Pumpkin Muffins – Yum!

I have certainly been getting adequate vitamin A/ beta carotene this November since I have gotten back into baking. My mom sent me an easy pumpkin recipe a couple of weeks ago and I have already made 3 versions, each one turning out to be very tasty! Making muffins is one of my favorite things to do when it comes to cooking. But I can’t seem to make a recipe without modifying it to put my personal spin on it and then testing out several versions. So that is what I have been doing with this pumpkin recipe. All of the ingredients I have been using except for the baking soda, powder, and Splenda® are organic. I found organic canned pumpkin at Trader Joe’s for the reasonable price of just $1.99 for a 15 oz can which is just a few cents more than the cost of conventional canned pumpkin. The organic flour and fruit can also be found at any health food store. The version I am posting is made with the addition of a chopped Braeburn apple. The other versions I have made so far include substituting fresh organic cranberries for the apple and one where I added some organic tahini. I really think the sky is the limit in terms of making modifications as long as you keep the wet to dry ratio fairly similar. In general this recipe makes a lot of batter so I have gone back and forth between making mini muffins and making regular size muffins. I also always add a scoop of organic soy protein powder because I like eating the mini muffins as a post-run or post-gym snack but you can leave that out or use non-fat skim milk powder to boost the protein content.
Have fun with this recipe and enjoy eating them as they are super nutritious and super low calorie and of course super tasty!

Ingredients
2 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour
½ cup Splenda®
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
15 oz canned organic pumpkin
1 medium chopped organic Braeburn apple
28 gm vanilla soy protein powder (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix flour, Splenda, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Add pumpkin, ½ cup of water and stir until just mixed. Spoon batter into oil-sprayed muffins cups filling to just below tops. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until tops bounce back lightly when pressed or when knife inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes to cool. Store in tightly sealed container or freeze.

This particular version made 11 good size muffins.
Calories: 90 (about 80 without the protein powder), carbs: 18 gm, fiber: 3 gm, protein: 5 gm

Pumpkins: A nutrition powerhouse

Pumpkins are here! I am most likely in the minority as I have never cared for pumpkin pie, but I do love a nice warm pumpkin muffin on a cool fall morning or a creamy pumpkin smoothie. Pumpkins are a nutritional powerhouse and are high in carotenoids, lutein, and zeaxanthin, all of which are antioxidants that can neutralize free radicals. This fruit, yes it is technically a fruit, is also a very good source of beta carotene/vitamin A, vitamin C, riboflavin, potassium, copper, manganese, dietary fiber, vitamin E, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus. One cup of mashed pumpkin has just 50 calories, zero fat, 12g of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, and 2 grams of protein. Wow!

Eating pumpkin pie is probably not the best way to include more pumpkin in your diet since it is traditionally made by combing pumpkin with heavy cream and whole eggs. When cooked in a “standard” pie crust, a slice gets ~50% of calories from fat. Healthier ways to add pumpkin into your diet are easy to do by utilizing canned pumpkin and it is actually one of the only canned foods that has no added salt or sugar. If you have the time to cook a whole pumpkin simply peel off the outer skin, cut it into pieces and boil. The seeds can be scooped out and roasted in the oven with a bit of oil for 30 minutes or even eaten raw.

Some easy ways to eat more pumpkin include: adding canned pumpkin to ready-to-eat butternut squash soup, stirring canned pumpkin into oatmeal, spreading pumpkin butter on bread and muffins, and snacking on pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds, also called pepitas, are high in copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and zinc. Pumpkin seeds are also high in phytosterols which are thought to strengthen the immune system. The seeds can be added to salads, hot or cold cereals, cookies, even homemade veggie burgers.

Pumpkin also makes a great, creamy smoothie and nutritious breakfast or post-workout recovery shake. There are endless variations on this smoothie recipe so have fun experimenting with other ingredients like yogurt, frozen bananas, etc. Pair this shake with some whole grain toast with peanut butter and you have a perfectly balanced breakfast/recovery meal chock full of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fiber, and protein.

Pumpkin Recovery Smoothie
6 ice cubes
1 cup light vanilla Silk soymilk (or rice, hemp, almond, cow)
1/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or substitute nutmeg and cinnamon)
½-1 Tbsp honey (or substitute stevia or splenda)
¼ tsp vanilla extract
1 scoop vanilla soy protein (or whey, rice)

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Makes 1 serving.
Nutrition analysis:
236 calories, 3 g fat, 24 g CHO, 3 g fiber, 30 g protein

The versatility of this fruit makes it a great addition to your diet, adding powerful antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber without a lot of calories.

Nutrition for pilates and yoga

Now that I am finished with my PhD I have time to go out and enjoy life more, and to that end I took my first pilates class on Saturday. Since I am getting older and want to continue running and cycling for many years, I thought it would be a good addition to my weekly workout routine. I looked up the benefits of pilates and found them to include: the ability to build strength and endurance by building lean muscles due to the emphasis placed on repetition; the ability to increase the strength and size of stabilizer muscles; the benefit of a mind-body workout; injury prevention by balancing the muscles in the body; and the development of strength in the core muscles. I enjoyed the workout and found it to be more challenging than I expected.

Being the dietitian that I am, my thoughts naturally turned to nutrition for pilates and similar practices such as yoga. What should you eat to fuel your pilates/yoga workout? I did some research and found that there are two common problems that generally distract people from finding their inner calm: gas and a not-quite-right feeling in your stomach that interferes with concentration. Bear in mind that pilates and yoga do not burn as many calories as aerobic activities so the fueling focus should be on ensuring that you have adequate energy for your workout without making your stomach too full or gassy.

In pilates there is a fair amount of emphasis on working the abdominal muscles, while in yoga certain positions place pressure on the abdomen at the same time you are to be relaxing. Also in yoga you are sometimes in an inverted position which can result in gas production. And everyone passes gas, both as burping and as flatulence. Each person produces about ¾ liter of different gases in their intestinal tracts daily. Flatulence results from fermentation or the chemical breakdown of substances in food by bacteria that live in your colon. Many factors affect this production so here are some practical solutions to curb excess gas production:
• Limit your lactose intake. Lactose is the milk sugar in dairy products and many people are unable to completely digest it.
• Avoid large amounts of the sugar alcohols sorbitol and mannitol. Read ingredient lists as these alcohols are used to sweeten sugar-free gums and candies and when ingested are fermented by colon bacteria.
• Eat small meals especially if your diet consists of high fiber foods like beans and broccoli. By consuming gas-forming foods in smaller amounts you will produce less gas throughout the day.
• Consider adding a probiotic to your daily regimen to help regulate your digestive system.

Now what about focus? If you want to achieve a clear, relaxed mind then you might want to avoid or limit the amount of caffeine you have before a class. Likewise with energy drinks – plain water should be your drink and enough to ensure you are adequately hydrated.

Eating for yoga and pilates requires a careful balance of the right foods at the right time. Eating too much before class and you will feel heavy, gassy, and have trouble concentrating. Eating too little may result in stomach grumbling and light headedness which will also distract you from your calm.

So what is the bottom line? Focus on small meals of high quality fresh foods and plenty of water for hydration. If your class is first thing in the morning try a piece of whole wheat toast with apple butter. If your class is in the evening have a snack in the middle of the afternoon that is high in complex carbohydrates, has a small amount of lean protein, and a small amount of good fat. Try apple slices with almond butter, a slice of whole wheat bread with a few slices of lean turkey meat, egg whites, or hummus, or try a string cheese and a few carrots. Smoothies make great pre- and post-workout snacks too and the options are limitless. Just include some protein (hemp, whey, soy, rice), some fruit, nut butters, oats, etc. Vary the types and amounts of ingredients based on the time of your workout and your individual digestive system.

Keep these tips in mind and next time you do pilates or yoga you should truly find your inner calm.