October is one of my favorite months because:

• It’s our wedding anniversary month.

• Football is in full swing.

• We put away the swimming suits and get to wear all the cute and cozy clothes again.

• The trees show off their glorious colors.

• Firepits are alit again and the smell of burning wood whispers through the evening air.

• My pathetic and neglected planters containing 85% dead flowers are replaced by mounds of hearty mums and my reputation is restored.

• The color orange makes me happy.

• The flourish of flannel takes me back to the 90s and some wonderful memories.

• We can open the windows at night, letting the cool night air in to fight hot flashes (no, just me?).

• Halloween cuteness of the neighborhood kiddos.

• ALL THE PUMPKINS!

I love the pumpkin-spiced everything along with everyone else but are you aware of how awesome the actual pumpkin is for you? Here, let me fill you in on the goods.

Contains beta-carotene

Beta-carotene converts to Vitamin A (retinol), which is good for vision, a strong immune system, and healthy skin/tissues. Beta-carotene is also an antioxidant.

High in antioxidants

It’s rich in antioxidants which protect our bodies from free radicals. Free radicals are molecules produced by our bodies natural metabolic processes like growing, digesting, breathing and pumping blood to all of our organs. So just by living, we are putting our bodies under oxidative stress. Antioxidants help neutralize these damaging free radicals which keep our cells healthy.

Loaded with vitamins and nutrients

Along with vitamin A, it’s also full of vitamin C and E which are great for immune system health and are also sources of antioxidants. These vitamins are especially helpful for eye health. It’s also very nutrient dense and low calorie with only 50 calories per cup. It’s a better source of carbs than rice or potatoes and a great source of fiber with one cup of canned pumpkin coming in at seven grams. The recommended daily intake is 30 grams so you’re a little over a fourth of the way there!

Natural sunblock and healthy skin

Those carotenoids like beta-carotene and the vitamin E protect the skin by boosting its defenses against harmful UV rays and the vitamin C helps the body produce collagen. Yes, please!

Now that you know you need more pumpkin in your life, here are some ideas on how:

• blend a few tbsp with coffee, spices, collagen peptides and coconut creamer for a healthy PSL (pumpkin spice latte)

• add organic canned pumpkin to your soups and stews as a thickener

• add it to your favorite protein ball recipe or try one like this by Pinch of Yum

• use it as a fruit dip (mix canned pumpkin with dairy-free whipped topping from So Delicious or make your own here (using Swerve as a healthy powdered sugar substitute)

• use in your morning smoothie (I would try spinach, cup of canned pumpkin, vanilla protein powder, almond or coconut milk, pumpkin pie spices, and some ice cubes) or you can look at this recipe from The Real Food Dietitians

• add to your pancakes along with spices and/or nuts for a healthy breakfast. I made three-ingredient pancakes the other morning using mashed banana, eggs and vanilla protein powder and they turned out awesome. You could replace the banana with pumpkin, add some pumpkin pie spices, and/or some healthy chocolate chips like these or these

• the old standby, pumpkin bread but a healthier version like this one (scroll to the bottom)

• try this healthy pumpkin mug cake recipe from Every Last Bite (again scroll to the bottom)

I’m sure there are many more ways to add pumpkin to our diets so if you have more ideas, please share in the comments!