Cinnamon – Attention Grabbed!

Cinnamon cimannin cinnammmmmmon. I’m hoping by the end of this entry, you’ll put this stuff on, in, and around everything.

 

I was reading about lime water and a Blogger suggested warm cinnamon tea with lime. There are always quills of cinnamon in my kitchen, and Zach got me into putting ground cinnamon in all my smoothies. I always knew this Sri Lankan spice was really good for you but the first time I drank Cinnamon Tea with Lime I felt an energy and clean efficiency that I knew I had to tell the world about.

Cinnamon in History

Canela aka: Cinnamon, played a major role in World History. The Bible mentions Moses using it in a holy oil, the Egyptians used it to mummify each other among many other uses, and part of the reasons Europe expanded into Asia were due to cinnamon being so valuable and profitable. It’s obvious that humans have been loving cinnamon ‘since the beginning’ so it’s worth adding to your arsenal.

 

Alternative Uses for Cinnamon

Cinnamon is rich in antioxidants, meaning it’s filled with the molecules that will keep free radicals from forming. We don’t like free radicals because they cause cell death, start cancers and other serious diseases. Cinnamon helps keep you young, by inhibiting the main cause of aging (cell death) and all it takes is a teaspoon per day!

Back in the day it was used to keep meat from spoiling and recent research has proved cinnamon oil is more effective as a food preservative than many chemical preservatives. This research also proves cinnamons powers as an anti-fungal, anti-microbial, antiseptic, antibiotic, and it can kill germs.

 

Scientists have also learned cinnamon is a natural anti-inflammatory, it keeps your blood from clumping and clotting, and it helps your body regulate blood sugar. This must have been the cause of the jolt of energy and physical efficiency I felt. My blood was flowing better, and my body was responding to cinnamons ability to slow down how quickly my stomach empties, giving my body more time to absorb blood sugar instead of feeling that food baby, or the itis, known as jartura here in the Dominican Republic.

 

So if you have diabetes or heart disease in your family, are prone to infections, eat a lot of heavy carbs and basically for anyone who is alive, cinnamon has been proven to SPICE up your health. The coolest thing about all this research is how effective cinnamon is no matter the quantity tested; small amounts or huge amounts, the results were instant and impressive. Even just a dash of cinnamon right now will improve your health.

 

In addition to the digestive benefits of cinnamon when ingested, it’s warming scent is enough to immediately improve brain functions like memory, attention, and motor speed. Also, studies have shown cinnamon oil to be just as effective in killing mosquito larvae than the environmentally damaging chemicals used in most insecticides. In fact, it’s a household secret to put cinnamon bark in your sugar jar to keep ants away.

 

Cinnamon Production

If you’re wondering how cinnamon arrives at your table here’s a quick lesson in the production: the cinnamon tree can grow pretty tall, but farmers usually trim the tree down after about two years of growth so that it can grow in hedges, and is easier to access. The cinnamon trunk will sprout out a bunch of stems on it’s sides to compensate for the inability to grow tall. Then the branches are shaved to make strips of cinnamon bark. As they dry in the sun, they roll into the pretty quills you know and love.

 

Summing it up

• Cinnamon is originally from Sri Lanka, the bark is shaved then dried to form the quills that are later ground to a fine powder.

• It’s a natural preservative, antioxidant, antifungal, antibiotic, antimicrobial, antiseptic, & anti-inflammatory.

• Smelling it helps you remember more, react faster, and pay attention.

• Mosquitoes and ants hate it.

• It helps regulate blood sugar dramatically so it’s important to add a dash to carb-heavy meals.

 

How to implement Cinnamon in your diet TODAY

Start your day boiling cinnamon bark for warm cinnamon tea with lime, reuse the cinnamon quills for your favorite dishes since it’s already soft. Add it to all your smoothies and desserts, season your meat with it, mix a bit into your leftover food so it holds longer, and thank mother nature for gifting us with such a perfect spice.