‘Tis the season for pumpkin spice and I am here for it! Pumpkin spice season is the time of year where all of your favorite classic dishes and drinks become pumpkin-ified. While most of these recipes are rich in sugar, there may be a catch. Believe it or not, I’ve recently learned that the actual spices that make up pumpkin spice may contribute to weight loss support.
Instead of adding a pumpkin spice recipe to the growing list, today I’m going to share all of the amazing benefits of pumpkin spice. Plus, ways that you can add it into your diet without overloading on sugar.
What Exactly Is Pumpkin Spice?
Pumpkin spice is the popularized name for a blend of spices that compliment pumpkin-flavored dishes and drinks. It’s made up of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove. These are traditional fall flavors, but became more well known after the rise in love of the PSL (pumpkin spice latte). As delicious as they are when they join forces, each of these spices are packed with their own set of benefits.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a powerful spice used all over the world for many different herbal remedies and medicinal properties. Its antidiabetic, lipid-lowering, and cardiovascular-disease-lowering compounds make it useful for improving metabolism. [1]
Ginger
Ginger is one of my favorite plants. It packs a deliciously potent punch of spice, plus it’s loaded with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antiobesity properties. [2] These all contribute to reduced inflammation, and can help promote healthy weight loss.
Nutmeg
What many people don’t realize is that it’s difficult for our bodies to lose weight, especially fat, when we’re in a state of high stress. Nutmeg has positive effects on our central nervous system and can be helpful for people experiencing anxiety. [3]
Clove
Clove is another powerful spice that contains antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. Higher antioxidants and lower inflammation is a healthy start to losing weight. These both can contribute to an optimized metabolism.
Pumpkin Spice & Weight Loss, Who Knew?
As you can see, each of the ingredients that make up pumpkin spice can contribute to a healthier body and mind – which is the perfect foundation for weight loss. Knowing how powerful these plants are on their own, combining them only increases their positive effects. Adding pumpkin spice to your diet may be a great start to your weight loss journey. Be sure to avoid chowing down on pumpkin spice cookies in the name of weight loss, though! There are plenty of ways to include these spices in your life without overloading on sugar.
Eat Healthy With Pumpkin Spice!
Not everything you add pumpkin spice to needs to be overly sweet! Here are some of my favorite tricks and healthy recipes that call for pumpkin spice:
- Sprinkling it on black coffee or a latte in place of a sweetener
- This healthy pumpkin smoothie
- Adding it to a honey-mustard salad dressing for some added spice
- Crispy pumpkin flatbread – extra spice makes it extra nice!
- Gluten free pumpkin spice muffins
- Adding pumpkin spice to pumpernickel avocado toast
There’s really no wrong way to enjoy pumpkin spice season! Figure out how you like it, and have more of that. Enjoy!
