As I walked past my local Starbucks this morning, an aroma hit me so deliciously, that I was propelled into a state of festivity, despite my resistance!
Cinnamon – the smell of Christmas.
Now I have recently moved house, and my energy has been focused on juggling new house stuff with work stuff and play stuff… so I’ve had little chance to focus on Christmas stuff!
Ever since I heard Mariah Carey’s infamous holiday shrills on the radio in October, I had shut myself off from premature Christmas craziness, vowing only to return on December 20th.
But it is November 23rd and I am officially feeling festive. Sorry October Scrooge self. I am a fully fledged Christmas Fairy!
Before I begun penning some lists of present ideas and decking the halls of my new town house, I whooshed into the supermarket this morning and picked up an alluring bundle of cinnamon sticks.
Of course Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without this definitive sweet-meets-spicy herb, but it could be very beneficial for your health too…
First of all, a little background please… Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices known to man. It is traced back to the Middle Ages where it was traditionally used as an appetite stimulator and digestive soother. It is derived from the inner bark of various Cinnamomum trees.
So how can it help you?
Cinnamon is excellent for keeping your blood sugar levels stable. It trains your obedient blood sugars to balance like poised gymnasts, keeping your energy levels stable and your cravings and crashes in check. It is thought to be the unique constituents, chalconoids, which are behind this action, which credits cinnamon with its link to reducing the risk of heart and kidney disease as well as Type 2 diabetes.
Those chalconoids are also known to be antifungal and antibacterial, and this is where cinnamon acquired its healing halo!
A smooth-running digestive system is conducive to good health, and cinnamon is traditionally used as a digestive system super hero, helping to assist in a number of every-day discomforts from diarrhoea to flatulence, from vomiting to nausea. Many IBS sufferers find pure cinnamon tea to be an excellent calming influence. And you can easily make this yourself, as all it entails is a cup of hot water and a cinnamon stick popped in – allow to infuse and cool down, then sip sip sip!
Cinnamon has been the focus of a lot of research over the years, and recent studies have found strong evidence to suggest that cinnamon’s powers reach to memory and brain function boosting properties. It is actually the scent of cinnamon that is thought to be significant here, so if you are studying for an exam, try burning essential oil of cinnamon or pouring a few drops onto a pretty (clean!) handkerchief, and sniffing the enticing aroma frequently.
Studies in USA and Israel are currently researching the part that cinnamon may have to play in the prevention and perhaps even the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease…
And arthritis sufferers traditionally rely on cinnamon and honey concoctions to ease the pain… Try mixing a couple of teaspoons of Manuka honey with a cinnamon stick in hot water.
Cinnamon is also available in tablets and capsules if you don’t fancy fooling your taste-buds into believing that it’s Christmas all year-round! Try the essential oils, teas or dried spices too!
But do remember that just because Starbucks smells so sweetly of this super spice, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t going to whip your body with sugar damage, caffeine highs and calorie overdose each morning…. But as a treat, a double caramel and cinnamon frappacinno is just fine!
Premature Christmas greetings Fairy-lings!
Love Rachel, Food Fairy Nutritionist xxx
