The Perfection of Pumpkins for your Midlife Health
Throughout the winter, there is always a pumpkin in my pantry and a bag of peas in my freezer. I need them, along with zucchini, to make this delicious risotto below.
The rich orange colour of pumpkin, not only brightens up meals but peas add protein to the meal.
Peas are pulses and have long been important components of the human diet due to their content of starch, protein and other nutrients. I find that women are spending so much money on pea protein powders these days, but these powders are heat-generated and lack fibre, which is essential to a healthy gut microbiome.
Futhermore, pumpkin is important for eye sight and after a day on my computer, the beta-carotene helps my ageing eyes. But there is something else that midlife women might like to know – the beta-carotenes in pumpkin are also important for bone health.
Beta-carotene is a carotenoid, which like carrots, the carotenoids in pumpkin create the orange colour. These carotenoids provide anti-inflammatory benefits to the body, especially to an ageing body that is moving through menopause.
Inflammation is an integral part of many physiological functions of ageing and, as a consequence, as women move through menopause into post-menopause, there may be numerous changes to the balance of our organ systems, which contribute to an inflammatory response. This term is now known as ‘inflammaging’.
For decades, a number of research studies have been conducted on the active ingredients of pumpkin peel, flesh, and seeds along with their health-related impacts, which have demonstrated its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticarcinogenic, antidiabetic, and antihypertensive properties, associated with this climber for diabetes. [Batool et al., 2022].
That’s why, in all of the MyMT™ programmes, my focus is not ‘just’ on hormonal balance, but also on the interventions that target inflammatory pathways and restore a regulated inflammatory response, specific to the menopause transition. Research shows that these are promising strategies to prevent disease progression [Neves & Sousa-Victor, 2019].
Which is why pumpkins are an important component in the foods that we need to eat as we get older. The beta-carotene in pumpkins plays a role in heart disease protection as well as cancer risk reduction and bone-health protection. [Kulczyński et al., 2023].
For those of you who are at your computer or on your phones a lot, then please add this perfect Pumpkin and Pea Risotto to your family meals when you can.
I mention this, because beta-carotene is the most suitable and important precursor for vitamin A and in the body. We need vitamin A for good vision and eye health as well as for a strong immune system, and for healthy skin and mucous membranes.
Sources of carotenoids are primarily both yellow-orange-red vegetables and fruits, including red peppers, carrots, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes, among others, and green vegetables (e.g., broccoli, spinach, and kale), in which carotenoid pigments are masked by the presence of chlorophyll.
The MyMT™ KITCHEN: One-Pot Pumpkin and Pea Risotto
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 – 6 cloves of garlic
- 2 sprigs of rosemary (or 2 tbsp of dried rosemary)
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 cup of risotto rice (or brown rice if you prefer)
- 3 cups of veggie stock (you may not use all of this)
- 1 butternut pumpkin
- 2 courgettes
- 1 cup of peas
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Parsley, spinach or rocket for serving
METHOD:
1. Heat the oil in the pan and then add the onions, Gently cook for 3 – 4 minutes until softened and then add the garlic and herbs and fry for a further 3 minutes.
2. Add the rice and stir well so it is coated in oil.
3. Add in a ladle of stock and stir. Simmer for 15 minutes, adding a ladle each time the liquid has reduced and stirring every couple of minutes, until the stock has all reduced.
4. Add in the chopped butternut pumpkin at the same time as the first ladle of stock. The butternut will take longer to cook then the courgette and peas.
5. Add in the courgette and the peas when the rice is half way cooked. Keep adding stock every time it reduces until you are happy with the consistency.
6. Once the risotto is cooked, add the lemon juice and salt and pepper until you are happy with the taste. You may need more lemon juice and salt and pepper depending on the amount you make.
7. Serve with any herbs or greens of your choice. I personally love parsley with my risotto.
Bon appetit!
References:
Batool M, Ranjha MMAN, Roobab U, Manzoor MF, Farooq U, Nadeem HR, Nadeem M, Kanwal R, AbdElgawad H, Al Jaouni SK, Selim S, Ibrahim SA. Nutritional Value, Phytochemical Potential, and Therapeutic Benefits of Pumpkin (Cucurbita sp.). Plants (Basel). 2022 May 24;11(11):1394. doi: 10.3390/plants11111394. PMID: 35684166; PMCID: PMC9182978.
Darvin ME, Sterry W, Lademann J, Vergou T. The Role of Carotenoids in Human Skin. Molecules. 2011 Dec 16;16(12):10491–506. doi: 10.3390/molecules161210491. PMCID: PMC6264659.
Gavril, R. N., Stoica, F., Lipșa, F. D., Constantin, O. E., Stănciuc, N., Aprodu, I., & Râpeanu, G. (2024). Pumpkin and Pumpkin By-Products: A Comprehensive Overview of Phytochemicals, Extraction, Health Benefits, and Food Applications. Foods, 13(17), 2694. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13172694
Neves J, Sousa-Victor P. Regulation of inflammation as an anti-aging intervention. FEBS J. 2020 Jan;287(1):43-52. doi: 10.1111/febs.15061. Epub 2019 Oct 9. PMID: 31529582.
