Wellness Wednesday: May 5

CINNAMON

We have a double celebration for you today: Happy Cinco de Mayo AND Wellness Wednesday! Today, we’re highlighting a spice popular in traditional Mexican cuisine to honor the culture and heritage: cinnamon.


Cinnamon is commonly used in Mexican cooking in a variety of ways. From spicing up hot chocolate to coating sweet churros to adding flavor to mole sauce, cinnamon is used in both sweet and savory dishes. The most popular variety of cinnamon used is Ceylon cinnamon, which originates from Sri Lanka from the inner bark of evergreen trees.


Cinnamon is known to have anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal properties, making it a great addition to your healthy lifestyle. Cinnamon contains essential oils called cinnamaldehyde, which have medicinal and soothing properties as well.

Cinnamon is rich in powerful antioxidants called polyphenols and has been deemed more powerful than other anti-inflammatory foods like garlic and oregano in terms of antioxidant activity. Not only does this help to fight infection in the body, but it also lowers your risk of disease.

In the United States, heart disease is regarded as the number one cause of premature death. Cinnamon helps to fight this by reducing bad LDL cholesterol, increasing good cholesterol, and reducing blood pressure.


Try our PB + Cin smoothie—a delicious combination of cinnamon and peanut butter with the hidden addition of kale! Or find cinnamon in our Pitaya bowl, Lumberjack protein shake, The Island smoothie, and Bananas Foster toast. You can also add cinnamon to your favorite protein shake, smoothie, or açaí bowl as well!

Allen, R. W., Schwartzman, E., Baker, W. L., Coleman, C. I., & Phung, O. J. (2013). Cinnamon use in type 2 diabetes: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of family medicine, 11(5), 452–459. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.1517

Kirkham, S., Akilen, R., Sharma, S., & Tsiami, A. (2009). The potential of cinnamon to reduce blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. Diabetes, obesity & metabolism, 11(12), 1100–1113. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1463-1326.2009.01094.x

Rao, P. V., & Gan, S. H. (2014). Cinnamon: a multifaceted medicinal plant. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2014, 642942. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/642942