One thing we can always be guaranteed of in life is change. Tomorrow is officially the last day of Summer. Friday, the 22nd September 2017 will be the first day of Autumn, otherwise known as the Autumnal Equinox. I always just grouped the seasons into three monthly blocks counting September, October and November as Autumn but apparently it arrives when the sun is aligned with the centre of the Earth between the north and south of the planet making the number of hours of daylight and of darkness the same. This will happen at 4.21pm here in Switzerland (3.21pm in London). So now you know.
Anyway, as the nights get longer and the air gets cooler, it’s time to think about what else Autumn has to offer. The smells, the sights and the tastes of Autumn….and time to indulge in all things pumpkin.
Last night, I made my first pumpkin bread of the year. I’d forgotten how good it was. Not only that, it’s so easy to make and as pumpkin is one of the superfoods of the season, I thought I would share some of their numerous health benefits (and of course the recipe).
Before that, here’s some random facts about pumpkins
-Pumpkins were once believed to remove freckles and cure snake bites.
-They are grown all over the world: six of seven continents (all except Antarctica), to be exact.
-Pumpkins are 90% water.
-Whilst the round orange pumpkin is the most recognisable, they come in many different shapes, sizes and colours. There are actually 45 different varieties.
-A Pumpkin is a fruit not a vegetable and belongs to the same family as cucumbers, courgettes, watermelon and honeydew melons.
-Each Pumpkin has about 500 seeds.
-The largest Pumpkin ever grown weighed 2032 pounds.
-Pumpkin carving originated in Ireland.
Now for the more important stuff.
Health benefits of Pumpkins
1. Improved eyesight. Beta carotene (which the body converts to Vit A) is responsible for the orange colour in fruit and vegetables, so it’s fairly obvious that pumpkins are packed full of it. Beta carotene benefits your vision by protecting the surface of the eye and the mucous membranes, helping to reduce eye infections. Studies have shown that diets rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, which are other powerful antioxidants found in pumpkins, may help protect eyes from cataracts and degeneration as we age.
2. Don’t worry, be happy…It’s not just the flesh of the pumpkin that’s good for you. Pumpkin seeds come with their own health boosting attributes too. They are rich in tryptophan, which is an amino acid that is important in the production of serotonin and melatonin. These chemical induce relaxation, minimise stress, improve your sleep and help to decrease anxiety and depression. What a great way to boost your mood naturally.
3. Pumpkins are a good source of fibre in your diet. As well as helping to keep you fuller for longer, fibre plays an important role in your digestive health by providing fuel for the ‘good’ bacteria in your large intestine. It also speeds up the removal of wastes and toxins from your body.
4. Help you recover from a workout. Pumpkin has even more potassium than bananas. This helps to restore the body’s balance of electrolytes after a hard workout. Potassium also improves bone health and prevents muscle cramps, stabilises blood sugar and blood pressure levels, boost metabolism and enhances muscle strength and helps maintain good heart and kidney health.
5. Magnesium rich. The flesh and the seeds contain high levels of magnesium which is a mineral responsible for nearly every chemical process in the body. It is vital to maintain normal muscle and nerve function, promotes muscle relaxation, promotes cardiovascular health, can provide relief from PMS symptoms, strengthens bones and supports a healthy immune system.
6. Protection of your skin. Whether you eat it or mash it and apply it as a face or hair mask (yes, really!) pumpkin is great for the health and appearance of your skin. The high levels of Vitamin C encourage the production of collagen to help the skin maintain it’s elasticity and protects the skin from free radical damage which causes wrinkles and even skin cancer. Other antioxidants such as Zinc is found in high levels in pumpkin seeds. Zinc helps protect cell membranes, maintain collagen and promote skin renewal.
Here’s a selection of my healthy recipes that are so easy and perfect for Autumn at any time of day or night. With sugar (ok, maple syrup) and spice and all things nice….nothing refined or artificial – just pure, wholesome, healthy ingredients.
Recipes
There are SO many recipes using pumpkins, both savoury and sweet. It’s difficult to choose which ones to include here. But don’t just assume everything that has pumpkin in it is healthy though. Some pumpkin pies for example contain lots of butter, sugar, flour, cream and if shop bought, additives and preservatives too. At least if you make everything yourself, you know exactly what’s going in there.
Lots of you have been asking me for my pumpkin bread recipe so I’ll include that one as it really is the easiest thing to make. I’ve not tried it but I’ll also include a hair mask recipe if you want to see for yourself the benefits it can have.
Pumpkin Bread
As soon as mine came out of the oven we tried it and amazing as it was warm, we all agreed, cold with greek yoghurt for breakfast, was even tastier.
1 Cup Ground Almonds
1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree
2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
3 Eggs
3 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
4 Squares Dark Chocolate cut into small pieces
Method
Pre heat oven to 180 degrees.
Put all ingredients except the chocolate into a blender and mix thoroughly.
Spoon into a parchment lined loaf tin.
Stir in the chocolate pieces.
Bake for about 40 minutes
Pumpkin Granola
This makes a healthy alternative to many shop bought granolas, and again, very simple to make.
Ingredients
1/2 Cup Sliced Almonds
1/2 Cup Pumpkin Seeds
1/2 Cup Pecans, chopped
1/2 cup Dried cranberries
1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree
1/8 Cup Coconut Oil, melted
1/4 Cup Shredded coconut
1/3 Cup Maple Syrup
2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon Nutmeg
1/8 Teaspoon Ginger
Teaspoon Vanilla essence
Method
Pre heat oven to 165 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix pumpkin puree, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla essence, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
Add nuts, seeds and cranberries and mix well with other ingredients.
Place parchment paper on a baking tray and spread your granola mix on top. Use a spoon to spread it out so the mixture will cook evenly.
Place in the oven for about 30-40 minutes moving the granola around every 10 minutes to make sure it doesn’t burn.
Let it cool so it will harden. (no one likes soggy granola!)
Eat it by itself or with greek yoghurt as a topping…or even with milk (it won’t last long)
Pumpkin Vanilla Banana Protein Smoothie
This smoothie is such a delicious drink you can have anytime; breakfast, dessert or even post workout. Packed full of flavour and health benefits and just another way of enjoying the taste of autumn.
1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree
1 Banana
1/2 Cup Almond Milk
1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder (optional) I use Solgar Whey to go (and it was chocolate flavour)
Sprinkle of Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds
1 Tablespoon of Maple Syrup if you like it a bit sweeter
Method
Add all ingredients to a blender and blitz together for 20 seconds.
Pour into a glass and enjoy.
Try using a frozen banana or leave overnight for the chia seeds to swell into a more pudding like consistency.
Pumpkin Hair Conditioner
I’ll admit, I haven’t tried this…but I’m intrigued to try.
Ingredients
1/2 can Pumpkin Puree
1/4 Cup of Greek Yoghurt
2 Tablespoons of Honey
1 tablespoon of Coconut Oil
Method
Blend all ingredients together and massage into hair. Leave on for 20 minutes and wash out.
Pumpkin Face Mask
Seems a shame not to eat this but try it, see how it feels.
Ingredients
1/4 Cup of Pumpkin
1 Egg
2 Teaspooons Honey
Splash of Apple Cider Vinegar
Method
Whisk all the ingredients together and apply to your face.
Relax for 15-20 minutes then rinse to reveal a brighter, firmer, smoother complexion.
I love all of the seasons, especially when a new one arrives and you can begin to look forward to all the things you enjoy about it. It’s funny how although you can buy (tinned) pumpkin puree all year round, it’s only now that I start to think about it again…that and baked apples, burning wood, getting my jumpers out, the changing colours and the build up to Christmas.
What do you love about this time of year? Let me know of any healthy autumn recipes you have tried and loved.