2/02/2009

Decide on Higher Quality Food for Your Health

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed at all the information on the latest nutritional foods that are good for you. But I know my body will be missing out if I choose junk food. So the next time I'm at the store I'm going to remember these three foods, cinnamon, lean meat and acai berry.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon has been making headlines lately, and for good reason. It can make a huge impact on your health. A study published in the June 2007 edition of the Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that subjects that ate more than a teaspoon of cinnamon a day lowered their normal elevations of blood sugar.
Many experts agree that adding at least ½ tsp to 1 tsp of cinnamon a day to your diet can speed up the body's metabolism. It also stabilizes blood sugar levels by stimulating the release of insulin. It also decreases the build-up of plague, which can cause clogs in the heart. Cinnamon also works as an antioxidant, which can slow down cellular damage, free radical damage, and vulnerability to chronic disease.
Better Meat
Red meat is full of fat and heart damaging properties. White meat is a great alternative. White meat has been in the news for years, so it's time to get on the boat! Pork (known as "The Other White Meat"), chicken breast, and fish are all great white meats that are lower in fat and calories.
My local grocery store sells Laura's Lean Ground Beef. It comes in 4% fat and 8% fat. That's awesome. The 4% variety gets me mostly protein and hardly any fat. Your store may have similar varieties.
When shopping for pork, look for cuts with the words "loin" or "round" in their name. These are leaner cuts of meat than the others.
"Eat more fish" is one of the biggest healthy eating newsflashes today. Why? Fish contain a large amount of essential fatty acids such as omega 3 and omega-6, which help with good brain function. Fish can do a lot more than that, though! Fish oils can be used to prevent, treat, and cure angina, arteriosclerosis, congestive heart failure, heart attack, arrhythmias, peripheral vascular disease, and stroke. How does it work? Fish oil keeps the elasticity of artery walls healthy, reduces blood pressure, stabilizes heart rhythm, and it prevents blood clotting. Fish are also low in fat.
Açaí Berry
The tropical açaí berry (pronounced ahh-sigh-ee) made headlines when it became touted by Oprah as the new "super food". This little berry is a powerful, and tasty, little food that should find its way into your diet for a number of reasons.
The purple açaí berry from the Amazonian rain forest has some of the highest levels of antioxidants found in foods. Acai berrys contain small amounts of protein, essential fatty acids, fiber and phytonutrients. A study by the University of Florida found that, in a cell-culture model, açaí berries caused leukemia cells kill themselves in 86 percent of the tests, so they may be an effective preventive of some forms of cancer.
The fresh form of açaí berries cannot be found outside of the Amazon because the berry becomes rancid very quickly. You can buy açaí berries in a dry powder form that can be added to smoothies, milkshakes, juice, and other types of foods at many health food stores and on the internet.
Stop letting good health news go in one ear and out the other. Start eating these healthy foods today and reap the benefits!

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