So after reading about the benefits of cinnamon and ginger and weight loss, I decided to do some experimenting with making a sort of tea. Before I get into how I made it, I wanted to share all of the health benefits with you!
Cinnamon is a powerful spice that has been used medicinally around the world for thousands of years. It is still used daily in many cultures because of its widespread health benefits, not to mention its distinctly sweet, warming taste and ease of use in recipes.
According to researchers, out of twenty-six of the most popular herbs and medicinal spices in the world, cinnamon actually ranks #1 in terms of its protective antioxidant levels!
#1: Controls insulin levels Cinnamon has the unique ability to imitate the activity of insulin in the body. For those who are unfamiliar with the process of glucose metabolism, insulin is the chemical that helps your body regulate its levels of blood sugar (glucose). People who are more familiar with conditions like diabetes know that maintaining a blood sugar level is important as spikes that are either too high or too low can be dangerous for patients, especially. Even within non-diabetics, increased blood sugar levels can be problematic because they cause excess fat to be stored, making it harder for people to maintain or lose weight. Cinnamon helps regulate your levels so this excess fat does not build up.
#2: Decreases blood sugar For the reasons mentioned above, maintaining a regulated blood sugar level is important for weight loss. Cinnamon can help do this by controlling insulin quantities as well as directly act on the blood sugar itself. A study has even shown that adding cinnamon to a meal can lower its glycemic index by 18-29%. Eating lower glycemic foods is important to avoiding spikes in your blood sugar levels.
#3: Speeds metabolism As mentioned in the discussion of how cinnamon helps control insulin levels, the spice has the ability to alter the metabolism of not only sugar, but of carbohydrates as well. Your body is better able to use your carbohydrate storage, so that they do not turn into excess fat. The consumption of cinnamon itself, also causes a metabolic reaction. Similar to when you eat hot peppers, the presence of the cinnamon in your body allows your metabolism to speed up just because it takes a little extra energy to metabolize. This boost in metabolism allows you to burn more calories and assists with weight loss in this way.
#4: Lowers LDL cholesterol Research has also supported the idea that cinnamon can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, which is great for your heart health. Diabetic participants in a recent study showed lower LDL among other weight loss indicators like BMI when taking the given dose of cinnamon during the study period.
#5: Helps to burn belly fat The consumption of cinnamon is said to impact abdominal fat more so than fat found in other parts of your body. This is often a problem area for many, so this is good news for those who have struggled to lose body fat. Not only does it benefit your dress or pants size, but abdominal fat is actually the most dangerous type of fat as it surrounds some of our most vital organs. For this reason, less belly fat is good for your overall health.
#6: Suppresses appetite Cinnamon can actually slow down the process of moving food into your stomach. This is a good thing for those attempting to lose weight because this activity will help you feel full for a longer period of time. In addition, the sweet nature of cinnamon can help alleviate a sweet craving. Many times when you are on a weight loss diet, sweets are off limits, so the cinnamon can fill this void so that you do not feel tempted to reach for high calorie desserts.
I'm sorry the cinnamon one was so long, I'll give you a short summary of the benefits of ginger!
#1: Ginger helps regulate cholesterol
#2: Immune boosting action
#3: Gastrointestinal relief
#4: Anti-inflammatory
#5: Food satiety
#6: Cortisol production
#7: Good for digestion
So, this is what I came up with
What you'll need:
Water
1/4 of a lemon
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
A dash of cayenne pepper (when I made this, I tried to put in 1/8 tsp. and I was legitimately breathing fire!! You can always add more - you can't take it out once it's in!)
2 discs of fresh ginger (my ginger as you can see was very tiny, if you have a bigger piece you can use 1 disc)
What you'll need to do:
Put your water in your mug and add the cinnamon and cayenne. Squeeze the juice from the lemon into the water also.
Put the mug in the microwave for a minute and a half to two minutes.
Once you take it out, put the ginger discs in and let it steep for 5-10 minutes.
Enjoy!
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