Overindulge This Christmas? Good For You!
Ah…the holidays. Full of happiness, togetherness, food. And more food. So if you got a little crazy with the goodies yesterday, first of all, join the club - you’re certainly in good company. Secondly, don’t sweat it. Because a lot of those “nasty” foods pack some extra special health punches. So go on, enjoy. You still have one more week until those New Year’s resolutions kick in.
Candy Canes:
- Did you know that candy canes can make you smarter? The scent of peppermint increases beta waves in the brain, which are associated with alertness. In one study, subjects who sniffed the heavenly sent of peppermint whilst working on a task completed it faster and more succinctly than those who were exposed to other scents or to none at all.
- BONUS! - Peppermint is also an appetite suppressant. Grab a candy cane before your next potluck to head off out-of-control noshing.
Christmas Cookies:
- Glory be, science has shown its worth once more by proving that Christmas cookies can hedge the stress of the season. In fact, patients inhaling the scent of vanilla felt 63% less anxiety during an MRI scan than others.
- BONUS! - Researchers at Duke University have found that the fat in baked yummies increases mood-boosting endorphins and serotonin in the brain.
(Next page: Chocolate, Hot Cocoa, Cinnamon, Red Wine)
Chocolate:
- Ever hear of a cardiologist that promotes eating chocolate to his patients? Dr. Michael Ozner does. The physician and author sings the praises of au chocolat (especially dark), saying the sweet, dreamy wonder contains flavonols which prevent heart attacks and stroked by increasing blood flow to the heart.
- BONUS! - Chocolate also decreases bad cholesterol and works a lot like aspirin to reduce platelet stickiness.
- For more info on heart-healthy living, be sure to head over to A Hearty Life.
Hot Cocoa:
- While we’re talking chocolate, let’s throw some love over to the pick-me-up equivalent of java, hot cocoa. Cocoa is loaded with theobromine, a stimulant that is jitter-free, unlike caffeine.
- BONUS! - Hot cocoa also boasts phenylethylamine, a hormone that revs up the brain by zooming oxygen over, making you a fast-on-your-feet thinker.
Cinnamon:
- Cinnamon prevents diabetes? Who knew? In addition to cinnamon’s other finally-noted super powers, scientist are now finding that cinnamon actually lowers blood sugar levels or stabilizes the sugar found in gooey desserts.
- BONUS! - Just a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon a day may lower blood sugar by as much as 30%, which may be enough to keep diabetes from developing in the first place!
- For more goods on diabetes, head over to Diabetes Notes.
Red Wine:
- Ahhh, red, red wine. We already know this jacked-up grape juice is great for our tickers, but now we know that those who are wine imbibers also run a reduced risk of cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration compared to those who never sip the spike.
- BONUS! - Not a drinker? No prob. Grape juice without the oomph can have much of the same effects.
Not feeling so guilty now, are you? Who knew these goodies once thought to be on the “Naughty List” could actually be so great? Go ahead and enjoy! Your body will thank you.
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