Too bad pumpkins are destined to spend their lives in patches or on porches rather than on dinner tables where they belong! Betcha didn’t know that a pumpkin is really a huge squash, and it’s the beta-carotene king, too. Like carrots and sweet potatoes, pumpkins are chock full of carotenoids. Why care about carotenoids? Well, these good-for-you plant chemicals fight nasty cellular damage that can make you sick or make you old before your time. Yes, eating pumpkin can help keep you young and healthy! And you don’t have to sharpen your carving knife, either. Canned pumpkin will do the trick (and it’s a treat!). A half-cup has about 200% of the daily amount of beta-carotene recommended by experts.
Plus, pumpkins have lots of fiber and a ton of iron, which is really important for women because we need to replenish the iron that we lose during monthly cycles. Pssst! Hey, guys! Don’t forget about the seeds! They’re brilliant for preventing men’s prostate issues.
My all-time favorite pumpkin recipe is from “Eat, Shrink & Be Merry” on page 163. It’s our famous no-bake pumpkin cheesecake called “Lovin’ My No-Oven Cheesecake.” Light, velvety, and scrumptious, and you can make it no sweat since you don’t use an oven. Mmmmm! If you haven’t tried it yet, ’tis the season.
Happy Halloween!
3 responses so far ↓
1 Ola S. // Oct 30, 2008 at 10:46 am
Funny story (well, maybe just funny to me): just the other day, my grandma brought home a pumpkin from her friend’s garden and some sort of…..pumpkin mush. She made me try it (because I’d never tried pumpkin before) and I thought it was rather awful (but I’m a picky eater!) But anyway, the point is, she was telling me that her friend eats pumpkins all the time and was bragging about how they make her skin nice and keep her looking young for her age, so my grandma (even though she doesn’t like the taste all that much either) was like “I’ve GOT to try this!” It was quite funny. I guess vanity has no age limit! haha
2 Ola S. // Oct 30, 2008 at 10:47 am
oops! That should say “and she MADE some sort of…..”
3 patty // Nov 24, 2008 at 11:48 am
You are right about that pumpkin cheesecake recipe. It is fabulous!!!!! And great for Thanksgiving when your oven is full of turkey and veggies, since you don’t cook it.
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