Scottsdale Health February 2020

nutrition
/ by Gillean Barkyoumb
Sweet
Heart
Health
Spice things up this
Valentine’s Day
Looking for ways to spice things up with your loved one this
Valentine’s Day? Skip the mini chocolate hearts and red roses. If
you really want to show them (and their hearts) some love, get
them a spice rack!
Research shows that certain spices – made from the seeds,
berries, bark, or roots of plants – contain health-boosting
compounds that can help lower cholesterol, boost antioxidant
levels, provide heart-healthy minerals, and more.
Adding these spices to meals this Valentine’s Day will also
add delicious flavor and can make it easier to cut back on less
healthy ingredients like salt, sugar, and added fat.
Gillean Barkyoumb, MS, RDN is a registered dietitian and owner of Millennial Nutrition where she helps millennial
women and moms live a more balanced lifestyle.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is made
by cutting the stems
off a cinnamon tree,
then extracting and
drying the inner
bark. The inner bark
contains a high concentration
of cinnamaldehyde,
which is
responsible for many
of the health benefits
of cinnamon. Studies
show that consuming
cinnamon daily
helps lower triglycerides,
cholesterol,
and blood sugar--the
trifecta of symptoms
that affect heart
health. Aim for 1 to
2 grams of cinnamon
per day, or about a
teaspoon.
TIP: Show your
sweetheart you
care by adding
cinnamon to
their morning hot
beverage (tea or
coffee). As a bonus
benefit, it’s low
in calories and
sugar-free so you
can both enjoy a
flavorful cup of joe
without the guilt.
30 ScottsdaleHealth 02/20