Better Food Choices for a Healthier You

Sometimes it seems like life is just too busy to eat what we should. New health information about foods can get put in the "to-do when I find the time" file and your body misses out on the benefits. Reaping the benefits of some of the latest health trends is fast and easy, though. Here are a few trendy foods to start eating today.

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! Some good choices for white meats are pork, chicken (the breast meat), and fish. These are usually lower in fat and calories than fatty red or dark meats.

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 cuts of meat are leaner than 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 contains Omega 3 fatty acids and does a lot for your body including improving the cardiovascular system. 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.

It's time to take some of the health information you hear and put it to good use. Start eating these healthy foods today and reap the benefits!