Summer Treat SINKS Blood Sugar (YUM!)
A lot of people turn their noses up at the idea of eating a healthy, whole food diet.
I love green food – but you don’t have to chow down on lettuce or drink spinach drinks to get the health benefits of eating a clean diet.
In fact, some of the sweetest, tastiest natural foods deliver some of the most surprising benefits, like SINKING your blood sugar levels!
And one of the best happens to be in season right now.
There’s nothing quite like a freshly picked, vine-ripened strawberry.
But if you don’t have access to a local strawberry patch, the ones in the grocery store will still deliver loads of health benefits.
They’re the perfect summer treat. And they’re also the perfect summertime health food.
Strawberries are packed with nutrients that help benefit practically every area of your health. Today, I’m going to highlight four of them.
Gut Health
One study shows that consuming two servings of strawberries per day for four weeks can lead to beneficial changes in gut bacteria. When people stopped eating strawberries, some of those beneficial changes were reversed.
Another study found that eating strawberries significantly increased a specific bacterium that’s beneficial for heart health.
Eating strawberries can also decrease inflammation in the colon.
Heart Health
Can you imagine a doctor writing you a prescription for one serving of strawberries per day to protect your heart?
Sounds crazy, but studies actually show that eating strawberries can improve vascular function and lipid profiles.
In one study, consuming a drink with freeze-dried strawberry powder lowered LDL cholesterol. And another study showed that eating just ONE serving of strawberries per day was all it took to improve cholesterol levels in overweight adults.
Improved Insulin and Blood Sugar
Can a sugary food like strawberries actually improve your blood sugar levels? You bet!
In one study, participants who ate 2.5 servings of strawberries for just four weeks experienced improved insulin function.
Another showed that consuming three servings daily decreased fasting blood sugar.
Reduced Risk of Alzheimer’s
Eating strawberries could possibly even reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s. That’s because people who eat the most strawberries have less neurofibrillary tangles – the hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease – in their brains.
Lower risk of Alzheimer’s… better insulin function… improved gut health… and so much more… all from a treat that tastes more like a dessert than a health food.
This is just one more example of how eating for your health doesn’t have to mean collard greens and spinach drinks.
Eat all the colors of the rainbow regularly, and you’ll supercharge your body with nutrients that support every area of your health.