Today’s Health Tip ~ Want to Spice Up Your Life?

Cayenne PepperMay Be Just What the Doctor Ordered

Cayenne peppers are fantastic sources of antioxidants and other plant compounds that protect our cells and promote health,” says registered dietitian Alexis Supan, RD. Antioxidants, along with related compounds like flavonoids and carotenoids, are compounds naturally found in plants. These compounds protect our cells against damage from harmful substances in the environment. They fight the processes that age our cells to help keep our cells young,.Cayenne peppers can protect heart health in several ways. There’s evidence that capsaicin can protect against inflammation in your body. Inflammation plays a role in many different diseases, including heart disease. Cayenne peppers can keep blood vessels healthy and may help lower blood pressure. Researchers found that people who regularly ate chili peppers were 13% less likely to die than people who avoided spicy fare. The reason? Spice lovers had a lower risk of heart-related diseases like heart attacks and strokes. Lots of people associate spicy foods with heartburn or an upset stomach. There’s also evidence that spicy foods like cayenne peppers can boost the good bacteria in your gut. The microbiome is a community of bacteria in your gut that are important for a healthy immune system. Capsaicin may help promote a healthy microbiome.

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Today’s Health Tip ~ Is It Time to Chill the Grill?

The Way You Prepare Your Food Dramatically Effects Your Health

Grilling, frying, and deep-frying are all popular methods of preparing meat and fish.However, during these types of cooking methods, several potentially toxic compounds are formed. These include:

    • polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
    • advanced glycation end products
    • heterocyclic amines

All of these compounds have been linked to several health conditions, including cancer and heart disease.

Healthier cooking methods include:

    • baking
    • broiling
    • poaching
    • pressure cooking
    • simmering
    • slow cooking
    • stewing
    • sous-vide

These methods don’t promote the formation of these harmful compounds and may make your food healthier.

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Today’s Health Tip ~ Is It Important to Lose Belly Fat?

It’s Time to Lose a Little Around the Middle

Excessive abdominal fat, or visceral fat, is a uniquely harmful type of fat distribution that is linked to an increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. For this reason, your waist size and waist-to-hip ratio may be much stronger markers of health than your weight.

Cutting refined carbs, eating more protein and fiber, and reducing stress (which can reduce cortisol, a stress hormone that triggers abdominal fat deposition) are all strategies that may help you get rid of belly fat.

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Today’s Health Tip ~ Close the Door on Sugary Drinks

Sugary drinks like sodas, fruit juices, and sweetened teas . . .  increase the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, even in people who are not carrying excess body fat (2Trusted Source).

Sugar-sweetened beverages are also uniquely harmful for children, as they can contribute not only to obesity in children but also to conditions that usually do not develop until adulthood, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source).

Healthier alternatives include:

    • water
    • unsweetened teas
    • sparkling water
    • coffee

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