Cinnamon and Honey: The Dynamic Duo You Need More Of

It is widely known that the key to a health-promoting diet is a variety of whole, nutritious foods.
However, there are certain foods – and certain food combinations – that can greatly boost your wellness quotient if you incorporate them into a healthy lifestyle.
One of the most potent superfood duos out there is cinnamon and honey.
Individually, both cinnamon and honey boast amazing health benefits.
Together, they are a veritable powerhouse.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is an ancient spice, and was used culinarily and medicinally in both ancient Egypt and China. This spice comes from the inner bark of the cinnamon tree, which rolls into a “cinnamon stick” shape when it is dried. These sticks are either used whole, or ground into powdered form.
There are over 100 varieties of cinnamon, although what we commonly consume in the West is cassia cinnamon, which hails from China. Ceylon cinnamon is known as “true cinnamon,” and has a subtler flavor, but it is difficult to find in this part of the world.
This sweet, aromatic spice is rich in minerals, including calcium and manganese. It also contains a number of essential oils with active components, including cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl alcohol and cinnamyl acetate.
These volatile compounds, as well as other antioxidants found in cinnamon bark, have potent anti-inflammatory properties and help to combat disease-promoting free radicals.
Thanks to its essential oil content, cinnamon possesses antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties. A 2013 study published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology found that when cinnamon was added to carrot broth, it effectively controlled the spread of Bacillus cereus, a foodborne bacteria, for sixty days.
The cinnamaldehyde in cinnamon has been found to improve circulation and prevent the unwanted clumping of blood platelets. Because of this, it may aid in the prevention of heart attack and stroke.
Cinnamon is linked to helping to lower blood sugar, as it can slow the emptying rate of the stomach after ingesting food. This improves insulin sensitivity, and can therefore be of great use to individuals suffering from diabetes, as well as those diagnosed with pre-diabetes.
The anti-inflammatory properties of cinnamon make it a key food in relieving multiple types of pain, including joint pain, headaches and menstrual cramping. Furthermore, cinnamon has been linked to boosting cognitive function – just a whiff of its aroma may help to improve focus and memory.

Honey

Honey, like cinnamon, is also an ancient food celebrated for thousands of years for both its amazing taste and potent medicinal properties. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, refers to it as “liquid gold” in his writings.
However, not all honey is created equal.
Processed, refined honey is a far cry from natural, raw honey. Many honeys that have undergone heavy processing no longer contain pollen, which is an important part of real honey’s health benefits. Also, some honey products that hail from India and other parts of Asia have been found to contain contaminants, and even antibiotics and metals.
While a certified organic honey is likely a safe bet, your absolute best source for honey is a local, raw variety.

Raw honey

The importance of finding a raw honey from a local source rests in its ability to help desensitize your body to allergens commonly found in the area where you live. When bees produce honey, they deposit a small amount of pollen into it. Eating a spoon or two of local, raw honey can help build up your immunity to environmental allergens in your hometown.
Raw honey can also be extremely beneficial during a cold or cough. Adding a teaspoon of honey to your tea is not just an old wives tale: it has been scientifically studied to work. A 2007 study performed at the University of Pennsylvania gave either raw honey or Dextromethorphan (DM), a cough suppressant medication, to children between the ages of 2 and 17 who were suffering from upper respiratory infections.
Upon analyzing the results, the study authors wrote: "In a comparison of honey, DM, and no treatment, parents rated honey most favorably for symptomatic relief of their child’s nocturnal cough and sleep difficulty due to upper respiratory tract infection. Honey may be a preferable treatment for the cough and sleep difficulty associated with childhood upper respiratory tract infection."
Raw honey has antibacterial, antifungal and antiseptic properties, and can be applied topically to both disinfect and help heal numerous wounds and skin conditions, including minor burns, eczema and dermatitis. When it is ingested, these properties can help to support your immune system in dealing with pathogens that may make you sick if left unchecked.
One particularly potent type of honey is manuka honey. This honey, which hails from the flower nectar of the manuka tree, native to Australia and New Zealand, has been found to have up to 200 times the antibacterial potency of any other honey. Manuka honey can also help to support healthy gut bacteria, which along with improving digestion may provide a significant boost to your immune system.
Note: Honey should not be given to children under 12 months of age.

When their powers combine…

In both Ayurvedic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine, the combination of cinnamon and honey has been long celebrated. The following are just a few benefits of blending these two superfoods:

• Boosting the immune system to help prevent seasonal illnesses and other infections
• Speeding recovery from colds and other seasonal ailments
• Clearing sinus congestion
• Soothing indigestion and other digestive disturbances
• Aiding in recovery from bladder infections
• Supporting healthy weight loss when combined with a healthy diet and exercise
• Aiding in the prevention of heart disease and other chronic ailments
• Potentially increasing longevity

Both cinnamon and honey taste delicious, and the healing powers of these ancient superfoods are vast.
The truth is, we've barely scratched the surface when it comes to the many benefits of honey.
If you liked today's article, feel free to share with friends and family below.

Read More

Fat Burning Kitchen Report

 Discover 23 HEALTH Foods that are causing weight gain (You've been fooled)
Also discover if your Kitchen contains fat-burning foods or fat- gaining foods


by Mike Geary - Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist
& Catherine Ebeling - RN, BSN
Please continue reading, because in this short article Catherine and I are going to share with you a few simple and easy tricks to turn your "fat gaining kitchen" into a "fat burning kitchen," while also showing you some deceptive "health" foods that are not only making it IMPOSSIBLE for you to lose fat, but also make you age FASTER.

In the next few minutes you're going to discover...

Eating for fat loss is simple, right?
Eat fewer calories than you expend in a certain time period and you lose weight... Eat more calories than you expend and you gain weight... right?
Not so fast!
While it's true that your overall caloric intake vs your caloric expenditure is one of the most important aspects in whether you gain weight or lose weight... there are a lot of factors involved that complicate this, such as:
1. Calorie counting NEVER works!
Almost nobody, and I mean nobody, counts calories accurately.  Controlled studies indicate that the majority of people (between 75-90%) consistently (and massively) under-report their calories consumed when they are asked to track their calories.
I'm going to show you why calorie-counting is completely obsolete (as long as you follow one of the main principles that I'm going to teach you).

2. Appetite control and cravings destroy the ability for most people to ever meet a calorie goal
If your appetite and cravings are out of control, how can you control hunger and actually stay in your goal calorie range for fat loss?  The problem is that most people can't!
There is a trick that you can master that will automatically control your appetite and cravings.
3. Hormone imbalances
If you're eating the wrong foods and don't even know it, this may be disrupting hormone balances in your body and leading you to overeat, decrease your metabolic rate, and other problems that can prevent you from burning off body fat effectively.
If you read below, you'll see how you can reverse these eating habits that are causing hormone imbalances, and turn your body into a fat-burning machine, like it was meant to be.
And don't get me started on the "Food Pyramid"...
The Food Pyramid is an absolute JOKE!
In fact, the food pyramid has mislead almost as many individuals down the depressing road of fat-gain as the crooked food companies and their deceptive food label claims.
So-Called "Health Foods" That Are Causing Your Body to Gain More Body Fat?
I can't tell you how many times I've walked into the kitchen of a client of mine that has hired me for nutritional counseling, and I'm shocked by what I see...
Almost every time, I see their kitchen cabinets and fridge LOADED with foods that they think are "healthy" (or have been deceived by clever food labels into believing are healthy), but in reality are fat-storing traps in disguise.
It's not uncommon to see foods such as:

• whole grain breads
• whole grain cereals
• whole grain crackers
• soymilk
• tofu or "veggie burgers"
• orange juice
• apple juice
• skim milk
• margarine
• pre-packaged "diet" dinners
• gator-ade or other sport drinks
• protein bars (aka - candy bars in disguise!)
• overly processed meal replacements (with more junk than healthy ingredients)
• rice cakes
• pasta
• diet ice cream or diet desserts
• so-called "energy" drinks
• low-fat foods
• low-carb foods
• soybean oil, corn oil, canola oil
• etc, etc

I see this trend over and over again with almost every client when I first inspect their cabinets and the foods that they were buying that they thought were healthy.
What they don't realize is that it's these exact foods that are sabotaging their fat loss efforts, increasing their cravings, throwing their hormones out of whack, and more.
The Simple Solution for Eating a Healthy Diet That Promotes Fat Loss (Permanently)
I'm going to show you that eating for permanent fat loss doesn't have to be complicated.
In fact, if you choose the right foods, and understand how these foods react with your body, this method is a way for you to automatically attain the right calorie level without the need to ever count calories again.
That's why I've teamed up with expert nutrition researcher, Catherine Ebeling, and we've co-authored this new program for you:
The Fat Burning Kitchen:  Your 24-Hour Diet Transformation to Make Your Body a Fat-Burning Machine
by Mike Geary - Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist
& Catherine Ebeling - RN, BSN

Inside this brand new program, you'll find:

• the true secret to making calorie-counting obsolete... this is the same principle that will automatically eliminate your cravings and control your appetite permanently (it's the same reason that I personally haven't had a real "craving" in at least 6 years) -- pg 1-2
• the truth about polyunsaturated fats (omega-6's and omega-3's) that most food companies don't want you to know -- pg.18
• which protein bars or energy bars are actually candy bars in disguise and which bars are actually good for you -- pg.50
• the real deal on saturated fat and cholesterol, and why they are essential in your diet -- pg.59
• the "whole grain" deception and why whole grain crackers, breads, and cereals could be packing on more bodyfat -- pg.9
• why that skim milk may not be so good for you after all -- pg.29
• the one time when tilapia and salmon are NOT health foods -- pg.36
• a healthy fat-burning burger option?  Yes -- pg.60
• why soymilk, tofu, and veggie burgers could be increasing your belly fat -- pg.41
• Are sports drinks stifling your fat-burning? -- pg.46
• The only truly healthy options for sweeteners... even non-caloric sweeteners -- pg.83
• A surprising healthy fat in some animal products that actually helps you burn fat and build muscle -- pg.60
• whole eggs or egg whites?  easy answer -- pg.65
• do diet sodas and other diet drinks hurt your fat loss efforts? -- pg.22
• Is whole milk actually better for you than skim milk?  there's more to the story -- pg.67
• A type of saturated fat that actually helps to stimulate your metablism -- pg. 112
• the one time when chocolate can even help to prevent your sweet tooth cravings -- pg.88
• does green tea or oolong tea really increase your metabolism and help fat loss?  the truth -- pg.90
• which fruits and veggies are okay to choose non-organic -- pg.94
• and TONS more secrets to help you permanently transform your diet to force your body to burn fat more effectively.

FREE Bonus:  6-Part Fat-Burning Nutrition Course - On Video!

(Value: $179, but FREE if you order Fat Burning Kitchen today)
By choosing to try out this program and take charge of your diet for life, I've put together a really cool FREE bonus for you.  I know you probably like to see things not only in written word, but also in video tutorials too.
So I've lined up a series of 6 killer video tutorials (by my favorite nutritionist, Isabel De Los Rios) which will help to clarify where you might be going wrong in your food choices, more tricks to eliminate cravings, and even clever time saving tips you can use to eat healthier automatically (without excessive time spent prepping meals).
She even goes through some great examples of food labels showing where the food manufacturers are trying to fool you into thinking their junk foods are "healthy".  This will help you choose healthier at the grocery store.
This video tutorial series are regularly valued at $179.00 separately, but are yours FREE for choosing this program today.

Try it first, and THEN decide 

Of course, as always, you have our Iron-Clad 8-week 100% money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the program for any reason.
So you can actually try out the program first and start transforming your diet habits and your body, and then decide if this was right for you.  If at any time in 8 weeks, you decide that this wasn't for you, you can simply email us for a prompt and courteous refund.

Let's get you started right away on solving your diet problems for life and creating a permanent fat-burning environment inside your body.

Special Bonus Section Added:
The Super-Advanced Nutritional Tactics That I Used to Go From 10.2% Body Fat to 6.9% Body Fat in Just Over 3 Weeks (23 days to be exact)
 That's right... although I usually stay in great shape year round, I ended up planning a photo shoot recently and needed to drop a couple % more body fat, and I only had just over 3 weeks to prepare for it.
When you're already fairly lean (I was right around 10% bodyfat at the time), that is when it's hardest to lose that last bit of "stubborn fat", so it takes some advanced strategies to get rid of the last bit of fat.
After studying advanced fat loss techniques for years, I knew exactly what I needed to do and it was just a matter of taking action on it.  So I put together all of my most advanced fat loss techniques I've learned over the years and got to work.

 

In this advanced nutritional fat-burning section, I give you all the dirty details about exactly how I went from 10.2% body fat to 6.9% body fat in only 23 days.  Don't worry, there's absolutely no "fluff" in this section with bland and boring generic advice like "eat lots of fruits and veggies"... Everybody knows that...
Instead, this is the real nitty gritty details of everything I ate, meal timing, carb/protein/fat ratios and the exact timing in relation to workouts to maximize fat burning... and the advanced methods I used for the specific types of exercises and workouts that were necessary to maximize fat loss and lean muscle maintenance for such a short time period.
I even give you the details for the really advanced tactics that involved specific foods, teas, nutrients, spices, etc that I used to get the fastest results during these 23 days.
The powerful thing is... if these techniques worked for me, for that hardest to lose "stubborn fat", then it will work even better for you if you have a little bit more fat to lose. 
 These methods should ONLY be used for 3-4 weeks and ONLY on occasion when you need to really drop body fat and get leaner FAST for perhaps an event that you're preparing for... maybe a wedding, or a beach vacation, or a cruise, or your own photo shoot... whenever you need that extra "burst" of fat loss in just 3-4 weeks time frame.
Grab your copy of The Fat Burning Kitchen today, because this Advanced Fat Burning section is so good and so detailed that we'll be selling it separately for $34.95 in the near future
You'll get the entire 23-Day Advanced Nutritional Fat Burning Blueprint Bonus Section for FREE if you order today.

Pre-Sale $30 Discount!

Click The "Add To Cart" Button Below And Instantly
Receive Your Special Introductory Price Of Only $15...
Plus All The Bonuses (Worth Over $237!) 

To Get Your Discount CLICK HERE

I'm confident that you'll LOVE the unique nutrition tips and ideas that you'll gain through this program... You can say goodbye to cravings forever and start eating the right way to turn your body into a fat-burning machine 24/7!
Sincerely,

Mike Geary
Certified Personal Trainer
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Author - Worldwide best seller: The Truth about Six Pack Abs (over 539,000 readers in 163 countries)

Read More

Do You Really Need Vitamin and Mineral Supplements for Good Health or is it Just a Waste of Money?

by Mike Geary - Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal
Trainer Author of best-selling program:  The Truth about 6-Pack Abs


vitamin pillsAs a fitness professional, I receive questions about
vitamins all the time. Questions like…What kinds should I take?
How much? Should I take a multi or just a couple of the important
individual vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin E, or folic acid? Will
they help me lose weight or build muscle?

So with all the talk and hype about vitamin and mineral supplements…..
Are they really necessary for optimal health? After all, every single
news report or health publication swears that a daily vitamin pill is
absolutely essential to your health.

Well, the answer is a definitive….. NO!  (but there's a stipulation)

That is, you don't need a daily vitamin pill if you’re currently eating
a perfectly balanced healthy diet.... and we all know that most people
DON'T eat a perfectly balanced healthy diet.

Let's clarify… a vitamin and mineral supplement might be somewhat
beneficial to you if you have a poor diet.  However, if you’re really
serious about getting lean and truly healthy for good, why would your
diet be poor?  And to complicate matters even more, many vitamin and
mineral supplements are made with synthetic forms of vitamins that aren't
readily absorbed, or could actually be detrimental.  In fact, I've seen
some studies which indicate that artificial vitamin pills can have some
negative effects on health as we'll explore below.

Let’s take a step back and think about this for a second...  Did humans
thrive for tens of thousands of years to be the amazing creatures we are
today by popping an artificially created vitamin pill?  Of course not!
Out of tens of thousands, and even hundreds of thousands of years of human
existence, vitamin pills have only been around for a couple of decades,
yet the population is in worse health than ever before. Sure, maybe the
human race is not in its worst health from a contagious disease perspective,
but we definitely are from a degenerative disease perspective.

Now I admit that we do live longer these days compared to historically,
but that is only because medical advances keep us alive longer even though
we are (generally) in horrendous shape physically. People might live longer
now, but they’re simply living longer while being overweight, crippled with
degenerated joints, plagued with heart disease and cancers, and on and on.
You get the point.

So let us get right to some answers as to why I contend that vitamin and
mineral supplements are sometimes more dangerous to health than beneficial,
and if you eat in the absolute best way, are not necessary.

First and foremost, a healthy balanced diet consisting of a large variety of
natural unprocessed foods -- from healthy meats raised in the correct way,
raw grass-fed dairy (not pasteurized or homogenized commercial dairy),
whole eggs, fruits, vegetables, a small amount of whole grains or sprouted
grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, etc. -- provides a rich array of vitamins,
minerals, and all of the other nutrients we need to thrive in perfect health.

The problem is that many people don’t choose a healthy balanced diet full of
variety and high quality foods. They claim they are too busy, or it’s too
inconvenient. Well, I hope that you take your body and the health of you and
your family more seriously than these people that apparently don’t care about
the physical being that they are walking around in day in and day out.

Another problem with attempting to obtain your vitamins and minerals from a
pill instead of natural foods is that your body does not absorb and utilize
the nutrients from a pill as efficiently as those obtained from natural food.
Whole foods naturally contain vitamins and minerals in natural combinations
that are best assimilated and utlized by the body.

On the other hand, many vitamin and mineral supplements contain lots of
vitamins (sometimes synthetic versions) and minerals that can interfere
with each other. For example, zinc and copper taken at the same time interfere
with each others absorption. Also, high doses of Vitamin E can interfere with
absorption of beta carotene (a vitamin A precursor) and other fat soluble
vitamins. Many other combinations interfere with each other as well.

Another problem with vitamin pills is possible excess consumption of fat
soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K).  Keep in mind though that MOST
of the population is deficient in vitamin D (due to lack of sun exposure, etc),
so it's rare to overdose on that from a pill or food.  Fat soluble vitamins
accumulate in fatty tissue in our bodies, and therefore it is easier to overdose
on these compared with water soluble vitamins (vitamin C and the various B vitamins).
Excess fat soluble vitamin accumulation can cause various toxic effects within
the body. It is much harder to take in excess quantities of fat soluble vitamins
through natural foods.

For example, you would have to consume exorbitant quantities of liver and other
organ meats to take in too much Vitamin A and D. It would be rare for someone
to overeat on foods such as that. Also, it would be hard to over-consume a
plant-based precursor to Vitamin A (beta carotene), found in sweet potatoes,
carrots, etc., because your body simply would shut down the conversion to
Vitamin A once it has obtained what it needs.

There are even some instances where mega-doses of water soluble vitamins can
be toxic. Mega doses of some B vitamins can potentially cause nausea, vomiting,
diarrhea, and even liver damage in excessively high doses. However, in most
instances, you simply excrete excess water soluble vitamins in your urine.
That is why many times, your urine will be a deep yellow color a couple of
hours after taking a vitamin that has high doses of vitamins B and C. So,
when you take a vitamin pill, most of the water soluble vitamins are simply
flushed down the toilet.

Another problem with vitamin pills is that they often use synthetic versions
of vitamins that can actually be unhealthy. For example, the forms of vitamin
E that are found in pills can be either d-alpha tocopherol (a natural version)
and dl-alpha tocopherol (a synthetic version). First of all, the bioavailability
of synthetic vitamin E is much lower than natural vitaminE. In addition, I’ve
seen many studies and articles that indicated that there could be potential
health dangers with taking synthetic vitamin E.

Once again, we get back to the fact that natural is always better than something
that has been heavily modified by man.

The bottom line is that as long as you eat a balanced diet full of a good
variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, small amounts of whole grains
or sprouted grains, legumes, healthy meats, grass-fed dairy, free-range eggs,
etc., you will obtain all the nutrients your body needs to operate efficiently
without the need for a man-made vitamin and mineral pill.

Read More