ODE TO A PUMPKIN…..
Oh, great pumpkin! You are round and radiant. Sassy. Spicy. Spooky. Fun and fabulous enough to be the face of a whole season! And your seeds pack a punch that is profoundly potent!
Whenever we were carving pumpkins for jack-o-lanterns, soup or pie, mom would tell us to keep digging through the gooshy-squooshy-gooey-guts of the gourds. “Be sure to save every one of those awesome seeds!” she’d say. A few hours later, a tray of pearl-colored seeds were baking into golden-brown bits of goodness. Mom understood that pumpkin seeds just happen to be a tasty snack with numerous health benefits.
Pumpkin seeds are a great source of magnesium. The fourth most abundant mineral in our body, it well may be the most important, as magnesium is required by virtually every cell and is essential for vibrant health. It activates over 350 chemical processes that sustain basic functions - including muscle contraction and relaxation, nerve function, cardiac activity, blood pressure regulation, hormonal interactions, immunity, bone health and synthesis of proteins for the utilization of fats and carbohydrates. Magnesium is needed for the production of specific detoxification enzymes and is also important for energy production related to cell detoxification.
Pumpkin seeds are also a good source of zinc. Zinc is important to your body in many ways, including immunity, cell growth and division, sleep, mood, your senses of taste and smell, eye and skin health, and insulin regulation. Zinc is also important for prostate health. A zinc deficiency is associated with increased colds and flu, chronic fatigue, acne, and learning problems.
If you are having trouble sleeping, pumpkin seeds are a rich source of tryptophan, an amino acid (protein building block) that your body converts into serotonin, which in turn is converted into melatonin (known as the sleep hormone). Eating pumpkin seeds a few hours before bed, along with a healthy carbohydrate like a small piece of fruit, may be especially beneficial for providing your body the tryptophan needed for melatonin and serotonin production that helps promote a restful night's sleep.
ROASTING PUMPKIN SEEDS
Soak the seeds for a few hours. Rinse and lay on parchment paper or a baking sheet to dry. When dry, toss with a little bit of olive oil and sprinkle with Himalayan or other natural sea salt. Roast at 170 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.
¼ cup pumpkin seeds contains about:
· 2.6 mg of zinc
· 9 mg of calcium
· 42 mg of magnesium
· 147 mg of potassium
· 4 grams of protein
· 4 grams dietary fiber
