you’re disappointed that food still looks very much the same as it did 30 years ago, there is still solace to be found: seeds. They may be a little less sci-fi and a little more natural, but seeds give you the opportunity to take care of your wellbeing in (sort of) pill-popping form, and that’s pretty cool.

 

According to says Sharon Palmer, RD, author of the new book The Plant-Powered Diet: The Lifelong Eating Plan for Achieving Optimal Health Beginning Today, edible seeds are packed with fibre, protein, vitamins, and minerals. She comments, ‘People don’t think about grabbing seeds as a snack or as a food source. People think of them as bird food more than anything else.’ However, you should ignore seeds at your peril, as these little beauties also contain high levels of phytosterols, which are plant compounds that have been proven to be just as effective as prescription statins for lowering your cholesterol. Palmer adds, ‘And they’re such easy snacks!’ So, which seeds should you be loading up on?

 

1. Pumpkin seeds: Being high in protein, iron and zinc isn’t all that pumpkin seeds have to boast about; they’re also one of the best dietary sources of magnesium. This miracle mineral helps to stabilise your blood pressure, build the strength of your bones, and even reduce your stress. In fact, French researchers have found that having high levels of magnesium in their blood means men are 40% less likely to die prematurely compared to men with the lowest levels. Moreover, the phytosterols found in pumpkin seeds help alleviate symptoms associated with having an enlarged prostate, such as urinary difficulties.

 

2. Sunflower seeds: In just half-a-cup of sunflower seeds you’ll find more than 100% of your daily requirement for alpha-tocopherol, which is the most active form of vitamin E. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that can help you ward of damage from the sun, as it protects your cells from the damage of free radicals and UV rays. On top of this, sunflower seeds are also an excellent source of the antidepressant phenylalanine. Your body turns this amino acid into the brain chemical norepinephrine, which keeps you alert and focused. You can eat these seeds raw, or use sunflower-seed butter on toast if you’re getting sick of peanut butter every morning.

 

3. Sesame seeds: You probably already love these seeds on burger buns or sesame chicken, but did you know that these seeds are also providing you with an incredibly high amount of calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc? As they’re so small, sesame seeds probably aren’t the best for snacking but hummus is, and this contains a paste made from ground sesame seeds known as tahini. You can also buy tahini on its own and spread it on flatbreads or pitas, again, just like peanut butter.

 

4. Chia seeds: Nearly half of the fibre you need every day (11 grams) can be found in a single ounce of chia seeds. These little beauts also contain 18% of your daily calcium requirement, which is more than three times the amount of calcium that milk provides. As well as giving you good digestion and strong bones, chia seeds have some of the highest levels of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids of any seed – so you can throw good heart health into the mix too. Not bad for a little seed, Jetsons here we come!

Categories: Chia Seeds, high levels, nbsp, peanut butter, pumpkin seeds, Seeds, sesame, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds

Top Foods to Boost the Male Libido

Men put a lot of emphasis on their ability in the bedroom, so when their libido drops they tend to seek out medications and creams which will help them gain erections more easily and improve their ability. Unfortunately, its not common knowledge that foods can have a similar effect without the worrying side effects on your health. There are many foods which are loaded with vitamins and minerals that could help improve your sexual health, from chilies and garlic, to pumpkin seeds and broccoli.

 

Watermelon

A refreshing fruit, watermelon is loaded with a number of health-boosting nutrients and can make for a great addition to your diet. It contains an amino acid known as citulline which can help improve the blood circulation, to the heart and to the genital region. It’s the latter that can help to attain longer erections and increase your libido. Citrulline can help to relax the blood vessels and can even have a similar effect to Viagra. Eating a piece of watermelon every day could help to improve this problem and offer great benefits.

 

Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are associated with good health thanks to their high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins. Pumpkin is rich in vitamins E, B, K, D and C, as well as being rich in zinc for increased sperm production and prevention of testosterone deficiency. You can add them to salads or eat them on their own as a snack, or for a really healthy way of eating them add them to grated carrots and milk to increase the libido significantly.

 

Nuts

All types of nuts are good for increasing your libido, so they’re a must for your diet in order to attain a better sexual performance. This is because they are high in L’arginine which is well known for improving your sexual performance. It increases blood circulation and can help to treat issues such as erectile dysfunction. The high levels of omega-3 fatty acids can regulate hormones and increase sexual performance, as well as boosting the production of sperm.

 

Avocados

Avocados are fantastic for your diet, boasting so many health benefits. However, in terms of sexual health, they are particularly important. They’re loaded with vitamin B6 which can balance the hormones in men, as well as potassium which can regulate the thyroid function. Folic acid in avocados can also help to keep your stamina high and improve your energy levels, which can do wonders for your sexual performance.

 

Chili peppers

We all know that chillies can boost the circulation, but how does this help men with sexual health problems? Chillies can increase your libido due to the compound capsaicin, as well as this compound working to release chemicals in the body to increase your heart rate which can release endorphins. These give you a natural high and can directly affect your stamina in this way. You can add these into your diet easily, from adding fresh chili to your pasta sauces or to salad dressings to reap the rewards.

 

Garlic

Garlic has antibacterial properties, so it can be a wonder in increasing your circulation, particularly to the heart and genital organs. It also thins the blood, so blood can flow more freely to the sexual region of the body. Allicin in garlic works to make your body hot and can heighten your sexual pleasure, making it great for people with issues with their libido. It does need to be consumed for around two months, though, before you’ll start to see results.

Categories: blood circulation, erectile dysfunction, fatty acids, health, libido, men, pumpkin seeds, sexual, sexual health, sexual performance, similar effect