Simply Cin-ful!

It has a long and interesting history. At one point it was considered more valuable than gold – at another it was used to cure athlete's foot. Cinnamon has been thought to have a variety of health benefits throughout the ages. Modern scientist have actually confirmed many of them including: stopping bacterial and fungus growth, preventing ulcers, and improving memory.

For us, the real interest is in its relationship to glucose. We've already talked about a few supplements that help with fat and carb metabolism, cinnamon is (almost literally) the icing on the cake. In a recent study, researchers found that taking a daily dose of cinnamon reduced blood sugar, increased the body's production of insulin, and lowered cholesterol (the bad part, HDL levels remained the same).

Why is this good news? Love handles and beer belly. The fat cells in you mid-section are more sensitive to insulin levels than those elsewhere. Specifically, high levels tend to mean those fat cells will store more up. And with their shared network of blood vessels with your abdomen, they are the preferred warehouse for glucose related fat! Not only does cinnamon help with glucose metabolism, but it keeps your insuline levels in check so that you are less likely to be storing it in you mid-section! (Don't rush out to the store yet, at least finish this blog post and then go.)

So, cinnamon is my final supplement recommendation. Take about two table spoons a day. If, you aren't going to buy it as a supplement (that's what I do, sooo much easier – both to keep track of and to remember), then keep in mind these two things:

1) make sure you are buying real cinnamon not powder that taste like cinnamon

2) don't...and I mean DO NOT try to eat it by the spoonful. Why? Well, I'll let the video do the talking.

Weight loss update – lost another pound. Down to 260 for a total of 15 lbs lost.