Alright, so we're past labor day and it's officially fall in my heart, no matter the temperature outside. One of my favorite things about fall is pumpkins; baking with it, going to the pumpkin patch and putting it in soup. Aside from being trendy, pumpkin is actually super good for you.
Pumpkin is packed with fiber which helps you feel fuller longer so adding this tasty member of the squash family to your oatmeal, smoothies or even soup is a great healthy choice. They are also packed with vitamin C to help you fight that fall cold and full of beta carotene and antioxidants to help lower blood pressure and even improve eyesight. we often think of bananas when we think of potassium, but pumpkin also boasts this nutrient helping you recover from those tough fall runs in the rain.
Give this delicious smoothie a try the next time you want a pumpkin drink, it’s vegan, gluten free and full of fiber and vitamins. For an extra boost add your favorite plant based protein powder.
Perfect Pumpkin Smoothie
½ cup pumpkin puree
½ banana
⅓ cup oats
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 ice cubes
1 cup nondairy milk
If you just can’t get enough pumpkin, you may want to try a pumpkin body scrub. Penelope and the Beauty Bar in the Fairmont Hotel in downtown Seattle has a full body polish or foot scrub and massage to take your pumpkin pampering to the next level. Pumpkin is great for the skin because of all of it’s fruit enzymes and alpha hydroxy acids which are often found in high end skin products. The vitamin C and A help sooth skin and boost collagen production to help prevent the signs of aging.
I checked out their food scrub and I have to say, even though my tootsies are tucked warmly away inside my boots this season, they are so incredibly smooth and soft. I walked away from my scrub feeling so relaxed and refreshed, my technician did an amazing job and my feet smelled amazing afterwards.
The benefits don’t stop there, you can make pumpkin lotion, lip balm and even face masks.
If you are interested in a DIY version, give this one a try from One Green Planet
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup organic canned pumpkin (or homemade pumpkin puree)
Mix sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon together. Mix with pumpkin. Put on skin, scrub in circular motion, and rinse. All smooth and clean!
Hope you have fun this fall and find a new way to enjoy our favorite fall flavor – let me know your favorite unique ways to use pumpkin! #squashgoals