What's That, Pumpkin?

Thanksgiving is coming!!  My new recipe book is out on the counter, all bookmarked and ready to try some exciting things.  I'll keep a lot of my stuff simple, but I found a new version of pearl onions, you just have to check it out!  It sounds delicious!

 Last year I brined my own turkey!  It came out very tasty but it was not a fun process.  I made the brine in the evening, then realized, the brine needs to be COLD before the turkey is immersed in it.  So I had to stick it in the back freezer until 3:00 AM!  I got up in the middle of the night to begin my turkey's soak time, it was like having another baby!   I doubled my recipe to accommodate my larger bird, which I later found out, does not mean you need to double the amount of SEA SALT.  My turkey floated on the top of the bucket like it was lounging in the Dead Sea!   I had to weigh it down with a pan lid and the cover of my cooler! 

So I've learned to make my brine early the day before. Shona, I know you are laughing over there at Easy Eats but I just had to have a healthy turkey!  Will I do it again this year?  Stay tuned to find out.

Thanksgiving brings about the wonderful cravings for foods we usually eat only during the holidays.  Some favorites, like pumpkin pie, seem to be best savored in cool autumn weather, following a huge meal with tons of potatoes, vegetables, and turkey!  But what is it about pumpkins?  Why do we only eat them once a year, when canned pumpkin is available year round?  Yes, I always use the cans, avoiding the extra steps of chopping and mashing my own fresh pumpkin.  That's one way I keep it easy!!

Maybe if we saw the benefits of pumpkins and other foods in the squash family, we would try to incorporate them more throughout the year.

Orange vegetables and fruits like pumpkins and carrots have high levels of a specific group of nutrients called carotenoids.  It is part of their pigmentation system.  These are needed by the body as part of a larger group called antioxidants.  Antioxidants are the way plants protect themselves from sun damage while growing.

What are antioxidants for?  Well, we're all oxidizing!  Aging!  Like rust on a penny nail, the signs of aging show up slowly and begin to deteriorate our body's structure.  There is a measurement called Oxidative Stress Status and it is the theory behind many of the "aging diseases" like Alzhiemer's and hardening of the arteries.

With every stress put on the body, whether it be breathing in car exhaust, surgery, emotional stress, or staying up late, there is a release of free radicals, also known as singlet oxygen molecules. These molecules are missing two electrons, and are therefore unstable.  They will either look to some substance found in the body to bind to, or cause damage.  Antioxidants to the rescue!  If they are present in large enough amounts, carotenoids and other antioxidants can slow the oxidation process, which is becoming known as the process of cellular aging.

If you look at the underside of your upper arm, you will see chronological aging.  This will be skin that has had relatively little sun exposure, compared to the rest of your arm. It may even resemble baby-soft skin, not having any visible signs of aging.  Now look at the back of your hand, and see the difference.  What you are probably seeing is cellular aging in the form of fine lines, wrinkles, and thinning collagen.

Though the skin is an obvious example, it is not the only concern!  Free radicals can damage any system in the body.  The blessing of carotenoids is that they target these kamakazes and neutralize them, especially in the eyes and the arteries.  I also find the following quote encouraging:

Certain carotenoids (including lycopene and beta-carotene) have the ability to increase communication of growth regulatory signals between cells. Increased communication between growth-inhibited normal cells and cells which have been damaged by chemical carcinogens prevents these damaged cells from becoming malignant. (Dr. Richard Brouse, lecture notes)

Between 500 and 600 specific carotenoids have been identified.  The major ones are beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, cryptoxanthin and lycopene (Dr. Richard Brouse, lecture notes).

In addition to the commonly known beta carotene, pumpkins also contain great amounts of alpha carotene, potassium, magnesium, and folates.  And don't forget pumpkin seeds which contain zinc.  Zinc is important in wound and tissue healing.  If you have a fresh pumpkin, dry your seeds slowly or with a food dehydrator for maximum benefit from their enzyme content, which would be destroyed with high heat.

 So dig out your recipes for pumpkin muffins, cookies, and butternut squash soup!  I'll share mine on the discussion group in Christian Women Take Root. The benefits of this group of nutrients seems endless and invaluable!

For those needing a convenient way to greatly increase their carotenoid intake, this link will take you to a great supplement which is recommended by Dr. Brouse.

You may also request more information on any of the above concepts.  

Enjoy Thanksgiving with all of your Pumpkins, both old and young, large and small.  I'll be with my husband, kids, and joined by my nephews and brother and sister in law!  

(c)2008 Chris DeBaggis, Take Root and Write

Comments

[shona]

Chris, You are too funny and you know me well. I wasn't exactly laughing about you turkey brine... I was thinking that I would never get out of bed in the middle of night to do anything with a turkey.

A healthy turkey IS a good idea and I'm intrigued with pumpkin food anti-oxidents....I just need someone to whip all those things up for me and my family. What are you doing for the rest of you life??

Thanks for a great article even though turkey brine sounds like a lot of work!! Hugs!