Fitness blog---Cinnamon and Weight Loss(by request)

[Marissa Lily]

Cinnamon is not just a dessert spice. Cinnamon has antifungal, antibacterial, digestive and blood sugar stabilization properties to it. It can help with memory and cognition (creates a strong sensory memory which returns when the spice is used again.) It is even thought to help kill the bacteria H. Pylori, which causes ulcers. Cinnamon also lowers LDL cholesterol. People also often notice that cinnamon helps to lower appetite and cravings for sugar.

Cinnamon has been proven now to enhance blood glucose metabolism. This is not really challenged in the medical profession, this is accepted as fact.

One of the first studies of cinnamon's blood glucose effect was in 2003 in a medical journal called Diabetes Care. Sixty people with type 2 diabetes took 1, 3, or 6 grams of cinnamon in pill form daily, an amount roughly equivalent to one quarter of a teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.

After 40 days, all 3 amounts of cinnamon reduced fasting blood glucose by 18 to 29%, triglycerides by 23 to 30%, LDL cholesterol by 7 to 27%, and total cholesterol by 12 to 26%.

Cinnamon and Weight Loss

In addition, addressing elevated blood sugar levels and helping to combat insulin resistance may be a successful factor in helping you lose weight. The fat cells in your abdomen are particularly sensitive to high insulin levels, and are very effective at storing energy – far more so that fat cells you’d find in other areas such as the lower body (i.e. hips, rear end, thighs). Because abdominal fat cells are so close to your digestive organs, and there is an extensive network of blood vessels circulating in the abdominal area, it’s even easier for fat cells to store excess glucose there. So tactics that help to metabolize blood glucose result in less being sotred in the abdominal region.


Using Cinnamon

Some people prefer to use cinnamon as a supplement, and this is certainly a safe and effective way to incorporate cinnamon into your diet. Most people find results with 1 capsule of 500mg taken with a meal twice a day. Check out www.vitacost.com for teh most inexpensive vitamins you will EVER find.

Others would rather get their 2 teaspoons of cinnamon a day using the spice in their foods.


Ideas for adding cinnamon into your diet:

-Coat apple slices in cinnamon (no sugar is needed because the natural fructose in the apple balances out the cinnamon nicely) cinnamon stops the spoiling of the apple so it will keep the apples fresh and crisp all day! ( my friend's mom did this for him in high school and i've been doing it ever since!)
-Steep your favorite herbal tea with a cinnamon stick
-Add one-half teaspoon of cinnamon to unsweetened applesauce
-Add cinnamon to your breakfast cereal or oatmeal
-Sprinkle on toast
-Adding cinnamon to butter, peanut butter or cream cheese
-Add to cottage cheese or yogurt
-See my blog post about fake pumpkin pie
-Sprinkle cinnamon on your morning cup of coffee, cocoa or cappuccino
-Cinnamon also combines very favorably with many baked fruits like peaches and apples as well as fruit juices and ciders.
-Cinnamon on sweet potatoes or yams (Thanksgiving is coming up)
-You would be surprised but cinnamon tastes FANTASTIC with meat
-Add it to soups (like Butternut squash soup)

Make sure it is fresh. The best test is to open the jar in your kitchen and sniff. If the smell is strong and sweet your cinnamon is fresh. If the aroma is weak or non-existent, throw it away. To keep cinnamon, seal the container tightly and store it away from the light.

[Kat Von Chesticles]

Yeah I freaked out cuz I saw a chewed up pill, and my roommate has a ton of meds, so I made her come home and check it out.. she picked it up.. was looking at it.. and was like "thats wierd.. this smells like cinnamon.." So I totally knew where it came from.. I dont think they liked it. Lol

[Marissa Lily]

thats really funny

[Kat Von Chesticles]

will cinnamon work for cat weight loss? cuz one of them found one of your pills from this weekend :)

[FFC]

I ha ve insulian problems and have been using cinnamon for while now and I can tell you it really does work :)

[Sera]

It's cool because i love cinnamon.

[Jenny June]

Wow, never knew that but I love Cinnamon and will most Defiantly be trying this out!!
Thank you!!

[Josie Raven]

Fantastic! Thank you!