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IBS diet: Pumpkin seeds

13 Comments on IBS diet: Pumpkin seeds

I don’t want to be the person who’s always telling you what NOT to eat. 

There are a ton of wonderful things out there that you can eat and I try to shine a light on these healing foods.

This series is all about the foods you CAN and should be enjoying!

 

Pumpkin seeds

I love pumpkin seeds
I love pumpkin seeds

 


Substituting pumpkin seeds for nuts

I was bummed that I couldn’t eat nuts on my healing diet. They are such an easy, crunchy, savory snack.

But the nicest thing about that deprivation was my discovery of RAW (unsalted, unroasted) pumpkin seeds to replace them. Pumpkin seeds are packed with healing nutrients and minerals. It’s a food I feel good about and makes me feel good.

I bought my pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas) at the store but if you are a super duper DIY type, you can harvest them yourself from pumpkins.

 

What’s so special about pumpkin seeds?

First, they’re an amazing source of zinc, which helps build up and fortify the immune system. They are also packed with a high concentration of minerals.

A quarter cup (about 32 grams) of pumpkin seeds has 73 percent of your daily requirement of manganese, 48 percent magnesium (nervous system and muscle relaxant) and 53 percent tryptophan (the amino acid found in turkey that makes you feel relaxed and sleepy).

Pumpkin seeds are high in phosphorus, protein and iron. It’s a wonder seed. I also think it tastes wonderful.

 

How to incorporate pumpkin seeds into your diet:

Grind pumpkin seeds and use them instead of flour when dredging chicken or fish filets that are covered in egg. Then saute in a pan.

Throw into yogurt, a salad, a veggie saute or smoothie.

Toasted pumpkin seeds (recipe below). Great finger food.

Eat pumpkin seed butter with apples or pears. Replace your peanut or almond butter. I bought my pumpkin seed butter online, here.

 

My favorite pumpkin seed recipe

PUMPKIN SEED PESTO

In a small food processor combine: (play around with the proportions each time you make it to see if you like more cilantro, more oil or more pumpkin seeds).

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
  • 1/2 cup (firmly packed) cilantro leaves and stems
  • add spices like sea salt, cumin, cayenne, paprika or dulse
  • 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped (I am a garlic freak so I add more)
  • 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
You can serve this pesto with fish, use as a veggie dip or as a pesto dressing for spaghetti squash.

 

TOASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

Toss seeds with olive oil and spices like cumin, cayenne, high quality salt and/or smoked red pepper. You can also use curry spices.

Spread out on a single layer on a cookie sheet (use parchment paper instead of greasing the pan).

Bake in the oven a single layer on a cookie sheet the oven/toaster oven st 375 degrees for approx. 10 minutes (watch the seeds because baking time depends on size of the seeds)

Read more about the health benefits of pumpkin seeds here.

Do you cook with pumpkin seeds? Tell me in the comments below.

 

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Angela Privin is proof that IBS is NOT an incurable disease, but a cry for help from a gut out of balance. When the body AND mind are complaining, it’s an opportunity to examine what’s not working and change it. After solving her own IBS mystery almost two decades ago, Angela became as a health coach to help others. Angela uses root cause medicine protocols personalized to the individual to solve each IBS mystery. Her tools are lab testing, dietary changes, supplementation, subconscious mind work and nervous system rebalancing . Learn more here.

13 Comments

  1. pumpkin seeds are a ingredient in Mexican mole sauce…

  2. Wow! I never thought of using pumpkin seeds in those ways. Thank you for sharing 🙂

  3. Pumpkin seeds!!! 🙂
    Such happy memories with pumpkin seeds… I lived in Israel for two years and ate more pumpkin seeds than I want to admit to.
    Will definitely be trying pumpkin seed pesto- it sounds delicious.

  4. These ideas are amazing! I never thought of using pumpkin seeds in pesto. Thanks!

  5. I use flax oil in my pesto, honestly you can't tell the difference.

  6. […] A quarter cup of cilantro and pumpkin seed pesto. Get the recipe here. […]

  7. […] of pasta, is to use spaghetti squash and smother with marinara or dairy-free pesto. Check out my pumpkin seed pesto […]

  8. […] for bread. This was our lunch before our road trip, loaded with cilantro pumpkin seed pesto (recipe here), avocado, feta cheese, parmesan, bacon, homemade mayo and prosciutto. A good way to start […]

  9. Have you ever made basil-based pesto with pumpkin seeds? I’m wondering how that would taste? If i try it (have basil ready for the picking) I will let you know.

    Thanks for the recipes!

    1. I have never made basil pesto. I prefer cilantro. But I have some basil growing in my garden too so maybe I will throw that in next time. Let me know how it goes for you. And thank you so much for your comment.

  10. […] love lots of flavor so I spread my favorite pumpkin seed and cilantro pesto on them and some feta cheese, and doused them with hot […]

  11. […] is a miracle herb that removes heavy metals from the body. One of my healing staples was cilantro and pumpkin seed pesto. Leave out the raw garlic if you are FODMAP […]

  12. I tried your pesto and while it was delicious. This morning I had some diarrhea (sorry for being to forward) I was wondering…could this be because it is so high in magnesium and magnesium causes loose stools?

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