Food is super important to us. We are not able to survive a long period of time without it. Our bodies need food and more importantly the nutrients that come with it. Nutrients keep our body healthy and functional, we need carbohydrates, proteins and fats, as well as vitamins, minerals and water. But why do we eat the way we do?

Fall season is definitely pumpkin season. Besides soups and coffee flavored pumpkin drinks I prefer a healthy salad. This recipe is easy and fast to make and it could be a great side dish for Thanksgiving. For this recipe I used a Hokkaido pumpkin. To prepare this kind of pumpkin, you only have to remove the seeds and fibers before using for cooking, the skin is perfectly edible and does not need to be removed.

Matcha has a long history which dates back nearly a thousand years to the Tang Dynasty in China. The Tang Dynasty spanned the 7th – 10th centuries. During this time tea leaves were steamed and formed into some sort of tea bricks for storage and trade. The tea bricks were prepared by roasting and pulverizing the leaves and boiling the powdered form in hot water and adding salt. During the Song Dynasty preparing the beverage by whipping tea powder and hot water together in a bowl became popular. In 1191, the form of Zen Buddhism and the Chinese methods of preparing tea in powdered form, were brought to Japan by a monk named Eisai – who spend four years in China where he studied. Thanks to social media matcha seems everywhere these days and you can find it in almost any kind of food. The range for use is widely spread in the United States and ranges from tea and smoothies to drinks, cocktails and dishes including matcha powder. But what exactly is Matcha?

Golden milk is a combination of turmeric powder mixed together with coconut milk and coconut oil. According to several books and magazines turmeric is a potent anti-inflammatory that exhibits over 150 potentially therapeutic activities, including antimicrobial activity as well as potent anti-cancer properties. Personally, I prefer having a golden milk every once in a while, sometimes in the morning, sometimes before I go to bed. I prefer 2% milk, unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk.