Making your own pumpkin pie spice for weight loss

One of the best things about fall is pumpkin spice everything–lattes, pumpkin pies, scones. But what spices are in pumpkin pie spice? I’m going to make your day by telling you this – you can actually slim down with pumpkin pie spice this fall! Each spice in the massively craved “pumpkin pie spice” (also referred to as “pumpkin spice”) blend has properties to help you lose weight, increase your metabolism and burn fat.

Read on to find out:

• Exactly what spices are in pumpkin pie spice
• Why each spice will help you slim down this fall
• 3 easy ways to use it in your daily meals or beverages
• How to use pumpkin pie spice for weight loss

The ever-beloved pumpkin spice is a blend of:

• Cinnamon 

• Ginger

• Nutmeg

• Cloves

Spices offer a perfect low-calorie (1) way to add exciting and interesting flavors to food, which helps us to avoid or curb the use of salt, sugars and saturated fat. This study called “the Health Benefits of Herbs and Spices: Past, Present, and Future,” also names spices as a “functional food”, which means they have benefits, not just meeting, but exceeding nutritional guidelines. (2) In other words, they’re really good for you!

Pumpkin pie spices: Cinnamon

The first pumpkin pie spice for weight loss is cinnamon. Cinnamon helps the body to produce and regulate insulin (check out the benefits of cinnamon and honey too), which stabilizes blood sugar and helps keep our appetites steady. It also decreases insulin resistance (4), and boosts the immune system (5), the true cornerstone to a healthy life! Better immunity is even being linked to addressing type 2 diabetes (6).

Enjoy my delicious and aromatic cinnamon tea recipe with a gentle kick, which will help you effortlessly add this powerful spice to your daily life.

Pumpkin pie spices: Ginger

The second pumpkin pie spice for weight loss is ginger. Ginger is a well-known metabolism booster and is also very anti-inflammatory (7). Lower inflammation helps us feel that spring in our step and can even reduce joint pain (8), which makes it easier for us to stick to our workout goals. Inflammation is also connected to insulin resistance and, you guessed it, type 2 diabetes.

Where can you add more ginger to your day? Here is a delicious crock pot chili recipe to spice up your dinner routine, and even more, it’s full of surprising benefits!

Pumpkin pie spices: Nutmeg

Nutmeg has digestive aid properties and is high in fiber. Healthy digestion is so important for a healthy body and particularly for weight-loss. Nutmeg is also highly antibacterial and antiviral. No wonder it has become such a staple in the cold and flu season menus!

Shape.com notes nutmeg’s high fiber and manganese, along with its low sodium, making it “a catalyst for breaking down fats and cholesterol – an important process for weight loss”.

Pumpkin pie spices: Cloves

Cloves assist your body in breaking down and assimilating food, particularly food that is higher in fat, according to this study from Penn State University. Like cinnamon, cloves also speed up your metabolism and lower sugar levels in the body, helping to maintain healthy insulin levels, appetite, and energy levels.

Did you know that your pumpkin spice addiction could be this good for you? Of course, if these spices are the minority in a deep-fried doughnut, we don’t give them much of a chance to help us lose weight, do we?

But this classic combination of flavors can add a festive flair and slimming benefits if we use it with the right foods.

Here are 3 ideas for delicious ways to spice up your fall with pumpkin pie spice for weight loss:

1. Pumpkin Spice Recipe: Roasted Veggies

Chop up your favorite heartier veggies like winter squash, sweet onions, Brussels sprouts and/or cauliflower, and roast them in a 400F (200C)degree oven for 35 minutes – 1 hour (until they’re softened,each vegetable is different and Brussels sprouts take 1 hour). Using the warm, sweet twist of pumpkin spice instead of classic savory spices will give you a fun seasonal change to a fallback recipe.

2. Low Calorie Pumpkin Spice Latte (loooove this!)

Instead of grabbing a horrific calorific pumpkin spiced latte from Starbucks, why not brew your own coffee at home, add ¼ tsp of pumpkin pie spice and a little unsweetened almond milk? The spices really transform your cup o’ Joe into a festive treat in a lightly sweet, creamy version that won’t make you feel heavy or crash an hour later.

If you are craving Pumpkin Spice from Starbucks, order a black coffee or a Cafe Americano (espresso + hot water) and ask them to sprinkle pumpkin spice powder in the bottom and top of the cup (skip the sugary pumpkin spice syrup they have).

3. Porridge Recipe with Pumpkin Pie Spice

Fall is the perfect time to start enjoying warm, whole grain breakfast again. Try adding a generous sprinkling of pumpkin spice to your morning oatmeal or quinoa. The fiber and protein of these grains, along with all those spice benefits, will start you on a great nutritional footing and wake up your senses with seasonal flavors.

Indulge in your love for pumpkin spice this fall. Use pumpkin pie spice for weight loss! Enjoy the fall, season with joy, and find yourself feeling slimmer and healthier while you love what you’re eating.

As the holidays come up again, check out these low carb crock pot recipes, or my post that features healthy vegan holiday recipes, including a free e-recipe book to make delicious, flavorful, light recipes!