Cinnamon is another one of my favorite spices to use with a lot of things. Many of us like to add it in our hot chocolate, but I also like to put a coating of cinnamon on my cinnamon flavored QUEST protein bar for breakfast (do you think I like the taste of cinnamon! ). At home we will also replace small amounts of sugar in stove-top recipes, sauces, meat, and vegetable dishes with cinnamon. Replacing a sweetener with cinnamon can help reduce the amount of sugar you consume and improve your blood glucose levels. Not only do I enjoy its sweet and spicy flavor, and its protective benefits against diabetes, I enjoy it for its many other health benefits!
Cinnamon is an antibacterial and antimicrobial agent which means you can use it for household cleaning and making your own natural disinfectant. By diluting Cinnamon Leaf Oil with water, the solution can be used to eliminate odors in a diffuser or as in a spray. There is also a reason why cinnamon is a major ingredient in tooth and mouth products like toothpaste and mouthwash. This powerful ingredient knocks out odor causing bacteria. You can even spray cinnamon oil and water in your gym shoes to refresh them!
Because Cinnamon can kill bacteria, drinking cinnamon tea can alleviate stomach issues like the stomach flu or irritable bowel syndrome. When my stomach is upset or I am bloated, a warm cup of cinnamon tea helps reduce the pain and discomfort. Similarly, cinnamon can help fight PMS syndrome in women because of the manganese content in cinnamon.
Cinnamon is one of the top seven anti-oxidants in the world which repairs the damage of cancer-causing free-radicals in the body. This is why this ingredient is recommended for diabetics as a sweet replacement which also lowers cholesterol and triglycerides. The list goes on and on as far as what cinnamon can do. It’s an all over great ingredient to have on your spice rack!
Cinnamon Apple Healthy Smoothie
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Recipe by ginparo
“This is a healthy smoothie drink that has raw spinach in it, but the taste is masked by apples and cinnamon. Tastes wonderful! Add water to mixture if you prefer thinner smoothie drinks or a little protein powder if you want it thicker.”
When deciding different variety of healthier snacks, this is a great smoothie to make, especially for those who are trying to lose weight. This is also a good alternative for a low calorie breakfast.
1 cup apple juice
1 pear, cored and sliced
1 apple, cored and sliced
1 cup fresh spinach
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup ice
Directions
Pour apple juice into a blender; top with pear, apple, spinach, cinnamon, and ice in that order. Cover and blend until smooth.
