Pumpkin Spice Energy Bites
By Kate Murray
This article was published in the Reading Eagle Newspaper on 10-10-18 and is being reprinted with permission from the author.
Fall is a great time to return to gratitude and thanksgiving, and there is no better time than the present to refocus your priorities on your health and your family. For the majority of us, our daily commitments are filled with speed, interruption, and competition. It doesn’t have to be this way. If we all take what our grandparents say to heart and begin to recognize that life isn’t a race to the finish line, I think we would all be a little happier, more relaxed and grateful.
Overall wellness is about more than just scheduling time to get a workout in or choosing whole foods over processed. I truly believe that gratitude plays a part in our own wellbeing as well as well how we treat others. In today’s recipe, I’m combining the glorious spices of the autumn season with a tried and true favorite to kick these regular energy bites up a notch. True healthcare reform starts at home, in your own kitchen, not in Washington. I encourage you to plan some time this fall to connect with your children or other family members by taking a walk; enjoy the beautiful autumn foliage or just sit together and reminisce. Put away “Fort-Night” and teach your children to think, process, reflect, and be gracious. Be it ancient wisdom or modern marketing, I’m grateful for whomever invented the combination for “pumpkin spice” because they clearly knew that it’s one of the secrets to keeping people happy in the fall…whether we’re rushing off to enjoy a football game or taking a leisurely walk through the leaves.
Here are a few tips to get you strong and centered so you can refocus on your health and your family:
- Don’t skimp on sleep. Go to sleep at the same time and wake up at the same time every day. Make sure you are not using an electronic device in your bed.
- Don’t go out to eat when you’re too tired to cook. Consciously plan time to shop and prep so that when you are tired, you have a backup plan.
- Don’t skip your exercise routine. It doesn’t cost a thing to go for a walk, so get out there in the cool, crisp, autumn air and take a lap around your neighborhood.
I invite you to join me on Saturday, October 27, 2018 at First Energy Stadium; nurture your inner beauty, eat clean and live well as our community comes together to educate and inspire one another at the 5th Anniversary of the Guts & Glory Wellness Expo. The event is FREE and open to all age. With exhibitors now numbering in the hundreds, you will find healthy cooking demonstrations, free group exercise presentations, a farmer’s market, massage tent, yoga hut, live music, kid’s obstacle course, and much, much more! Bring the entire family for a day filled with education and inspiration to get healthy!
Stop by my table for a FREE SAMPLE of this recipe! Both my Children’s Book, The Plant Pledge, as well as my original book, A Silent Cure in my Back Yard will be available for purchase and signing.
Pumpkin Spice Energy Bites
3 cups rolled oats, lightly toasted (place in the oven at 350 degrees for about 3 minutes)
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 cup pure pumpkin puree
1/2 cup golden raisins (chopped small)
1/2 cup pecans (chopped small)
Zest of a fresh orange
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and fold together with a spatula. Roll into bite size balls and sprinkle with a dash of pumpkin spice (see below). Store in the fridge for up to a week.
Pumpkin Spice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. grated ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. cloves
Kate Murray was one of the founding directors of My Gut Instinct and the Guts & Glory Digestive & Wellness Expo, having served in that capacity from 2012 until 2015. She is an advocate for healthy living and believes that overall wellness is deeply rooted in proper nutrition. Kate is also the Award-Winning Author of 2 books and writes a column on plant-based nutrition that is published regularly in the Reading Eagle, Berks Country section.
