This Halloween, don’t even think about tossing out the guts of your carved Jack-o'-lantern. Pumpkin is a fun and healthy alternative to the season’s ubiquitous candy offerings, and there are plenty of  enticing recipe ideas to put those pumpkin innards to good use.

Pumpkin seeds are loaded with protein, fiber, zinc, iron, and magnesium—as such, they add a nutritious punch to any meal. Here are just a few ideas for dressing up your food with pumpkin seeds:

…Give me something healthy to eat?

Is Halloween candy a trick or a treat? With Halloween around the corner, it’s hard to avoid the temptation of that tiny Snickers square or the small bag of bright orange candy corn. Consuming small portions doesn’t feel as bad as eating an entire bag of candy in one sitting, but those small candy package calories do add up.

If you're trying to get in better shape or just live healthier overall, your Smartphone can be an immensely helpful tool. (Let’s take a moment to thank the illustrious Steve Jobs for allowing that development.) If you enjoy sharing your workouts with your friends or just need some additional accountability, most fitness apps allow you to post to Facebook and Twitter. Here are our top five picks for free to low-cost apps that are designed for people of all fitness levels:

I have had a few cigarettes sparingly since my first taste at 15 years old, but started smoking more heavily when I lived in Europe this past year. Though smoking in general is much more commonplace in Europe than in the United States, I came back to find that it is actually quite characteristic of many cities here, as well, including Santa Cruz.

It seems as if many people in the United States have lost self-control. With an immense deficit and gas-guzzling tanks roaming every street, it is no wonder that we also have a problem sizing the portions of food that we eat. And I’m no exception—I often eat long after I’m full, simply for the taste. This is why I am looking to make a concrete lifestyle change and not simply follow a trendy diet or place immense restrictions on myself for a week or two.

Coffee makes the world go ’round.

There is nothing better than, and nothing that can get me going in the morning like a great cup of coffee, and I know many other people who would say the same. Though I’ll occasionally order mint tea to make myself feel healthy and to appear sophisticated, it is actually the White Chocolate Mocha from Café Pergolesi or Almond Cappuccino from Lulu Carpenter’s that I am always secretly craving. And though both of these concoctions are both dripping in sugar, which is, admittedly, not so great for my body, I console myself with the fact that coffee isn’t as bad for us as it’s made out to be.

I am filled with fresh fantastic memories from a weekend of chaos and costumes, feathers and prayers, hoopers, and stilts, music and swimming, and, of course, yoga, I will try to put words to this overwhelming event, WANDERLUST. I spent this past weekend in Squaw Valley among thousands of self-proclaimed yogis in the thin mountain air sharing food, sun and smiles.  The scene consisted of healthy human souls moving their bodies, sharing raw and healthy food at the coop, listening to music.

Light skin was not the only factor deterring others from noticing I was half-Indian while growing up; my lack of interest towards all Eastern cuisine, besides standard Chinese food, also did not seem to help. I have always treasured my mother’s classic Italian cooking and only barely stomached my father’s aloo gobi (Potatoes and cauliflower) and palak paneer (spinach and Indian cottage cheese). That is, until recently.

Until recently, I had very little reason to ever think about gluten—or the fact that there are many people who cannot eat it. But this all came to my attention when I asked a friend what sort of baked good she would like for her upcoming birthday, and her only request was that it be gluten-free.

A quick guide to finding one of Santa Cruz’s best trails

The best time to explore the trails on the UC Santa Cruz campus is during December, when the students are on their winter break, or during the summer, when they are gone for three months. This summer I have decided to take advantage of the peace that exists in the forests surrounding the campus, which can prove an elusive endeavor when surrounded by so many students.