Dr. Laura,
I am an avid listener to your program and respect all of the advice you have to offer. I was listening to your podcast from October 24th, 2012 and your opening commentary was regarding "How to Curb your Cravings'. You made a comment saying "no one craves pumpkin seeds", in which I assume implies that pumpkin seeds are healthy.
I must be one of the few people who crave pumpkin seeds (haha I shouldn't admit that) but I would like your listeners to know that this is not necessarily a good food option. I don't drink, smoke or use any type of drugs. I exercise daily and take care of the body I have been given.
When I discovered pumpkin seeds I was immediately hooked by all of the nutrition they had to offer me (plus they taste soooo good). It is very true pumpkin seeds contain very high levels of necessary nutrients including phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, vitamin K, L-tryptophan (known for promoting good sleep and lowering depression), zinc, vitamin E and B vitamins (and the list goes on).
I enjoyed this health miracle as my "snack" for 3 straight months. Low and behold, the pounds started adding up. I did some extra research on my snack of choice and this is what I found: A tablespoon serving (about 5 or 6 seeds) contains 19% daily value of fat (12% daily saturated fat) and 57 calories per serving.
Eating 5 pumpkin seeds hardly seems like a "snack" to me. I was downing at least 30 seeds a day which at minimal equates to about 350 calories per day.
Long story short, throw a few seeds in your salad for optimal health benefits, but by no means call them a healthy snacking option.
Dr. Laura, thank you for being the mother I never had.
Xoxo,
Kat
