OH SO ORANGE...OH SO GOOD! NUTRITIONAL/HEALTH BENEFITS OF PUMPKINS

Pumpkins are a staple feature of Halloween, but this vegetable has more uses than you can imagine and is a power food that can heal your body. Pumpkin is one of the widely grown vegetables that is incredibly rich in vital antioxidants, and vitamins. Although, less in calories (which makes it great for weight loss), this vegetable contains vitamin A, and flavonoid poly-phenolic antioxidants such as lutein, xanthine, and carotenes in abundance. This is good news for me, as my ophthalmologist had recommended that I take in more Lutein for my eye health. I would no longer be walking past them when I visit the market.

Pumpkin is a good source of vitamins A, C, E and the B vitamins and dietary fiber. Mineral wise, it’s rich with potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, manganese, sodium and zinc. Potassium, a refueling nutrient, helps restore the body's balance of electrolytes after a heavy workout and keeps muscles functioning at their best.

Pumpkin is one of the best-known sources of beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant known to give orange vegetables and fruits their vibrant color and which is converted to vitamin A in the body. Consuming foods rich in beta-carotene may reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer, offer protection against asthma and heart disease, and delay aging and body degeneration. Vitamin A is a powerful natural antioxidant and is required by the body for maintaining good skin and is also an essential vitamin for good visual sight

Pumpkin seeds, also edible, are an excellent source of dietary fiber and mono-unsaturated fatty acids, which are good for heart health. In addition, the seeds are concentrated sources of protein, minerals and health-benefiting vitamins. Nuts and seeds, including those of pumpkins, are naturally rich in certain plant-based chemicals called phytosterols that have been shown in studies to reduce LDL or "bad" cholesterol.

With all of these benefits, be sure not to just carve your pumpkins next time, but eat them!

Comments

HEALING POWER OF CELERY

I bought a green smoothie some months back which had celery as one of its ingredients. While placing my order, I was a bit skeptical about how a celery smoothie would taste, but my oh my did I enjoy it. Now, I am busy making celery smoothies and even cooking celery soup. I know I tend to go overboard with new discoveries. Well, all of this made me wonder what my body was benefiting from my new found love. After all, it is a vegetable, so it should have loads of nutritional and health benefits right?

NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS OF ZOBO/SORREL DRINK

z obo/sorrel was a must have during family gatherings. As children, we loved drinking it, not only because of how nice it tasted, but also because it coloured our lips and tongues red. Zobo (Nigerian) or Sorrel (Jamaican) is a red coloured drink made from a flower called Hibiscus sabdariffa. The sorrel plant contains a wide range of vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, calcium, niacin, riboflavin and a group of compounds called flavonoids. Flavanoids not only gives the sorrel plant its deep red colour, but, are also rich in antioxidants which rids the body of toxins. The sorrel plant also contains nutraceleuticals, which are said to be helpful to the health. Nutraceleuticals can help prevent and treat several diseases including diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer.

SOME OF YOUR EXERCISE IN PREGNANCY QUESTIONS ANSWERED

I t’s been a long time I wrote, but trust me I have not been idle. I recently had a baby and I am glad I have some pregnancy fitness experiences to share with you. After my marriage union with my lovely husband, I began to get advice from some concerned colleagues and family about slowing down on my exercising and focusing on building a family and making babies. I wondered how exercising interfered with me achieving any of that, to my surprise some people believed that exercising was going to prevent me from conceiving. In fact, a particular ex-colleague of mine really scared me when she told me that I could just keep having miscarriages and not even know it. I did not let any of this bother me as I believed that pregnancy would happen at Gods time. Besides I had only been married for a month and still looking forward to our honeymoon. Pregnancy was certainly not on my mind at this time. To answer your first question can I conceive while exercising?

Fabila's Fitness Club

Search This Blog