It’s Pumpkin Season! Pumpkins are everywhere you turn. There are pumpkin lattes, muffins, candles...and really, anything pumpkin that you can dream up! There is practically a cult following of the beloved “pumpkin spice”.
As if our love pumpkins needs more validation...pumpkins are much more than scented candles and flavored lattes. Pumpkins are chock full of healthiness! They’re packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. And, AND, they are loaded with nutrients and fiber, yet low in calories!
Pumpkins are high in beta-carotene, which our bodies convert to vitamin A, and vitamins C and E which all support immunity. Vitamin A, and lutein, also found in pumpkins, may help to protect eyes against sight loss associated with aging and also support healthy skin. In addition, pumpkins contain antioxidants which help to protect our cells from damaging free radicals and are linked to reducing the risks of many cancers. Potassium is yet another benefit contained in these wonder gourds. Potassium, along with vitamin C, pumpkin’s high fiber content and antioxidants are all linked to heart health benefits.
Pumpkin is very versatile and can easily be added to your diet to reap its health benefits! It can be sliced, cubed, roasted, or pureed to be made into savory soups or side dishes or baked into sweet snacks such as pies or muffins. The pumpkin’s seeds are highly nutritious as well and can be easily roasted to add to granolas or protein bars or simply eaten on their own!
As if these benefits were not enough, pumpkin can also be used topically, benefitting skin from the outside! These wonder gourds are packed with fruit enzymes and natural alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) which increase cellular turnover, brightening and smoothing skin, and giving your skin a more even tone. The Vitamin A and C help to soften and soothe your skin and also help to boost collagen production, reducing the signs of aging and sun damage. Finally, zinc and potassium, which it contains, help to combat redness of the skin.
Try this simple pumpkin mask, yourself, at home!
Pumpkin Facial Mask
Pumpkin is equally good for lips! Try Perfectly Natural Soap’s new lip scrub, Sweet Mint with Pumpkin Butter for downright kissable lips! The sugar in our lip scrub rids your lips of dry or dead skin, while the pumpkin softens them. Imagine how great you’ll look and feel as you head to the pumpkin patch, farmers market or grocery store to pick up your pumpkins, making time to stop en route for a pumpkin spice latte!