The Benefits of Chewing Sugar-Free Gum!

There are lots of great reasons for chewing gum.  Besides just giving your mouth something to do like blowing bubbles, you could also be keeping your body healthy in other ways.   

For instance, chewing sugar-free gum is a good thing to do especially after eating.  The reason is because the gum neutralizes plaque and lessens your risk of getting cavities. 

Even better for you is cinnamon flavored sugar-free gum because of the natural germ-killing action once you start chewing.  Cinnamon flavored gum can also help keep your breathe fresh for about twenty minutes.

Another reason is chewing gum when stressed can be a great coping tool. 

Chewing gum can also help suppress your hunger.  One study shows chewers snacked less between meals than non-chewers.

You will burn some calories, though only about at a rate of 11 an hour.  Regardless, getting your mouth moving in that chewing action helps the body in that calorie burning way also.

Try a Healthier Baked Treat--My Favorite Oatmeal Scones Recipe!

Heart healthy oatmeal scones

Do you crave sweets most days but hate all those extra calories?  Then you just might like something in between a bread and a cookie like my oatmeal scones.  This recipe has everything I'm nuts over.  It's easy to whip up, a healthier alternative to other more fattening cookies or cakes, keeps well, and most of all--satisfies the sweet tooth when that craving for a goodie takes over!

My Favorite Oatmeal Scones!

2 cups old-fashioned oats
2-1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg  or 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup milk
1 large egg



Heat your oven to 400-degrees.  Mix everything with an electric mixer and then you can drop batter by the tablespoon or with a small ice cream scoop onto your greased baking sheet.  If you want more uniform shapes like I've shown, I pat my hands with a little flour so not to stick and roll into a small ball in the palm of my hand.   You can get 12 big scones.  Bake approximately 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Did You Know About the Health Benefits of Cinnamon?

I have always loved the taste of cinnamon even before learning about the wonders associated with this simple spice, which has antioxidant and antibacterial properties.  In addition, I discovered how as little as 1/2 teaspoon daily can really help lower cholesterol or may improve your blood glucose levels, especially for those people with type 2 diabetes.  Now I'm even more nuts about spreading the word of this powerhouse of a spice.

At our place we like to eat a bowl of cooked oatmeal most mornings.  Old-fashioned is the favorite in our house.  We sprinkle some cinnamon and a teaspoon of sugar over our oatmeal instead of adding milk.  Some days we like to add some raisins to the mixture for some extra iron. 



Other days we like to add a tablespoon of cocoa powder to the water until it is heated, then add your oatmeal and cook as usual.  Add a teaspoon to a tablespoon of peanut butter to your chocolate oats, two teaspoons of sugar and you get a cooked cereal your kids will gobble up.  This stuff tastes like candy--not something that is good for them to eat!

Even when we skip our cinnamon oats routine, I use cinnamon more freely and include it in my dishes whenever possible.