RECIPE TIME: It's a Pumpkin Party!

Image via yellowcurls.com

BY: SARA WARNER, CONTRIBUTOR

Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin! It's finally pumpkin season and there are many reasons to celebrate! I have to admit that I'm a little obsessed with this delicious squash!

Not only is pumpkin incredibly versatile (delicious in both savory AND sweet recipes) and easy to use (many canned and organic canned versions are available), but it also packs a healthy punch like keeping heart health, vision and waistlines in check (as long as you take it easy with the added sugar that usually accompanies it).

That's where I come in! Time for you to benefit from my pumpkin obsession! I've compiled a list of my favorite pumpkin treats that cut the sugar and fat into oblivion. All of these simple recipes are made with real ingredients and contain no processed ingredients. I bet you'll never guess that they're all sugar-free too!

Pumpkin Spice Brownies

(click here for the recipe)

Pumpkin Soup with Goat Cheese Croquettes

(click here for the recipe)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

(click here for the recipe)

Pumpkin Bread {whole wheat}

(click here for the recipe)

Cinnamon Maple Pumpkin Seeds

(click here for the recipe)

Pumpkin Bacon and Artichoke Mac-N-Cheese

(click here for the recipe)

By day, Sara Warner is the Marketing Director for the Campus Recreation Center at Georgia Tech, but by night, she’s the voice behind the blog Pidge’s Pantry, a resource for those trying to eat healthier by implementing a 100% whole wheat and low/no sugar diet. A graduate of the University of Georgia with a double major in Broadcast News and Art History, Sara confesses that she dreams of going back to school to get her Masters and PhD so that she can become an Art History professor! In addition to her love for art, Sara finds pleasure in weekend trips to the farmer’s market and cooking for her family in the kitchen. She confesses that her favorite foods are chocolate and peanut butter, so you can be sure she features both on her blog! 

The Experts Weigh In: Think Soup - Fall Diet Suggestions!

Image via wallike.com

BY: ELIZABETH FARRELL, CONTRIBUTOR

When I think of fall, I think of the trees changing color from blazing greens to yellows, oranges, and vermillion. The foods that we harvest are the colors of autumn - squashes drenched in orange and yellow skins enticing our senses and cultivating comfort and nourishment.

Ayurveda, the ancient healing system of India, honors the five elements (ether, air, water, fire, earth), which are a part of every living being. Ayurveda also uses the three doshas (vata, pitta, kapha), the intrinsic constitutions explaining our physical, emotional and mental state of being. Vata being air and ether, pitta fire and water, and kapha water and earth.

In order to create health, we are all working to balance these five elements within our bodies. The fall being cold and dry (or cold and damp depending on where you live) begs us to seek out earthy, comforting, warming, nourishing foods that will sustain us through this season of cold weather.

As we depart from the summer months, we naturally want to cleanse before the fall comes. It is important to keep our digestive fire active during this time so that we don't build up toxins, which can settle into our gut, causing disease. There are many ways to cleanse. One way is to start by eliminating inflammatory foods, which create "ama" (or toxins) in the system - foods like dairy, wheat, sugar and cold drinks. Sipping warm water throughout the day can be beneficial, as well as taking homemade ginger tea after a meal.

In the fall, eating a vata-reducing diet is suggested. Vatat has dry and cold qualities; therefore, the foods we eat need to be the opposite - nourishing and warming with sweet, salty and sour flavors. Thing soup!

Image via huffingtonpost.ca

Here are some great foods to incorporate into your diet this autumn. The list below has been modified to be anti-inflammatory and does not include gluten-containing grains. 

• Rice
• Quinoa
• Gluten-free oats
• Vegetables including: cabbage, cauliflower, squash, green beans, okra, pumpkin, cucumber, tomatoes, zucchini, sweet potatoes and leafy greens (cooked, not raw!)
• All oils, including ghee and sesame oil
• Mung dal
• Split peas
• Red lentils
• Fruits including: apricots, bananas, berries, coconut, dates, figs, peaches (stewed fruit especially!)
• Soups made with bone broth and seaweed
• Fermented foods like yogurt, kefir and sauerkraut
• Spices such as ginger, cinnamon, garlic, fenugreek, basil and cumin

Here are three great recipes for incorporating these foods into your diet...

Image via rebootwithjoe.com

ZUCCHINI-KALE SOUP

Ingredients:

5 large zucchini squash

1 large onion

1 clove garlic

1 bunch kale
2-3 red potatoes

1 handful of seaweed of choice

Ghee (ie. clarified butter)

Water
Pinch of Cumin
Pinch of Coriander

*Chop all vegetables
*Add ghee to soup pot and heat
*Add cumin, coriander, onion and garlic to ghee and saute
*Add zucchini, kale and potatoes
*Add purified water to cover all of the vegetables (be careful not to add too much water - you will need about 5 cups)
*Let cook on a low simmer until the zucchini is cooked all of the way through
*When the vegetables are finished cooking, cool the ingredients
*Blend the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender
*Then, reheat the soup adding salt, pepper, ghee and additional spice to taste

GINGER TEA
Ingredients:
Whole, fresh ginger
3 Cups Purified Water

*Peel and slice ginger
*Simmer in water for 30-40 minutes
*Add local organic honey to taste

FRUIT COMPOTE

Ingredients:

Handful of dried prunes, apricots, raisins

2 Cinnamon sticks

2-3 Cloves

3-5 Slices fresh ginger

3-4 Cups purified water

*Add all ingredients to water and simmer on low seat

*Cook until all ingredients are thoroughly cooked and soft

*Serve over rice, oats or quinoa


For more information, I recommend reading Food as Medicine: The Theory and Practice of Food by Todd Caldecott and Ayurvedic Healing Cuisine by Harish Johari.

Elizabeth Farrell is the practice manager for UnityMedicine-Integrative Medicine and Ayurveda. She is also a health coach, yoga teacher, Reiki Master, lover of essential oils and writer. She is known for her impromptu dinner gatherings and freshly baked cookies. You can find her online at www.sisterhawkreiki.wordpress.com and coming soon - Nourished by Elizabeth Farrell.