Pumpkin: More Than Just Pie

We carve faces in them and love the pies, but pumpkin, it turns out, is actually a very nutritious gourd with so many great beneficial components that can make it a great side dish to many meals, much like sweet potatoes, only without a blood sugar spike. It's in the same plant family as squash, cucumber and melons, very similar to butternut squash, yet it's mostly forgotten and left out of our diet. Its bright orange color denotes a rich content of carotenoids, the precursors to vitamin A. Nurses Health Studies indicate that a diet high in carotenoids can decrease the risk of cataracts and cancer. Pumpkin is chock full of vitamins and minerals, but its star attribute is its high fiber content, making it a tasty way of easing any constipation woes. One cup of pumpkin has eight grams of fiber; more than two slices of whole wheat bread, more than sweet potatoes and any other squash, and about the same as one cup of stewed prunes. It's the best quick and nutritious fix to get the bowels moving. The high fiber content also helps control the blood pressure. Canned pumpkin does have a robust flavor that needs to be enjoyed, but make sure to buy the 100 percent plain pumpkin as opposed to the pumpkin pie mix with sugar. You can also create your own pies or desserts with a more acceptable sugar than what's in the can. Those include: sucanat, xylitol, date sugar, maple syrup, coconut sugar, stevia. Plain pumpkin as a side dish is just fine with pineapple and spices such as cinnamo...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news