Raw Pumpkin Puree

PUMPKIN!!!!! PUMPKIN PUMPKIN PUMPKIN PUMPKIN PUMPKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How can you ever have fall without pumpkin? Carving, Pies, and pumpkin...well..everything!

So it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that the minute I got the opportunity, I bought myself a pumpkin and carved the heck out of it. Kudos to anyone who can guess what I carved. If you can, leave a comment below telling me what or who you think I carved!

Here's a hint:

Making raw food from pumpkin, however, is a bit harder if you don't do it right. Most pumpkin purees involve boiling the pumpkin to soften it enough to use. With this in mind, I set out to create a delicious pumpkin puree without having to cook it. So this is what i've come up with.

Pumpkin Puree

Ingredients:

1 Pie Pumpkin

1 Apple

-Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out all of the seeds and insides. An ice cream scoop works excellently for this. Then core the apple.

-Cut up the pumpkin and apple into small pieces or cubes and put those pieces into a juicer.

-Put both the pulp and the juice into a food processor or blender and blend until the texture is smooth. Add water if needed until everything is smooth.

-Enjoy!

I also saved some of the juice just for the sake of Harry Potter references

Finally, a pumpkin puree that a raw foodist can partake of. Some people just settle for carrot puree and say you can't tell the difference, but if I want some pumpkin then i'm gonna have some pumpkin!

Pumpkin is also one of the nutritious fruits available (yes, its a fruit). Not only the mineral rich flesh, but the seeds are also incredibly good for your body and in many cases considered one of the healthiest foods on earth. But I didn't really use the seeds in this recipe in this post, so lets save that for another day.

I'm not big on counting my calories since I really dont need to worry about it with a raw diet but for those of you who are, there are only about 40 calories in every half cup of this puree! It contains a load of beta-carotene, which is basically just Vitamin A when its in the body. Vitamin A is awesome for your vision and helping to reverse skin damage. Also this vitamin is not too bad at boosting your immune system so when its combined with the vitamin C that's in here, its a perfect food for those winter colds.

It also has about 5 grams of fiber for ever 1/2 cup so your digestive system and cholesterol levels will both thank you for that. The Vitamin E in here will help your skin and the vitamin B5 will help to balance out your hormones.

So not only is this stuff going to taste incredibly good in a pie (a recipe for that is coming), but its also amazingly healthy for your body too! I added the apple in here to give it some sweetness for desserts, but you don't really need it if you plan on using this recipe for a soup. Expect me to be eating this stuff all month long!

Whats your favorite pumpkin recipe? And did anyone get what I carved?

-Andrew D. Morrison-

USDA's Evil Little Secret

I am so sick and tired of people falsly telling the world what to eat. I'm sick of it! Now before you continue reading this, i'm going to warm you that I do argue against the government just a little bit in this post, but I am NOT planning on protesting outside of city hall in an attempt to make a statement for change in what I truly believe in.

As many of you health minions of mine know, the USDA comes out with a little something every ten years known previously as a My Food Pyramid, although recently it has been changed into My Plate. This guide is essentially the American guideline for what healthy eating supposedly should look like. You can either look at the chart and decide what you need nutritionally based off what you eat, or you can simply go to ChooseMyPlate.gov and have it do everything for you based off of your size and level of activeness.

2005:

2011:

As this may be an excellent conversion from what it has been in the past, the opinions of the USDA have shown to be over-biased for the past couple of years. I mean, think about it. Grains can be found in a chemically-enriched and overly processed piece of bread according to their standards. Meat can easily be greasy and fried as long as its 4-6oz a serving. Not to mention that even a milkshake is considered dairy under their standards. Sounds to me like the equivalence of any fast-food restaurant i've ever walked into.

I will admit that the increase in fruits and vegetables is a plus but by their daily allowance, it could very well be one of those extremely sugary fruit cups packed in syrup that a majority of American kids currently pack in their lunches. Why would such a "loving" government who "cares" for its people ever wish to harm the citizens of out nation?

The answer is actually incredibly simple and has been going on since the foundation of our country. The United States Department of Agriculture gets a large bit of its money from big-buisness farmers and drug companies. When food began to become studied in the late 20th century, protein was thought to be the absolute most important thing for you. Everyone needed protein and you couldn't be strong without it. Meat, being a sufficient source of protein, was then raised and bred to feed our nation. It has always been about getting as much protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and whatever else we've been told, despite the source of our information.

What we fail to realize is that our bodies need good, whole food to be sustainable instead of the overly processed chemical dumps our bodies have been put into. "FIBER" in big bold letters on the box catches your attention and you automaticlly think thats what you need for a healthy diet. So what is it do we need?

Do we need foods that have been grown in horrible conditions and covered with pesticides?

No.

Do we need food that has been canned, cooked, or processed?

No.

Do we need "enriched" foods where all of the healthy parts are replaced with man-made chemical vitamins and minerals?

No!!

Do we need sugary fiber bars and get-slim-now milkshakes?

HECK NO!!! (They taste gross anyway)

We need food that is not only going to bring nourish and sustain our bodies, as well as are going to fill our soil back with nutrients. We need foods that don't require the counting of calories to keep the weight off. What we need for optimum health is food that will teach us to trust our bodies so that we cleanse ourself out and learn to trust our bodies and know what we need. Optimum health is not going on a diet and getting a few nutrients a day. Nutrition can even be a cure for any illness you may have when done right. Getting more and more of one nutrient is not what we need.

Perfect health is when all of the nutrients in your body work together in perfect harmony. So sorry My Pyramid. Sorry to mess up your little USDA plan. Lets see what you guys come up with next time.

-Andrew D. Morrison