Health Benefits of Pumpkins

Fiber, Vitamin A, few calories - what a tremendous fruit! That's correct, pumpkin is a fruit! Try it in soup, seeds on salads, on the run, while at rest. The flesh is delectable, and the seeds and oil are really healthy!
For most of us, including us at Hull Chiropractic, we look to the pumpkin pies and breads and seeds to enjoy the efforts of the pumpkin farmers. As the pumpkins turn into Jack-o-Lanterns around Halloween and adorn our Indianapolis front porches, many Indianapolis residents saved the seeds to roast and enjoy. Did you know that was a healthy choice? Good for you!
Then, Thanksgiving approaches Indianapolis, and the pumpkin pies roll out. Fascinatingly, early pumpkin pies were actually created in pumpkins! Like we do today, early American settlers would chop the top off and remove the seeds, but they would then fill the pumpkin with milk, spices, and honey and bake the whole thing. Granted, there was no crust, but it was a healthier version of pumpkin pie!
Healthy pumpkin benefits are numerous! It's no wonder that the Native Americans used pumpkins seeds for food and medicine! 

• reduction in arthritis inflammation  and heart disease,
• prevention of osteoporosis in men due to the high zinc content - 71% RDA - in pumpkin seeds
• stress reduction and irritability as the amino acid tryptophan in pumpkin seeds converts to GABA (an anti-stress neurochemical) in the brain
• inhibition of benign prostatic hyperplasia in men
• anti-oxidant protection from free radicals floating around in Indianapolis due to the beta-carotene conversion into vitamin A (Don't you just love the bright orange color beta-carotene gives the pumpkin!),
• support of good vision, eye and skin health, and a strong immune system due to the 246% Vitamin A content one serving offers and
• improvement in postmenopausal women's issues taking pumpkin seed oil like an increase in HDL cholesterol (the good kind) and decrease in blood pressure, hot flashes, headaches and joint pain

From the flower to the inner flesh to the seeds, the pumpkin gives us its all! The flower is edible. The flesh is delectable in so many ways - pies, breads, smoothies. The pumpkin seeds are easy to make and fun to eat! Share some with your Indianapolis friends and family!

Vitamin D and Calcium for Bone Denisty

Bone density and  your skeletal structure continuously evolve over your lifetime, so your body needs calcium to promote healthy growth. Many adults use calcium supplements to ensure skeletal health, but recent studies have shown that long-term consumption of the supplement, when not combined with vitamin D, may lead to an increased risk of heart disease.


To avoid the need for calcium supplementation, make sure your diet is supplying your body with a the recommended levels of calcium and vitamin D. Receiving those essential nutrients from natural food sources will always serve your body better than an additional supplement.

Most adults should be consuming at least 1000 milligrams of calcium daily, and 200 IU of vitamin D. Seek out foods like milk, cottage cheese, dark leafy greens, beans, tofu, fish, and whole oats to provide your body everything it needs to stay healthy.

Five quick tips for building bones:

• Look beyond the dairy aisle.
• Get your vitamin D
• Get active
• Be careful about getting too much retinol (vitamin A) which can weaken bones  
• Help your kids build strong bones.