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If you are one of those people who drinks a smoothie or shake every morning, it can be assumed that you are already pretty health-conscious. To blend fruits, veggies, healthy fats and sometimes supplement powders first thing in the morning means that you are already making several good health decisions before 9am.
Shakes are great for on-the-go (when we know that skipping breakfast is pretty much the worst thing you can do). Plus, so many fiber-rich fruits and veggies, like raspberries and carrots, work perfectly in smoothie recipes. All of these factors lead to better digestion, boosted immunity, reduced risk of illness and improved health overall.
If your health goals involve losing weight–whether it be a few extra pounds, or a more substantial amount–health experts say that you can take your shake recipes up a notch by adding one of two key spices to the mix: cinnamon or ginger!
Ginger
Ginger has many health benefits, board-certified physician nutrition specialist Dr. Melina Jampolis explains in her book "Spice Up, Live Long." In addition to reducing the risk of blood clots, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure, improving brain function and lowering our blood glucose levels, ginger can also help you more easily lose weight or prevent weight gain, she says. "It promotes a healthier microbiome, and the spices that reduce insulin levels also help to lower excess fat storage, especially visceral fat," she continues. Plus, "it tastes great in smoothies (especially along with fresh or frozen peaches)." Yum!
"Ginger reduced the body mass index (BMI) of obese women in one study after they ate two grams (approximately 1/2 teaspoon) of ginger powder per day," the host of "Practically Healthy by Dr. Melina" podcast continues." It slightly increases the number of calories we burn, helps with satiety (fullness) as it reduces the amount of food we eat, and improves the health of the gut microbiome."
Cinnamon
Quality cinnamon, aka true cinnamon (ceylon cinnamon) can be a great anti-inflammatory, registered dietitian Trista Best tells us. "This form of cinnamon is full of antioxidants including rutin, catechins, and quercetin. These compounds stimulate the immune system and are also responsible for reducing inflammation," she explains.
Why is this important for weight loss? "Chronic, low-level inflammation causes oxidative stress in the body that leads to chronic conditions, among which is obesity."
"Cinnamon helps to lower the glycemic effect of many foods and drinks. By lowering the glycemic effect, the rate in which foods turn to sugar is slowed down," health and wellness expert Dr. Matt Chalmers continues.
Not only will this reduce the insulin response, but it can also help reduce the number of sugars in your blood stream that will eventually turn to fat (or create extra inflammation)," he explains. Ah, makes sense!
We can't wait to try some new shake recipes with these two new health-boosting spices.
