Sunday, December 21, 2003


how cappuccinos could save your life

once again dear readers, this stuff is too good to invent: researchers have found that regular consumption of a hearty dash of cinnamon -- just like you toss on top of your steaming morning cappuccino -- seems to improve blood sugar levels in those with diabetes and also benefit cardiovascular health.

this is fascinating news, because as everyone has surely observed, not a week goes by without drastic stories in the media about the current epidemic of diabetes. and many people, due to lack of exercise and poor diet, are said to be unknowingly in the grip of something called "pre-diabetes."

i know the coffee, filled with antioxidants and polyphenols, is good for you; i know the calcium in the milk is good for you; and now we know the cinnamon topping is good for you too.

it's time to declare the cappuccino a health food. try having two 5 or 6 oz. ones a day. . .with skim milk, if you're calorie-counting. or heavy cream, if you're carb counting! whatever works for you!

you can increase the drink's health benefits by including a strong dash of unsweetened cocoa along with that cinnamon. research has also shown that pure cocoa powder is amazingly rich in cancer-fighting antioxidants as well.

just skip the white sugar and try splenda or the other replacement sweetener of your choice instead.

and speaking of what works for you, this cinnamon thing strikes right at my post earlier this week on the ayurvedic rasayana.

a lot of people ribbed me about it; but one i eat does seem to include cinnamon! who knows what other beneficial effects researchers will in future find in spices?

certainly ayurveda does prescribe spice mixtures to be taken in food, tea, coffee, and even to be eaten as jams. if the cinnamon research bears out, we may find that there is something to this wacky-sounding stuff after all!

once again i find it of interest that famed yoga teacher p. jois drinks several small cups of coffee every day. he is said to take it with high-fat buffalo milk, honey, and saffron, as well as other spices.

i bet that includes cinnamon -- and you can't deny he's running around the globe teaching classes at well over 80. . .

i urge readers to view all this with a skeptical eye. in things yoga, you must try for yourself. then your own experience can be confirmed by science as it catches up. . .

posted by fortune | 12:12 PM | top | link to this | email this: | | | 0 comments