Cinnamon: my spice of choice! And here's why...

Cinnamon has become my spice of choice on almost everything I eat!

I realize not everyone loves it.....but it seems like those that DO love it.....reallllllly love it too!

I've always loved cinnamon.

My mother loved to bake.....and the smell of warm cinnamon takes me right back home in my heart!

But that is what blows me away today.....I don't use it for baking!!

I consume it in surprising ways.....thanks to my autoimmune protocol journey!

Did you know that cinnamon has many healing properties?

Or do you even know what it really is?

It is a spice that is derived from the inner bark of several tree species.....that curls into the strips known as cinnamon sticks. It is then ground into powder.

Health Benefits:

It has many healing properties:

.....it is loaded with powerful antioxidants

.....has anti-inflammatory properties

.....may cut the risk of heart disease because of its anti-inflammatory properties

.....helps to reduce the level of total cholesterol

.....lowers blood markers for type 2 diabetics

.....has been shown to dramatically reduce insulin resistance

.....lowers blood sugar

.....may have beneficial effects on neurodegenerative diseases

.....may lower your risk of cancer

.....appears to fight bacterial and fungal infections

.....may help fight HIV

WHOA!!!

Now does this mean you reap the benefits when only consuming it along with butter and sugar and ooey-gooey cinnamon rolls??

No.....probably not.

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EIGHT unique ways to incorporate cinnamon into your diet:

~Sprinkle about 1/2 tsp into your morning coffee. Or 1-2 tablespoons into your coffee grounds basket before you make a pot of coffee.

~Add cinnamon daily to your morning oatmeal (or in my case NO-OATmeal). I add about 1 tsp to a full blow for breakfast.

~Add cinnamon to taste to your daily smoothies.

~I have even started to add cinnamon into my morning green juice!!! I saw this done at my local Farm to Juice and tried it at home....and it is soooo good! Once you have juiced your fruits and veggies...just sprinkle about 1/2 tsp into the glass and stir! It's surprisingly good!

~I use a hefty amount in my stirfry....and I eat stir-fry at least every other day! I pretty much never eat any form of meat without it now! I love it on ground venison, ground beef, chicken, pork....and even my salmon!

~I sprinkle cinnamon over my giant daily salad too! Yep....just sprinkle it on dry just as anyone would sea salt or pepper! Well...I also use Himalayan pink salt...WITH cinnamon and toss with avocado chunks! Yum!!!

~I use it when roasting all my veggies...especially my sweet potatoes!

~I use it when cooking veggies in my new air fryer!

Now....listen up!

It is true in all things.....you can always overdo it!

There are two types of cinnamon on the market...one is Ceylon (true cinnamon) and Cassia. Cassia is more affordable and what most stores carry. Cinnamon contains a compound that can be toxic if too much is consumed. The Ceylon (true cinnamon) variety has much less of this compound. So it is a safer version to use if you use cinnamon a lot...like I do! You can find the Ceylon variety in health food stores and on Amazon.

So if you love the smell and flavor of the savory and aromatic spice.....incorporate it into your daily diet! It's actually really good for you!

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See you next week!

XOXO,

Tracey