Eat pumpkin, not candy.

Fall is finally here. That means it is prime picking time for pumpkins. But before you carve up your next jack-o-lantern, do your health a favor and save the insides. Whether you toast and eat the seeds or use a blender to make a puree from the pulp to put in muffins, breads, and soups, the healthy powers of pumpkins are many.

Doctors and health officials consider pumpkins to be a superfood. This nutritious fruit is a great source of vitamins. It's also full of antioxidants like leutin, xanthin, carotenes, and fiber-all of which, your body needs to stay healthy. And just like other nuts and seeds, pumpkin seeds are rich in certain plant-based chemicals called phytosterols. In studies, these chemicals have been shown to reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which is also known as "bad" cholesterol.

Pumpkins contain the antioxidant beta-carotene. This comes from a pumpkin's orange colored skin. According to the National Cancer Institute, beta-carotene may play a role in cancer prevention. Just a quarter cup of pumpkin seeds has nearly half of your daily health requirement for magnesium. Your body needs magnesium for several things, including the pumping of your heart, proper bone and tooth formation, and good bowel function.

These are just a few of the health benefits of pumpkin. So do your health a favor this fall...spice up your diet by adding a little pumpkin to it!