With the arrival of autumn also comes the season for pumpkin. Its benefits include the fact that it is low in calories, easy to digest and contains a lot of dietary fiber. This makes it helpful in weight loss.
The pumpkin diet helps in losing weight effectively. Pumpkin itself is very tasty and allows for a wide variety of dishes. There are many supporters who appreciate its positive effect on health. In the article, we present the principles of this diet and wonder if this is really an approach that will come out of our health.
Pumpkin is a vegetable widely used in the kitchen. One of its advantages is low calorie; in 100 grams there are only about 33 kcal. Pumpkin is distinguished by a high content of protein, so it is often used in vegetarian and vegan dishes. Dietary fiber supports proper functioning of the digestive system and regulates intestinal peristalsis. Pumpkin has also been valued for its richness in vitamins and minerals for many years
It contains many B vitamins, which are responsible for growth, maintaining neurophysiological balance and supporting the nervous system. Folic acid is very valuable for women, influencing the nervous system and participating in the formation of red blood cells. Ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, is a powerful antioxidant that cleanses the body of free radicals. It prevents the formation of cancerous lesions and has a positive effect on immunity. In pumpkin there are also significant amounts of β-carotene, a provitamin of vitamin A. This compound is mainly responsible for the beautiful orange color of this vegetable flesh. Mineral compounds such as iron, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium also perform a number of important functions in the body. They are absorbed naturally in food and have a high absorption rate
In pumpkin there are also EFAs (essential unsaturated fatty acids), which have a beneficial effect on the work of the nervous system. Pumpkin is not recommended for diabetics, because it has a relatively high glycemic index (75 GI)
Certainly, the pumpkin diet is not a radical one, so its effects will not be spectacular. In combination with workouts and following the rules of healthy eating, it will help slim the figure and lose a few pounds. Slow slimming, however, has one big advantage in the form of avoiding the yoyo effect. Thanks to the high content of vitamins and minerals, pumpkin diet will also contribute to the overall improvement of health and well-being, positively affecting the condition of the skin, hair and nails
It is worth remembering that the diet should be varied, so it is good to introduce other vegetables to everyday meals, replacing, for example, fried meat or high-calorie desserts.
The pumpkin diet will be ideal for autumn and early winter, when pumpkin season is in full swing. At that time, the vegetable will be plump, rich in all valuable nutrients, and above all, will be the tastiest and cheap. The pumpkin diet, despite its exotic name, is not a comprehensive nutrition program. It consists only in introducing pumpkin dishes to the daily healthy menu, replacing less beneficial for weight loss products. It takes advantage of pumpkin’s low calorie count and the fact that it suits both sweet and savory dishes. If you want to lose weight, it is worth avoiding cakes and other baked goods with pumpkin, so as not to enrich your diet with unnecessary sugar, because it certainly will not help with weight reduction
A sample menu may look like this:
Oatmeal with pumpkin and cinnamon served warm with a spoonful of natural yogurt. Drink black coffee or unsweetened tea.
Salad with pumpkin and feta cheese. Followed by a glass of herbal tea.
Thick, aromatic pumpkin cream soup, fruit tea
Pumpkin fritters. Herbal tea
There are many recipes with pumpkin. It is worth treating this diet as an inspiration. You can certainly introduce this vegetable to your autumn meals, to add variety to your current dishes and perhaps change your habits for healthier ones
