With the winter season and Holidays amongst us, we may find ourselves craving “comfort Holiday desserts” and popular “winter flavors” such as pumpkin spice, peppermint, gingerbread and cinnamon (i.e. pumpkin spiced lattes and gingerbread cookies). While most of the foods and beverages made with these delicious flavors add to your waistline (since they are jam-packed with calories, fat, and sugar), adding cinnamon spice to your Holiday drinks and dishes can actually improve your health and reduce your risk of weight-related chronic diseases (such as Type II diabetes, stroke, and Cardiovascular disease).
Cinnamon is a very nutritious spice from the bark of a family of trees from Sri Lanka, and just a mere teaspoon contains 28 mg of calcium, almost one mg of iron, over a gram of fiber, and quite a lot of vitamins C, K, and manganese. In traditional medicine, cinnamon has been used for digestive ailments such as indigestion, gas and bloating, stomach upset, and diarrhea. More recently, medical research has shown that cinnamon has a mild anti-inflammatory effect and improves brain function. However, the potential health benefits of cinnamon that have received the most attention have to do with its effects on blood glucose and cholesterol and its ability to reduce the risk of Type II diabetes and Cardiovascular disease.
Several studies have shown improved insulin sensitivity and blood glucose control by taking as little as ½ teaspoon of cinnamon per day. Improving insulin resistance can help in weight control as well as decreasing the risk for heart disease. Along with the improvement in blood sugar, these studies have documented improvements in triglycerides, blood pressure, and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.
It is quite clear how beneficial plain old ground cinnamon can be when consumed regularly in a balanced diet. The best part is, that most “comfort foods” and Holiday meals can be “spiced up” with cinnamon: and doing so may just be the thing to put you in the Holiday mood and be good for your heart and waistline at the same time.
So next time you find yourself searching for a tasty (and healthy) Holiday dish, try this simple recipe for Baked Banana Oatmeal Bars with cinnamon spice! These bars are low in fat, high in protein, and loaded with nutritious ingredients. They are great for breakfast, snack-time, pre/post-workout, and even dessert…and your family and waistline with surly thank you!
Baked Banana Oatmeal Bars: (Makes 16 servings, 83 calories, 2g fat, 13g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 3.7g sugar, 4.6g protein) Set oven at 350 degrees and bake for 20-30 minutes.
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
- Almond Breeze Almond Milk, Unsweetened Vanilla, 16 oz (remove)
- Banana, fresh, 2 medium (7" to 7-7/8" long) (remove)
- *EAS 100% Whey Protein Powder, Vanilla, 2 serving (remove)
- Vanilla Extract, 1 tbsp (remove)
- Cinnamon, ground, 1 tbsp (remove)
- Brown Sugar, 4 tsp packed (remove)
- *Bob's Red Mill Whole Ground Flaxseed Meal, 2 Tbsp., 1 serving (remove)
- Old fashion oatmeal - plain, 2 cup (remove)
*In a large mixing bowl, combine unsweetened almond milk with oats and protein powder. Stir in vanilla extract, cinnamon, flaxseed, and brown sugar. Mix well until all blended, then slice bananas and fold into mixture. Spray the bottom of an 8X8 oven dish with non-stick spray, pour in mixture, and bake for 20-30 minutes at 350. (Let sit for 10-20 minutes, slice into 16 bars, and serve).
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