My Third Baby Step: Cinnamon (February 8th - 14th)

Last week I added exercise (have I mentioned I hate exercise?) as my new healthy habit. Having a “green smoothie” every day AND exercising  has not been easy, but it has felt good. It has also been educational and so I will continually update previous posts with new recipes, tips, and tidbits as I go. 

Since exercise and “green smoothies” are pretty big things to add to your life, I have decided to add an easy healthy habit this week to allow anyone who is trying to add healthy habits with me to catch up and to allow my body (and schedule) to get used to the “green smoothies” and exercise.

So, this week’s healthy new addition is cinnamon. Adding just a small amount (1/2 - 1 teaspoon) of cinnamon a day to your diet can:

1. Help lower cholesterol
2. Regulate blood sugar
3. Help cure yeast infections and stomach ulcers
4. Slow cancer
5. Relieve arthritis pain (when combined with honey)
6. Serve as a memory boost

For more information about cinnamon, please click here or here.

Since I would probably yack if I had a spoon full of cinnamon a day, I am going to add it to my morning coffee instead (along with the soy french vanilla creamer I love).  Adding cinnamon to oatmeal (my sister-in-law’s habit), apples, and toast (with butter and sugar) can also be tasty.

Important Tip!
Choose your cinnamon wisely. The most common types of cinnamon are Ceylon cinnamon (aka "true cinnamon") and Cassia cinnamon. Cassia cinnamon is the most common cinnamon in America and is probably the cinnamon you have in your kitchen (it certainly is the cinnamon I have in mine).

Unfortunately, Cassia cinnamon can have some negative side effects when consumed regularly. Ceylon cinnamon is better for you and should be the cinnamon you use if you are incorporating this new healthy habit into your daily routine. Conveniently, Ceylon cinnamon can be found on amazon.com. Just type in “Ceylon cinnamon” and take your pick.