Small Add Ins That Make a Difference

Stephanie here with an update on cinnamon and other healthy ideas for you to sprinkle in every week that makes a big difference. I'm a big believer that it takes both large and small life changes to have a generally healthy lifestyle.

Large changes = kicking out processed foods and sugars for the most part, cooking meals at home, gym several times a week - all of these take a lot of time and effort.

Small changes = sneaking in flaxseed and cinnamon to every day meals to make them a bit healthier, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, poppin a daily vitamin - these just take a minute to do during the day but can add up to a big difference.

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This post is spurred from my Healthy Smoothie Add Ins post where we chatted about the health benefits of adding in flaxseed [antioxidant rich, prevention of cardiovascular disease, etc] and the benefits of using raw cacao powder [cardiovascular benefits, cancer protection, lower cholesterol, etc] instead of chocolate syrup or other sugary alternatives.

In the March 2013 Prevention magazine had an article about Stabilizing Blood Sugar with Cinnamon. They noted that: Cinnamon has been used since ancient times to aid digestion, and a teaspoon has more antioxidants than half a cup of blueberries. Plus, studies show that cinnamon helps blunt the rise in blood sugar that can occur when you eat a carbohydrate-rich meal—good news, since a spike in blood sugar raises levels of insulin and insulin-like growth factors, which may increase the risks of diabetes, heart disease, and even some cancers.

So why not add it in daily? Even if you can't squeeze in 2 - 4 teaspoons, just adding in 1 or 2 to your morning oatmeal and nightly smoothly is sure to add some taste and health benefits throughout your week.

I also started doing some research on vitamins... so more to come on that!

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