Good Karma Pumpkin Spice Nog – a review

Fall is here, and pumpkins are wildly popular.  Pumpkins are a main attraction at countryside pumpkin patches and corn mazes.  Pumpkins are stacked near the entrance of every grocery store.  Pumpkin spice lattes are once again a guest star on the menu at Starbucks.  And cartons of Good Karma Pumpkin Spice Nog are tucked in the refrigerator case at Whole Foods Market.

The colorful, orange carton caught my eye as I navigated down the aisle.  I am always looking for tasty treats that also pack a nutritional punch, so I decided to give this drink a try.  The first thing I noticed is that the carton says it’s made with flaxmilk.  I’d previously learned about many other kinds of non-dairy drinks, but flaxmilk was a new one for me.  I took home a carton, poured a glass, and became an instant fan of Good Karma Pumpkin Spice Nog.  It’s rich, creamy, and contains the warm fall spices that we all love.  And it’s way healthier than many other sweet treats.  Read on to find out why.

Goodness in a Glass

Turns out that Good Karma Pumpkin Spice Nog is full of many great nutrients.  Looking at the list of ingredients, you’ll find that this nog does not actually contain pumpkin.  But it does contain the spices that are often used with pumpkin — including cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, cardamom, and anise star.

Flaxmilk, an apparent nutrition superstar, tops the list of ingredients in Good Karma Pumpkin Spice Nog.  According to many articles on the web, research has shown that flaxseeds may reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes.  The impressive nutritional benefits of flaxseeds come from its omega-3 essential fatty acids, lignans, and fiber.

Importance of Balancing Omega-3 and Omega-6

Let’s focus on those omega-3s.  Nutritional experts emphasize that our diets need to provide both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, and they should be kept relatively balanced.  The human body does not produce these fatty acids, so we must obtain them from our foods.  Omega-3s are present in cold water fish (not an option for vegans, of course).  Plant-based sources, such as walnuts and flaxseeds, contain a precursor omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid, called ALA) that the body must convert.

Omega-6s come from processed and fast foods and from polyunsaturated vegetable oils (such as corn, sunflower, safflower, soy, and cottonseed). Check the label of processed foods in your pantry, and you’re bound to find a lot of these.  While we need some omega-6 for important functions such as blood clotting and immune response, nutritional experts believe that the proliferation of omega-6 in the standard American diet has led to increased inflammation in the body.

These nutritionists say that higher levels of omega-6s compared to omega-3s may explain the rise of such diseases as asthma, coronary heart disease, many forms of cancer, autoimmunity and neurodegenerative diseases, all of which are believed to stem from inflammation.  Omega-3 fatty acids tend to decrease inflammation in the body.  So nutritionists suggest that increasing the omega-3s in our diet, with the goal of achieving a better balance of omega-3 and omega-6 acids,  may significantly reduce the risk of chronic diseases.  For people who don’t eat fish, flaxseeds are one of the richest dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acid, exceeded only by chia seeds.

Personally, with a history of early-onset heart disease in my family, I am particularly interested in the ways that flaxseeds apparently help the cardiovascular system.  Studies suggest that diets rich in flaxseed omega-3s may help to prevent hardening of the arteries, maintain the heart’s normal rhythm, and reduce the level of LDL or “bad” cholesterol in the bloodstream.

So sprinkling some ground flaxseeds on your oatmeal or drinking some flaxmilk seems like a great idea.

A Closer Look at the Label

In addition to the great things that Good Karma Pumpkin Spice Nog contains, I like to look at what it doesn’t contain.  According to the label, it doesn’t contain any saturated fat or cholesterol!  I always tend avoid those ingredients whenever possible, so I’m happy to see that.

A closer look at the nutritional labels for eggnog and Good Karma Pumpkin Spice Nog reveals some interesting differences.  The tables below contain a comparison with eggnog, traditionally made with milk, cream, sugar, whipped egg whites and egg yolks.

And as for vitamins and minerals:

* The % daily value is based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your recommended daily intake may vary depending on your calorie needs.

Looking at these tables, I’d say that Good Karma Pumpkin Spice Nog stacks up really well!

All Things in Moderation

Of course, it’s true that Good Karma Pumpkin Spice Nog contains cane sugar.  It’s second on the ingredient list behind flaxmilk.  Nutritionists are now advising us to limit the amount of “added sugars” that we consume.  Of course, the experts still want us to eat plenty of fruit — preferably without any added sugar sprinkled on or mixed in.   Whole fruits contain health-enhancing fiber and are a rich source of disease-fighting vitamins and antioxidants.  But added sugars only add calories.  And added sugars in your diet may negatively affect your cardiovascular system.  They may raise your blood pressure, increase the triglycerides in your blood (causing inflammation), and lead to weight gain.

So I’d suggest enjoying Good Karma Pumpkin Spice Nog as an occasional treat in a healthy diet that emphasizes whole-foods, plant-based nutrition.  All things in moderation!

And One Last Thing to Feel Good About

Good Karma Foods is donating 1% of sales from their seasonal nogs through their Pour It Forward initiative.  They are currently supporting the Teal Pumpkin Project®, which is dedicated to ensuring that kids with food allergies can experience the joy of trick-or-treating on Halloween.  The Teal Pumpkin Project® was launched as an international campaign in 2014 by Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE).  The project raises awareness about food allergies and encourages households to provide an alternative for kids with food allergies, as well as for other children for whom candy is not an option. Participating in the campaign is as simple as painting a pumpkin teal, buying inexpensive non-food treats such as glow sticks or small toys and placing the teal pumpkin on the doorstep to indicate that non-food treats are available.  FARE’s goal in 2017 is to have at least one home on every block in the U.S. with a teal pumpkin.