It’s Autumn, my favorite season!

The leaves are turning beautiful shades of orange and yellow, the mornings and nights are cooler, the days are shorter and I’m smack in the middle of my Attain True Health Autumn Refresh with participants from around the country; I’m feeling good!  How about you?

As we prepare for the change of seasons and get our bodies ready for winter, I always turn to the foods that can help support our health and wellness during this season. The grounding, warming foods that are at our local farmer’s market now include pumpkins, apples, sweet potatoes and hardier greens such as kale and collards.

Today’s post is all about those pumpkins!

Interestingly, the pumpkin is not a vegetable as you may have imagined, but rather a fruit. The bright orange color of the pumpkin comes from beta carotene content, including carotenoids that protect your cells against oxidative damage and lutein needed by your eyes. Additionally, the pumpkin is rich in vitamin A, providing you with nearly 245 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) in just one serving. That serving also provides you with 3 grams of fiber, 19 percent of the RDA for vitamin C and 16% of potassium. Your body uses the nutrients in pumpkins to protect your heart, skin and eyesight.

And we can find pumpkin in a variety of dishes such as pies, risotto, chili, and breads, as well as the now famous pumpkin spice latte. That version is made with coffee and artificial pumpkin spice flavorings. Most mixtures of pumpkin spice typically include some combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove and allspice. Those scents trigger a strong emotional response in your brain enabling you to easily recall experiences, such as Thanksgiving dinners from your youth. While the natural spices are derived from plants and contain phytonutrients that promote health, the synthetic versions are a combination of chemical compounds manufactured in a laboratory and without any discernible nutrient value. The synthetic versions trick your brain into thinking you consumed the natural mix of spices that flavor a pumpkin pie. And when you combine that with sugar, it creates such an emotional reaction, that it can become a strong addiction. Hence, the popularity of the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte! And by the way – the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte has 50 grams of sugar (that’s 12.5 teaspoons), 52 grams of carbohydrates and 8 grams of saturated fat – YIKES!

I’d like you to consider an alternative that still gives you the flavor combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, the fabulous boost of energy, that satiating feeling of being happy after you drink it, and a much healthier and delicious morning option that has real pumpkin.

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond milk
• ¼ cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 2 scoops Shaklee Life Energizing Pumpkin Spice Protein Powder
• handful ice cubes

Preparation:

1. Combine all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth and enjoy!
2. Optional: Sprinkle with cinnamon on top.
3. Warm and inviting option: Omit the ice cubes and warm the milk on your stove top. Whisk in all other ingredients and serve hot.

This wonderful morning smoothie will satisfy your morning craving, guaranteed! And it has only 12 grams of natural sugar, 18 grams of carbohydrates and NO saturated fat! A satisfying, delicious version of your pumpkins spice latte but with less sugar and fat and more protein and goodness…Enjoy!

Want to make your own pumpkin pie spice?

To start, you’ll need all of three minutes and the following ingredients:

• 3 T. ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 ½ tsp. ground allspice
• 1 ½ tsp. ground cloves

Mix the spices together in a small bowl and take a little whiff!