The Benefits of Pumpkin and Potassium

Fiddle Team,

Halloween is upon us and I thought it would be a great time to tout the benefits of canned pumpkin. I use either the Small Sugar Pumpkins or New England Pie Pumpkins. I also use the pumpkin puree in a can because it is 100% pumpkin with nothing else in it. The fattening part of a pie is the crust, not the middle. So think of making pumpkin puree with almond milk and the normal spices you would put in pumpkin pie: ginger, nutmeg, allspice or cloves, cinnamon. (and remember cinnamon helps boost your metabolism). There are a myriad of options of things you can make with pumpkin: pumpkin ravioli's pumpkin cream sauce, pumpkin souffle, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin puree, pumpkin "burgers", pumpkin risotto, pumpkin apple soup. Almost anything you would use butternut squash in or acorn squash in you can use pumpkin in. Read the article below on how pumpkin is one of the foods that helps prevent water weight gain.

Also, I keep avoiding the topic of food and periods because we have so many men on the fiddle list. So this next part below will just be for the women. Most women find that their food cravings and hunger levels change throughout the month. For me personally I have two weeks of the month where I feel like a normal person who eats breakfast, lunch and dinner and a few snacks and is completely satisfied and happy. The other two weeks of the month it is as if I am pregnant and I'm starving! I have to eat every two hours. If I wait too long to eat I get a terrible migraine headache. My easiest time to lose weight is in the first two weeks when I'm not as hungry. Although I've still managed to lose weight during the hungry two weeks.

Back in college when I used to use Sweet n' Low in my tea I HAD to have sugar. Everyday I had either Good and Plenty Candy or Hot Tamale candy. Going off artificial sweetener when I was 22 years old was truly one of that hardest addictions for me to break. But when I stopped with the Sweet n' Low I also stopped craving donuts, ice cream and the sugar fix I seemed to need every afternoon. It was another 10 years before I could give up diet soda which was one of my favorite things ever but which now tastes like poison to me and gives me an instant headache whenever I drink one.

For the majority of the month I don't crave sugar. I have some sugar in my tea in the morning but really crave protein and fruit and veggies the rest of the day. Of course, give me a little starch to make sure I feel full and I have a balanced day. There is one exception. Two days before my period I'm dying for chocolate. In my house we have a giant bowl of halloween candy by the front door. I usually have it there for the entire month of October. I walk by it everyday and it isn't even a temptation. I found that my kids don't overeat candy when it isn't forbidden. My kids often end up throwing away their halloween candy or easter candy. I've never forbid sugar because the kids whose parents are really strict about sugar seem to eat it like an alcoholic during prohibition. I want my kids to learn how to eat everything in moderation and see how food makes them feel. Katherine got sick before from birthday parties where all there was was candy and cake. She threw up from eating too much junk and sugar and so doesn't overdo it anymore because she didn't like feeling sick. All month long I've walked by the halloween candy bowl without a care or interest in it. But that two days before my period I was wanted a Resee's Peanut Butter Cup like you can't believe. I started overeating other food in the house to try to fill myself up. That was when I decided I was eating double or triple the calories of that one piece of candy trying to avoid it. So I ate one piece. Craving was over and I went on with my day and had some apples and later some raisins. So if you really want a piece of Halloween candy then have one. Otherwise, enjoy the holiday with some delicious pumpkin and the other abundant harvest of the season.

Pay attention to your body. Be aware of when you are thirsty or tired. Sleep can helps you lose weight. Staying hydrated helps you lose weight. In the next email I'll be writing about renowned dermatologist, Dr. Howard Murad, who just wrote a book called The Water Secrett. From the title you would guess that it was about drinking water to lose weight. Instead it is about our cells and how your cells hold water and that the BEST way to get water into those cells for healthy radiant skin is through eating fresh fruits and vegetables. The data is astounding. http://www.thewatersecretbook.com/hmurad-water-praise.htm So for all of you who said your skin seemed more radiant after going on the Fiddle Diet, if you read Dr. Murad's book it will explain why.

When I set out to write the Fiddle Diet I only had one goal: To lose weight while eating delicious food. I found that most "diet" food tasted terrible and was struggling to find good recipes, so I wrote recipes that I would want to eat. Because I'm a chef I love all real food, especially fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables to me are the equivalent of a child getting a new set of colored pencils and paper to start school or an artist buying paint and a canvas. It turns out that those extrodinary colors in the food are also incredibly good for your body. In the winter I can't find the same abundance of fruit that I find in the summer. In summer I eat canteloupe, in winter I eat pumpkin, butternut squash or sweet potatoes. In summer I eat berries. In winter you can eat frozen berries or eat pomegranates or swiss chard. The fruits I'm currently eating are apples, pears, pomegranates, grapes, cranberries and grapefruit. Then I'm eating spinach, brussels sprouts, kale, sweet potatoes, acorn squash, rutabagas, turnips, zucchini and fennel.

I have a thousand recipes to write and type. All in my head and eventually will get on paper.

Beat Water Weight Gain

http://caloriecount.about.com/beat-water-weight-gain-b469360

Many fruits and vegetables boast potassium, a mineral that helps maintain the body’s water balance. Potassium-rich fruits include canned pumpkin (just in time for Halloween!), papaya, bananas, plantains, and dried fruit including dates, raisins, and prunes. Choose fresh, dried or canned fruit made without added sugar and aim for 1.5 to 2 cups a day.

Potassium-rich vegetables include spinach, sweet or white potatoes, beet greens, mushrooms, bok choy, parsnips, and tomato products (paste, sauce, or pureed). Aim for 2 to 2.5 cups a day. Visit MyPyramid.gov to learn more about serving sizes.

72 calorie Pumpkin Soup from the Mayo Clinic (MAILI TIP: SAUTE THE ONION IN A TEASPOON OF OLIVE OIL!)

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-recipes/NU00424

Pumpkin used to replace fat in this healthy chocolate cake. and more ideas for a healthy halloween party.

http://www.eatingwell.com/blogs/carolyn_malcoun/2009_10_20/healthier_halloween_treats

Pumpkin Recipes

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/recipe_slideshows/pumpkin_recipes

Chile and Beer Braised Brisket only 285 calories (and chiles are power packed with vitamin C and give your metabolism a boost!) I'm not a fan of cumin so I'd skip the cumin in this recipe.http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-recipe/chile--beer-braised-brisket.aspx?xid=nl_EverydayHealthHealthyLiving_20101027

15 Healthy Foods to Have in Your Kitchen at all Times

http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/nutrition-101/15-healthy-foods-to-have-in-your-kitchen-at-all-times

For those not receiving the Fiddle Team emails here are the links to the importance of Vitamin D and weight loss

I may have mentioned before that I keep reading article after article on the benefits of vitamin D and weight loss as well as many other health benefits from vitamin D. So read this link and be sure to take your daily vitamins and eat your fruits and veggies.

Link Between Successful Weight Loss and Vitamin D Levels

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153669.php

Vitamin D information and sources

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind/

My Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup Recipe in case you didn't get it. I couldn't remember if I only sent it to Fiddle Team or to all the recipe testers. Only 160 calories per cup with the ham. Vegetarians can omit the ham and put salt in the soup.

Happy Eating! Maili