By If you want to lower your blood sugar to increase your fat-burning potential — read on
Let me fill you in on this one — as it’s a strategy I’ve used for many, many years. I love adding this very delicious spice to everything I make — sweet or savoury. That spice is cinnamon! Cinnamon is one of the best spices to lower blood sugar, fight diabetes and, of course, help us battle the war against glucose moving into our cells and stored as fat! We want the fat cells to release energy to be used as frequently as possible! This powerhouse is filled with antioxidants and lowers blood sugar after meals. When you eat a lot of carbs, blood sugar can shoot through the roof. When this happens, our bodies can increase the rate of oxidative stress and inflammation. This puts our bodies at risk of chronic disease. One study discovered that 1.2 teaspoons of cinnamon served with rice pudding lead to slower stomach emptying and lower blood sugar elevations. This is in comparison to eating that very rice pudding without the cinnamon (1). Other studies suggest that cinnamon may lower blood sugar following meals by blocking digestive enzymes that break down carbs in the small intestine (2).So, how can this help you with weight loss? The answer is simple. Cinnamon helps regulate blood sugar in the body by increasing insulin sensitivity. Increased insulin sensitivity, as opposed to insulin resistance, will keep your insulin levels balanced, consequently reducing fat storage & eliminating cravings. If you don’t enjoy the taste of cinnamon, there are many supplements available, although I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t like cinnamon, as it’s delicious on anything and everything!
Here are some ways you can add cinnamon to your high carb foods & lower your insulin response.
- Sprinkle cinnamon on your sweet potatoes — they come out nice and caramel-like (add turmeric into the mix for a more Middle Eastern flavour)
- Put it in your soups — especially lentils.
- Add cinnamon to fruits like apples, watermelon, pears and even oranges — anything higher on the glycemic index.
- Add cinnamon to your ice cream, yogurt and your creamy creations.
- Oats and cinnamon with honey are to die for!
- If you want to add cinnamon to meats, try Jerk spice. That’s got the right amount of cinnamon as well as a variety of other spices.
- It’s a great topper for your tea, cappuccino or black coffee.
There are so many ways you can dress your meals up with cinnamon. But, unfortunately, your imagination only limits you.