Healthy Cooking Pumpkin Recipes:
Mom's Pumpkin Pie recipeQuick Pumpkin Muffin recipe
Pumpkin Spice Muffin recipe
Health Benefits of Pumpkin
A often over-looked source of vitamins and fiber, most of us usually only think of pumpkins either when we venture to the Pumpkin Patch or around the holidays when pumpkin pies show up at every bakery and event, but pumpkin is actually a super-food that is low in fat and calories and rich in disease-fighting nutrients.Always use fresh pumpkin, if available, but if not canned pumpkin still is packed with ample nutrients such as:
* Alpha-carotene
* Beta-carotene
* Fiber
* Vitamins C and E
* Potassium
* Magnesium
* Pantothenic acid
Alpha-carotene and beta-carotene are potent antioxidants found in pumpkin and are pro-vitamin A carotenoids, which in people-speak means that the body converts them to vitamin A. Vitamin A promotes healthy vision, beautiful hair and nails and ensures proper immune function. The beta-carotene in pumpkin may also reverse skin damage caused by the sun and act as an anti-inflammatory, which helps to ward off a wide variety of diseases. Alpha-carotene is thought to slow the aging process and also reduce the risk of developing cataracts and prevent tumor growth. Carotenoids also boost immunity and lessen the risk of heart disease
