The Great Pumpkin- Therapeutic & Delicious

Autumn is my favorite season of the year. It is the time of year to put on a soft cozy sweater and walk through a pumpkin patch. The crunch of leaves underfoot is a magical sound to me. As I walk, I inhale autumn's cool, crisp, clean air and take in the warm colors she brings to the trees and vegetables of the season: maple red, amber, burnt orange, yellow, Nile green. This season is special because it leads us into a series of celebrations, gatherings and, of course, to delicious food.
Pumpkin pie is a personal favorite of mine because it is traditionally served on Thanksgiving and my birthday falls on Thanksgiving every five years. Growing up, family would incorporate my birthday celebration with Thanksgiving. It seemed that the table full of food, family and pumpkin pies was set out especially for me. Those memories bring me a sense of warmth and happiness. The spices in pumpkin pie, like cinnamon and nutmeg, are warming and help digestion. Scroll down to the end of the article on my website for several delicious pumpkin recipes here:
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Traditional Chinese Medicine Classifies the Medicinal Qualities of Pumpkins:

Pumpkins are cooling, sweet and slightly bitter.

You can try pumpkins for the following conditions:

Clear dampness conditions like dysentery, eczema, and edema.

Unbalanced blood sugar levels. Hypoglycemic and diabetic patients may eat a slice of pumpkin with each meal or as a pie mashed with sweet yams (do not add sugar or other sweeteners contraindicated for your condition).

Intestinal worms. Eat a handful of seeds 2 times a day for about 3 weeks. Chew the seeds well. You can also eat fresh pumpkin slices then take some sesame seed oil a couple of hours later to help expel roundworms. Do this for two days.

Spleen qi vacuity or malnutrition. Steam pumpkin with sweet rice (available at Chinese food grocery) or you can boil it with ginger and brown sugar, mash, then serve.

Childhood vomiting. Pumpkin stem and top cap can be boiled and administered as a tea.

Bronchial asthma and/or thick sputum due to a bronchial infection. Boil chunks of pumpkin. In a separate pan, sauté organic, lean beef. Mix pumpkin and beef in a bowl. Eat to resolve phlegm and build your body's resistance to disease.

Pregnancy abdominal pains. Eat cooked pumpkin. You can steam it and/or add to stir fry, eat as soup or pie. (And make sure you see your healthcare provider.)

Nutrition Facts About Pumpkins:

According to The Healing Cuisine of China, one serving of pumpkin contains:
1.3 g Protein, 0.3 g Fat, 9.9 g Carbohydrates, 26,908 IU Vitamin A, 0.03 mg Vitamin B1, 0.07 Vitamin B2, 0.4 mg Niacin, 5mg Vitamin C, 32mg Calcium, 42 mg Phosphorus, 1.7 mg Iron

Pumpkin also contains lutein, alpha and beta carotene, Vitamin E, magnesium and zinc.

You can increase your health via diet, acupuncture and Chinese herbs.

Posted by: Juliette Aiyana, L.Ac.
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