Sptlyäy Tymoor Warrff Springs, Oregon
Page 11
N o v em b er 13; 2013
OSU Extension
Did you Know
♦ Pumpkin is the only fruit or vegetable to contain
three different carotenoids (antioxidants): beta caro
tene, alpha carotene and lutein
♦ The top pumpkin-producing states are Illinois,
Ohio, Pennsylvania and California with about 90%
of the processed pumpkins are grown in jfe .' /
The pumpkin is most popu
la r a r o u n d H a llo w e e n a n d
Thanksgiving, more for it’s orna
mental characteristics than any
thing else. Butthis great gourd has
m ore value than being a carved
lantern of a tasty holiday dessert.
D id you know that diets that in
clude pumpkin have been shown
to b e protective for diabetes?
Pum pkin pulp and seeds
h ave also been associated w ith’
lower risks o f gastric, breast, lung,
colorectal and prostate cancers.
A K orean study show ed pum p
k in w as used in treatm ent o f in
testinal parasites and edem a re
lated to pregnancy.
A nd p um pkin seeds have
been show nto low er cholesterol
as m uch as flax seeds or barley.
L et’s stop treating the pum pkin
like a H allow een toy and give it
the kudos it deserves. Pumpkins
are great and pow erful warriors
in the fight against chronic dis
ease.
A s one o f the largest in the
w inter squash family, pumpkins
g row to a usual w eight o f 4-8
poiinds (although there are some
giant varieties), The word pum p
kin originates from the G reek'
w o rd p e p o n . m e a n in g la rg e
melon, although they are thought
¡ io be native to N orth A m erica;
since the oldest pum pkin seeds,
dated betw een 7000 and 5500
BC, w ere found in M e x ic o ..
Pumpkins are very versatile
since they can be boiled, baked,
s te a m e d , r o a s te d , c h u n k e d ,
mashed and pureed. They can be
« used in soups, stews, chili, lasa
gna, pancakes, breads, muffins,
.cakes and o f course, piesj.fSee
p a g e 4 f o r recipes) M o st parts
ofthe pumpkin are edible includ
ing the flesh or pulp, the shell (yes
the shell is edible), seeds, leaves
and even flow ers. The flow ers
have ajsyteet flavor and can be
used in salads but be sure to pick
‘only the jn a le since th e fem ale
flowers grow into the pumpkin.
- P u m p k in s a r e n ’t s c a ry
'gourds to be avoided o r given
consideration only once a year.
They -are good sources o f p ro
tein, healthy fats, antioxidants and
other phytochem icals th at our
bodies need to fend o ff disease.
I They are low in calories w ith no
's a tu r a te d fat o r ch o lestero l.
They’re high in fiber, vitamins and
minerals. T hey can add a splash
o f color to, any m eal and can be
a powerful ally in your fight against
diseiase.
♦ Colonists removed seeds and filled pumpkins with
milk, spices and honey then baked in hot ashes cre
ating the original pumpkin “pie” :
♦ ^Native Americans roasted long strips of pump
kin in an open fire and made them into mats
♦ In colonial times, pumpkin was used for the crust
of pies, not the filling
♦ Adding pumpkin to your diet may help curb your
appetite
♦ Pumpkins are really fruits
♦ The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 2009
pounds (Sep 28, 2012) m
♦ Pumpkins are 90% water
♦ Libby’s, part of the Nestle Corporation, pro
duces 85% of the pumpkins in the US
♦ Pumpkins have no cholesterol (no plants have
cholesterol); :
♦ Pumpkins originated in Central America
♦ Pumpkin flowers and leaves are edible
♦ Pumpkins are members of the vine crops family
called cucurbits
Sotirce: University o f Illinois Extension
| Here crimes a pow erful SuperFood. Pum p
You m ay have noticed a com m on them e referencing the ben
efits o f dark leafy greens, especially kale, am ong other green veg
etables. G reens and other darkly colored vegetables are am ong the
healthiest foods o n earth. B ut current researdh also indicates that
bright orange foods like pumpkin, along w ith reds and yellows^are
also loaded With pow erful nutrients and plant com pounds that sup
port health. Oranges, red and yellow Suits and vegetables are loaded
w ith beta carotene w hich is a yellow-orange pigm ent that gives fruits
ahd ve’ggies th eircolor. In our bodies, beta carotene is converted *
into Vitamin A, which is important for healthy skin, im mune function.
and eye health. The advantage to consum ing b eta carotene over
straight Vitamih A is that Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, a n d ex-
cess am ounts can be toxic. But the body only converts only as m uch
betacarotene to Vitamin A as it needs, therefore elim inating risk o f
toxicity. Beta carotene is apow erful anti oxidantw hich protects body
tissues and cells from damaging free radicals. Free radicals are m ol
ecules w ith a lonely unpaired electron, h i order to,pair up that elec
tron, they scavenge and steal electrons from healthy tissues. N ow
the formerly healthy tissue with an unpaired electron m ust steal from
another to pair up it’s electron. This creates a chain reaction o f dam
aged tissues and cells leading to aging, wrinkles, plaques build up,
heart disease, stroke and cancer. Antioxidants help by donating elec
trons to free radicals, w ithout creating another, stopping the chain
reaction and neutralizing damage.
Beef Quality Assurance:
Basic Cow-Calf Certification Workshop
W hatisBQA?
el'l N ationally coordinated, state
implementedprogram
^ { P ro v id e s common, sense hus
bandry techniques, along with sci
entific knowledge to raise cattle un-
der optimum management and envi
ronmental conditions
Who Should Attend?
4 Allicattle producers
) All cattle producers in need of
recertification (recommended every
3 years)
Why Should You Attend?
4 Upholds consumer confidence in
valuable beef products
4 Protects the beef industry from
additional and burdensome regu
lation
j Demonstrates commitment to
food safety and quality
V Enhances herd profitability
through better management
) Safeguards the public image o f
the beef industry
) Improves sale value o f marketed
beef cattle
Dec 4th, 201,3 Maupin, O R -
Maupin Community Center, next to
City Park For mòre information -
call 54,1-565-3230 or sJ ï-2 9 6 -
5494 fi pm to 4 pm)
The program will consist of
2-hour workshop training, fol
lowed by the certification exam.
C ertificates will he mailed within 2 weeks. A workbook will be provided.
kin is one o f the rich est sources o f carritenoitis
know n to man. Just one 1/2 cup serving provides
m ore than tw ide the recom rhended daily intake
(R D I); The tw o m ost p o ten t carotenoids a r e a l
pha and beta carotenes, w hich are bo th found in
pum pkin. B e careful. Studies h av e show n th at
beta carotene supplem ents m a y have negative
side effects. It appears the health benefits are seen
w hen carotenoids are found in th eir w hole , food
form, creating a synergistic symphony o f nutrients.
L eutin carotenoid has b een show n to pre
vent m acular degeneration, and cataracts.
C ryptoxanthin carotenoid has b een found
to reduce risk o f lung cancer a nd is som etim es
used as a food colorant.
Zeaxanthin carotenoid is one o f the tw o
carotenoids found in the retina. It filters U V light
to protect against age-related m acular disease and
is used to treat eye disorders.
Pumpkin seeds contain all 9 essential amino
acids, and are particularly high in arginine The
seeds are also high in phytosterols w hich can
low er blood sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides.
P um pkin seeds are good sources o f m inerals
magnesium, copper, selenium, iron and zinc. Vi
tamins in pum pkin seeds include folate, B6, thia
m in, pantothenic acid and Vitamins C and E.
I Seeds also contain m ono unsaturated fatty
,acids including oleic acid, a m ono- unsaturated
fat, w hich helps lower LD L cholesterol and raise
‘H D L cholesterol, and alpha-linolenie acid, an es
sential om ega 3 fatty acid instrumental in reduc
ing inflammation. T heoil derived from pressing
pum pkin Seeds appears green or red and is some
tim es called “green-gold.” It has a n u tty flavor
but cookingpumpkin seed oil destroys it’s healthy
om ega 3s so it is m ore often used in salads or in
.cold desserts.
2013 Beef Industry Tour:
Nutrition and Health Management for Cow-Calf
Operations
• B asic C oncepts on C attle N u trition and H ealth M an ag em en t- F ara B ru m m e r- O regon State
University.
• Energy and Protein Supplem entation for, C ow -C alf Systems - Dr. D avid B ohnert - Oregon State
University] E O fR C - Burns
• Feeding F at for Optim al H ealth, Production, and R eproduction in Cattle -
D r,
R e in a ld o
Cooke - O r e g o n Staff.U niversity, E O A R C -B u rn s
•B reak - R efreshm ents Proyipled H
• M ineral Supplementation to Enhance B eef Cattle Performance and Health - Dr. John Arthington -
U niversity o f F lo rid a —RC R EC , O na
D ecem ber 10th, 2013
1:00 to 4:30 pm
OregonStateUniversity
T he D alles, OR - Shilo Irih $ 2 2 3 Bret
C lodfelterW ày'
F or registration, call 541-565-3230 or 541-
296-5494
$30 - R egistration F ée
N eed-Based Scholarships available (up to 5
participants)
F or m ore information, please visit the B eef
Cattle Sciences Website (http:/(' T
beefcattle.ans.oregonstate,edu) ,
Beef-Cattle-Sciences.