Why I'm a "Cinnamon Girl "
cinnamon, antioxidant, cardiovascular, diabetes
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I'm so not kidding. I have a friend who actually gave me that nickname because of my love of all things cinnamon, from altoids to Cinnamon Dolce lattes, candles to body butter, I surround myself with the spicy sweet scent of this heavenly bark.
Of course, not all things laced with cinnamon are good for you. We're all familiar with its most common use, combined with sugar and baked into high caloric treats. The fatty results: cinnamon buns, cinnamon sugar toast , cinnamon swirl raisin bread... and of course, cinnamon apple pie. But without the sugar, cinnamon's effect on your health is better than good: It's fantastic. In fact, it's emerging as a true wonder food in terms of health protection.
Research has linked the copper-colored stuff with reduced blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in people with
type 2 diabetes, and a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that adding a little more than a teaspoon to rice pudding even helped tame blood sugar in people without diabetes. Cinnamon also contains polyphenols, antioxidants that create healthier arteries and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. The spice's energizing scent has also been found to help increase alertness.
Best part: cinnamon is easy to add to food you already eat and makes everything taste better. Both ground and stick forms are equally healthy, but sticks have a longer shelf life (one year, compared with 6 months for ground). No need to grind your own; pre-ground store-bought is as good as fresh ground and saves the hassle. Aim for 1/2 to 1 1/2 teaspoons (or one to two sticks) a day.
Try these tricks to get more of the nice spice.
Add 1/2 to 1 1/2 teaspoons to hot oatmeal or cold cereal, or a tablespoon to pancake batter.
Mix 1/2 teaspoon into 2 tablespoons peanut butter and spread onto celery sticks.
Microwave 1 cup soy milk and 1 teaspoon honey for 1... read entire entry
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on 9/24/2008
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