Tag: Digestion

6 Health Benefits of Cinnamon

November 18, 2020

This popular spice is not just a kitchen staple or an important ingredient in a lot of our holiday cooking; cinnamon also packs a powerful health punch!

Cinnamon comes from a type of tree, believe it or not, and the unique smell, color and flavor is a result of the oily part. The health benefits come from the bark of the Cinnamomum verum tree. The compounds that come from this bark, such as cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid and cinnamate, make cinnamon one of the most beneficial spices on earth.

A little bit of cinnamon goes a long way. As wonderful as it smells, and great as it tastes in snickerdoodles, we all know overpowering with cinnamon is a mistake! But it doesn’t take much for this sweet-smelling spice to get to work and start benefiting our body’s health!

 

Health Benefits of Cinnamon

1. Anti-Inflammatory – The components and antioxidants in cinnamon have been shown to decrease levels of inflammation in the body. The polyphenols, especially, have been praised for their anti-inflammatory properties. Because of its ability to lower swelling and help prevent inflammation, cinnamon can also help with pain management such as muscle soreness and menstrual cramps (some good news, ladies!).

2. Regulate Blood Sugar – It’s considered one of the best foods for diabetics. Cinnamon is well known for decreasing the amount of glucose entering the bloodstream after a meal. It interferes with digestive enzymes, causing carbohydrates to take longer to break down.

3. Oral Health – Cinnamon has been shown to help kill off harmful bacteria and promote oral hygiene. One study found that cinnamon was effective at blocking the growth of a type of bacteria responsible for dental plaque, bad breath, tooth decay and cavities. Historically, it has been used as a natural remedy for issues like toothaches and mouth sores.

4. Brain Health – Our brains do A LOT for us…and they suffer from a lot of wear and tear over the years. One study showed that the compounds found in cinnamon helped to protect neurons, normalized neurotransmitter levels, and improved motor function.

5. Heart Health – Cinnamon has circulation boosting properties, making for healthy blood and heart. It was also shown to improve heart health by decreasing bad (LDL) cholesterol and triglyceride levels. In studies, people who consumed a single teaspoon of cinnamon each day had lower LDL cholesterol but maintained good (HDL) cholesterol.

6. Fight Infections – Cinnamon is used in many cultures to naturally help fight harmful infections and viruses. Cinnamon has antimicrobial, antibiotic, antifungal and antiviral properties and its essential oil contains compounds that contain powerful immune-boosting properties.

 

Different Kinds of Cinnamon

Yes…there is more than ONE kind of cinnamon! But what is the difference between them? Do they all have the same taste and benefits? Are there warnings that come with each one?

Cassia – Cassia cinnamon is a redish-brown color. It has a spicy yet sweet flavor and a warm aroma that’s often associated with sweet treats and baked goods. It also contains high amounts of the chemical coumarin, which, when consumed excessively, can cause liver damage.

Ceylon – Ceylon cinnamon is a tan brown color. Known as “true cinnamon”, this is the most common variety and is native to Sri Lanka. Ceylon has a more subtle flavor and much less of a kick than most other cinnamons.

Saigon – Saigon cinnamon is a specific variety of cinnamon with a stronger, more distinct flavor and unique chemical composition. It’s flavor is similar to cassia, but much stronger. Saigon is not as easily accessible as the other kinds of cinnamon and may not be found at your everyday grocery store. Saigon cinnamon also contains higher amounts of coumarin and you should use caution so as not to consume in high amounts.

Effects of Dehydration

September 5, 2020
person holding drinking cup sitting
Photo by Daria Shevtsova on Pexels.com

We all know that drinking water is important for our health. But that’s about as far as most of us get. We often don’t realize just HOW MUCH water impacts our body and all the effects dehydration has on us. And, if we are honest, the vast majority of us don’t drink as much water or consume as many hydrating foods as we should.

So let’s dive a LITTLE deeper…starting with the different kinds of dehydration. Yes, there’s more than one!

Types of Dehydration:

  1. Hypotonic/Hyponatremic – The loss of electrolytes, mostly sodium.
  2. Hypertonic/Hypernatremic – The loss of water.
  3. Isotonic/Isonatremic – The loss of both electrolytes and water.

 

Dehydration Symptoms:

There are some symptoms of dehydration that are more obvious: thirst, feeling sick in the heat…We naturally associate these with dehydration (especially during the hot summer months, or when we are really active). But sometimes the symptoms can be a little more sneaky and effect us in ways that we don’t even think to connect with our body’s lack of water and/or electrolytes.

-Dry Mouth and Bad Breath – Human saliva is primarily composed of water. It is essential in keeping your mouth bacteria-free. Thus, a lack of water can facilitate an overgrowth of these bacteria. This overgrowth of bacteria can cause you to have bad breath.

-Muscle Weakness – Water helps your muscles perform all their day-to-day tasks such as contracting and relaxing. When you have a great loss of fluids or a lack of consumption, your body loses a lot of minerals, When your body has a shortage of minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium, you can find yourself feeling lethargic. Lack of these electrolytes can cause a fluid imbalance and induce muscle spasms.

-Headache – Headaches, due to dehydration, can range from mild to a more severe migraine. When the body is dehydrated, the brain can temporarily contract or shrink from fluid loss. This causes the brain to pull away from the skull, causing pain and resulting in a headache. Now, it may sound a little freaky, but there is no need to panic just yet. Make sure you re-hydrate and your brain will go back to normal.

-Dizziness – Lack of water even affects your blood. When you’re severely dehydrated, your blood pressure can drop. This decreases blood flow to the brain and you can start to feel dizzy.

-Digestive Issues – Your kidneys and liver require water to clean your blood, produce urine and help your body to get rid of waste. Dehydration can worsen constipation, diarrhea and other digestive issues so up your water intake and consume high-fiber foods to “keep things moving.”

-Skin and Hair Issues – Your body needs enough moisture to sweat the amount necessary to dilute toxins so they do not irritate the skin. Lack of water IN the body leads to dry skin on the OUTSIDE, dull and bloodshot eyes and dry, weak and brittle hair.

-Excess Weight – We often times confuse thirst for hunger, so we tend to eat more when what our body really needs is more water or foods rich in water.

-Fatigue – Just about every function in the body depends on water. As we have already learned, water is crucial for proper digestion, it affects your brain health (mood goes a long way in dictating energy levels), it helps your heart pump blood more effectively, and helps transport oxygen and other essential nutrients to your cells. So it’s little wonder dehydration can lower our energy!

 

Hydrating Foods:

While drinking water is the best way to stay hydrated, you can also do that by adding more hydrating FOODS into your diet. It can be easier, and more fun, to consume these water-rich foods than trying to remember to chug glasses of water every day.

These are NOT to take place of drinking water, you should still continue to do that. But these are ways to ADD to your water consumption, while also consuming other nutrients your body needs at the same time!

-Celery

-Cucumbers

-Bell Peppers

-Watermelon/Melon

-Citrus Fruits

-Kiwi

 

Now there is the ever asked question: How much water should we be drinking each day? You’ve probably been told that “eight glasses per day” is the the standard recommendation for adults. While that is a good place to start, the actual amount that you need depends on factors of each individual… such as your body size, activity level, age, diet, and how much alcohol, coffee and other drinks you consume.

5 Essential Oils to Help with Gut Defense

August 10, 2016

 

Bottles Of Essential OilEssential oils are one great way to help support many areas your body. Here are five essential oils that you can use to help cleanse your gut and reduce digestive pain.

Not every oil that works for one person is right for your body. I recommend whole body testing to find what is right for you. Bring me your essential oils for me to muscle test, or I can teach you how to do it yourself.

1. Peppermint – Peppermint is an anti-inflammatory oil that calms and relaxes the muscles. It helps reduce bloating and gas.

2. Spearmint – This is another anti-inflammatory oil. Some people don’t react well to peppermint, since it is a strong oil. This is an alternative that you can try.

3. Fennel – For years, Fennel has been used by the Egyptians and Germans as a digestive aid. It can clear the bowels, relieve constipation and help to get rid of gas and bloating.

4. Grapefruit – Stress can cause pain in your gut. Grapefruit is an uplifting oil that can reduce stress and help to relieve some of that gut pain. It is also high in antioxidants that battle bad inflammation in the digestive system.

5. Ginger – It has been used to help relieve nausea, and it also is high in antioxidants to help reduce inflammation in the gut.

 

These are just a few oils to help in the digestive system. I recommend you talk with your doctor or health care professional before using these, if you are nursing or pregnant.