Fresh in Store 2/9/21

Mushrooms – Portobello
Mushrooms – White Button
Broccoli
Cabbage – Green
Cauliflower
Carrots Table Grade
Apples – Braeburn
Pumpkin – Grey Crown
Squash – Supermarket
Agria – unwashed
Kumara – Beauregard
Kumara – Red
Onions Brown NZ

Store specials

Kiwifruit Green %10 off this week while stocks last

Orange Juice 10%off this week while stocks last

FOCUS ON PUMPKIN

1. Helps Weight Loss

If you’re looking to shed a few pounds, you might want to add pumpkin to your diet. It has a good amount of fiber, boasting of 1.7 g in a cup of pumpkin seeds, 3 g in mashed pumpkin, and 7 g in canned pumpkin. Fiber is just what your digestion needs to make things a lot smoother and a heavy dose of fiber every day can help with weight loss.

2. Boosts Immunity

Getting sick often? Struggling to recover from a nasty cold? You need pumpkin in your diet. From fighting against infections to keeping your bones strong, vitamin A has a truckload of responsibilities. And this particular vitamin is extremely high in pumpkin.

3. Improves Eye Health

Did you know eating a cup of canned and cooked pumpkin can give you 200% of your daily vitamin A? This particular vitamin is important for sharper vision, better performance under dim lights, and to keep your eyes in good health. Also, the chemical components of pumpkins reduce the risk of cataracts and development of other optical issues.

4. Maintains Heart Health

Pumpkins are great for the heart thanks to their fiber, vitamins, and potassium. When you eat a diet rich in fiber, it helps to protect the heart from ailments.⁶ Also, a good intake of potassium is proven to reduce the risk of stroke.

Magnesium is another reason why you need to eat pumpkin. It’s a vital mineral for your heart. Even a slight deficiency can create changes to the heart.⁷ It’s important for the pumping of your heart, for healthy blood vessels, and to reduce the risk of heart attacks. And all you need is just a quarter cup of pumpkin seeds to meet half the magnesium requirement for a day. Pumpkin seeds were also found to lower LDL aka “bad” cholesterol.

5. Reduces Cancer Risk

A pigment known as beta-carotene is the reason why pumpkins get their deep orange color. But this particular pigment is not just known for its color. When consumed, beta-carotene turns into vitamin A in our system. Also, several studies claim diets rich in beta-carotene and zinc reduces the risk of cancer, especially prostate and lung cancer.

By adding pumpkin (rich in both beta-carotene and zinc) into your diet, it should help lower the risk of cancer. Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in men. Another study found out beta-carotene also reduces the risk of colon cancer.

6. May Help In Diabetes

There are a few studies that suggest eating pumpkins could help lower blood glucose levels and improve the production of insulin. But it needs further studies.

7. Prevents Skin Aging

Pumpkins can work wonders for the skin as well. They help delay signs of aging (thank you, beta-carotene), increase collagen production, and brighten the skin. Because of its strong vitamin A and C presence, it allows the skin to remain soft and smooth.¹²

8. Boosts Mood

If the thought of eating a yummy pumpkin pie puts you in a good mood, here’s news for you. Eating pumpkin works wonders for your mood. Pumpkin seeds have a high amount of tryptophan, a type of amino acid that is the building block of a mood-lifting neurotransmitter named serotonin. Research has revealed that deficiency in serotonin can lead to anxiety and depression.

9. Improves Sleep Quality

Since pumpkins are rich in tryptophan, they could also act as a sleep stimulants. Tryptophan produces serotonin and this, in turn, relaxes and calms you, so you eventually fall asleep. A few experts even claim this could be the reason why people tend to sleep after a heavy Thanksgiving feast.

10. Boosts Male Sexual Health

An interesting study has proven that even smelling pumpkin pie can set you in the mood for a little action between the sheets.

There are also links between eating pumpkin seeds and raising testosterone levels and increased sexual desire. The seeds are rich in zinc, making them useful to tackle erectile dysfunction. Low levels of zinc were found in men who experience erectile dysfunction.

11. Reduces Inflammation

Pumpkins have been found to decrease inflammation. One study revealed that pumpkin seed oil could provide relief from arthritis and reduce other inflammatory effects. It was also noted that pumpkin seed oil functioned like arthritis medication.

12. Reduces Risk Of Bladder Stones

One study found out munching on pumpkin seeds helped reduce the risk of bladder stones. It also helped decrease bladder pressure, increase bladder compliance, and reduce urethral pressure.

13. Improves Women’s Health After Menopause

Menopausal women can heave a sigh of relief. A recent study revealed pumpkin seed oil reduced postmenopausal signs. This includes headaches, hot flashes, and joint pains.

Pumpkins are pretty versatile. You could make smoothies, desserts, energy bars, curries, and a lot more. Just experiment and happy munching!

RECIPES

Paleo Fritata

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350.
• In an oven safe large sauté pan or 10-inch cast iron skillet, heat avocado oil. Add the mushrooms to the pan when hot. Sauté the mushrooms for 8 minutes.
• When the mushrooms are brown and the liquid is cooked out add in the sausage, onion and garlic. If you are using sausage in casing, remove from casing before browning. If you’re using links, pre-chop them.
• While the sausage mixture is cooking, in a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, salt, pepper and pumpkin puree.
• Cook sausage until browned, about 5 minutes. Pour eggs into the pan and allow to cook for 2 minutes. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes until eggs are browned on the edges.

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Healthy Pumpkin Spice Latte

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