Sometimes there is a super health food staring you right in the face and you’ve never noticed it. You probably think that you have to turn to fruits and vegetables to get all the healthy food, but that’s not always the case. Last week we learned that dark chocolate has some amazing health benefits. There are a few foods such as chocolate that you may not expect to be super foods, but in reality are amazing for you. But did you ever think about herbs and spices being really great for you? In the world of spices, one remains king and that’s cinnamon.
Why So Good?
The most important health benefit of cinnamon is it’s ability to regulate blood sugar. After eating a heavy carb meal or eating some simple carbs, cinnamon can be your savior. Cinnamon controls blood sugar by slowing the rate at which the stomach empties after a meal. Insulin is in charge of getting nutrients through your blood stream after eating. In the case of a carb heavy meal, insulin will have a negative result. It will bring the carbohydrates through the blood stream quickly, likely resulting in it being stored as fat.
The oils in the bark of the cinnamon are what produce all of the health benefits. The oils hold cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl alcohol and cinnamyl acetate. These oils can help reduce joint pain and stiffness in muscles. Cinnamon has also shown to reduce triglycerides and bad cholesterol. With all the health benefits of cinnamon, it is hard to imagine a reason not to start sprinkling it into your food. The great thing is that is goes very well with foods that are high in carbohydrates. Plus the taste is not too powerful to overcome a meal or dominate the flavor of a dish.
How To Eat?
Cinnamon can be eaten in many different types of food or drink. You should use powdered cinnamon or an actual stick as opposed to oil extracts. The oils have shown to have some negative effects on the body if too much is taken. The great thing is that cinnamon goes well with carbohydrates, especially during breakfast. This will help regulate the insulin response of breakfast, so that your body has a favorable reaction to the food.
Spice things up by adding cinnamon to a variety of different foods throughout the day. The more insulin sensitive your body becomes, the better it is for you. This will help you reach a lower body fat percentage and help you reach your ideal body.
