Articles archived for June 2011

Hi, y’all! It’s been a while, I know. How have my fantabulous readers been doing?

Summer is here! Woo hoo!

You may think cinnamon is only for a hot bowl of oatmeal in the wintertime but it isn’t. And I’m feeling cinnamon love lately so I decided to share with you the health benefits of cinnamon and give you a few ideas of how to incorporate this delicious, healthy spice during the warmer months.  

Fun Fact!

“Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices known. It was mentioned in the Bible and was used in ancient Egypt not only as a beverage flavoring and medicine, but also as an embalming agent. It was so highly treasured that it was considered more precious than gold. Around this time, cinnamon also received much attention in China, which is reflected in its mention in one of the earliest books on Chinese botanical medicine, dated around 2,700 B.C.” – WH Foods

Cinnamon is more than just a spice you can mix with sugar for your toast or something you can sprinkle on your oatmeal in the morning (just a couple of examples that seems to be pretty familiar with folks overall). It not only packs a powerful punch on taste, but provides some cool nutrients our bodies definitely appreciate.

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A few health benefits that may come from consuming cinnamon:

1. enhanced brain function
2. more stabilized blood sugar
3. preventative colon and heart health

Cinnamon is also known to have anti-clotting and anti-microbial properties.

“Seasoning a high carb food with cinnamon can help lessen its impact on your blood sugar levels. Cinnamon slows the rate at which the stomach empties after meals, reducing the rise in blood sugar after eating. Researchers measured how quickly the stomach emptied after 14 healthy subjects ate 300 grams (1.2 cups) of rice pudding alone or seasoned with 6 grams (1.2 teaspoons) of cinnamon. Adding cinnamon to the rice pudding lowered the gastric emptying rate from 37% to 34.5% and significantly lessened the rise in blood sugar levels after eating. Am J Clin Nutr. 2 007 Jun;85(6):1552-6.” – WH Foods

For even more information on cinnamon and its nutritional value, click here.

Some of my favorite ways to get the health benefits of cinnamon follows….

Overnight Oats

I’ve made a pretty wide variety of overnight oats concoctions but haven’t only posted a couple of my recipes. Both recipes are below and make for a super yummy, cold and refreshing breakfast or snack during the hotter months.

Coconut Peanut Butter Overnight Oats <—Click link for recipe.

NuttzOats <—Click link for recipe.

Fun Fact!

“Cinnamon is the brown bark of the cinnamon tree, which when dried, rolls into a tubular form known as a quill.” – WH Foods

Cinnamon-Honey Tea

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Ingredients:

1. honey of your choice

2. cinnamon of your choice

3. cup of hot water

Directions:

1. Pour 1 teaspoon of  honey in your cup.

2. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in your cup.

3. Pour hot water, stirring as you pour to mix well.

4. For hot weather, add ice and a wedge of fresh lemon. In colder months, sip while hot and warm the bones!

Note:

You can add honey and cinnamon to your tea of choice (whether it’s plain, old-fashioned Lipton or green, nettle leaf, etc.).

Other Cinnamon Ideas

1. herbal tea concoctions

2. sprinkled (generously) on a baked sweet tater

3. in iced coffee

Did you run and check your cupboards only to find you’re fresh out of cinnamon and/or honey? You’re in luck! With a few clicks, you can order  and have it delivered right to your front door.

If you’ve found yourself needing them, you can order honey here and order cinnamon here.

What’s your favorite way to consume cinnamon? Do you love the spice? Hate it? I love to smell it, eat it, drink it… What about you? Do you love adding honey to cinnamon like I do? Spice up the comments with your answers!

Credits:

Cinnamon Benefits and Nutrient Chart: WH Foods

Photo source