Cinnamon
Cinnamon is one of my favorite spices which I use regularly to flavor food and I absolutely love its sweet scent.
Cinnamon has been consumed since 2000 BC in Ancient Egypt, where it was very highly prized. In medieval times doctors used cinnamon to treat conditions such as coughing, arthritis and sore throats. Modern research indicates that this spice may have some very beneficial properties. When you buy cinnamon, opt for Ceylon cinnamon which is the best.
Here are a few of the health benefits of cinnamon:
Control Diabetes – Cinnamon helps the body respond to insulin more effectively, which encourages healthy blood sugar levels. Cinnamon is one of the 14 best foods to control diabetes which I wrote about in the past.
Fight Yeast Infections – Studied have shown that cinnamon can prevent yeast infection from developing even when it became resistant to medication. Cinnamon oil is the most common way for people to get the best results for this issue.
Powerful Antioxidant – Cinnamon is a very powerful an antioxidant and when compared to six other antioxidant spices (anise, ginger, licorice, mint, nutmeg and vanilla), cinnamon prevented oxidation more effectively than all the other spices (except mint).
Anti Bacterial and Anti Fungal – When used in oil form, cinnamon has potent anti-bacterial properties and it is a great way to disinfect things in your home when mixed with water. It is also commonly used to fight stubborn fungal infections like athletes foot.
Other Health Benefits – Cinnamon can be used to:
- Help digestion
- Reduce pain
- Reduce weight – it is used in my weight loss drink consisting of 2 ingredients.
- Prevent blood clotting
For more detailed information about cinnamon and how to select the best cinnamon, read my post on how to use cinnamon as a medicine for great health.
Vanilla
The vanilla bean plant grows in Mexico, the Caribbean and South America. Natives indigenous to the region understood the special qualities of vanilla for many centuries. When the Europeans arrived, they soon discovered the amazing plant, its medicinal uses and how to use it with food and beverages.
Vanilla was used for centuries to help heal wounds. It can also be used to relieve mild anxiety, and many anecdotal tales from as far back as the Aztecs purport the bean is a powerful male aphrodisiac and also assists with weight loss.
Here are some of its other health benefits:
Antioxidant Activity – Natural vanilla extract contains numerous antioxidants, including vanillic acid and vanillin. Antioxidants protect your body from damage from harmful components, such as free radicals and toxins.
Powerful Anti-Inflammatory – An animal study published in a 2011 issue of the “European Journal of Pharmacology” found that treating with vanillin led to lower overall inflammation in animals. However, it’s not yet known if it has the same benefits for people.
Can Lower Cholesterol – The vanillin found in vanilla extract may have cholesterol-lowering benefits, according to a study published in 2013 in the “Indian Journal of Experimental Biology”.
Honey
Raw honey is excellent ingredient for your health: add it to bath water to moisturize and soften your skin, use honey as a face mask or as a relaxing drink – and you will gain its anti-bacterial properties that help treat infections, skin problems, emotional stress and will also help you to lose weight.
You can use honey in several additional ways to benefit your health:
- Treat cold and flu
- Useful for cough and chest infections
- Natural treatment for acne when applied to the skin
- Natural remedy for stomach ulcers
You can learn about the other health benefits of honey and how to use it for great health in my article about the best ways to use honey to improve your health.
Milk (or milk substitute)
Milk is one of my best foods for better sleep. You have probably heard many times that drinking a cup of warm milk at night will help you to get asleep. And indeed this traditional sleep remedy has many scientific studies that support it. Milk contains an amino acid called tryptophan, which turns to serotonin in the body. Serotonin helps to modulate sleep.
However, some research, including a 2003 study published in “The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,” demonstrates that while milk does contain tryptophan, the tryptophan may be hindered from crossing into the brain by the protein in the milk. For tryptophan to be effective in causing sleep, it must be paired with foods that are low in protein and high in carbohydrates, like honey, which is one of the ingredients in this healing drink.
For some people, particularly those with milk allergies or lactose intolerance, a glass of warm milk may cause digestive upsets. In this case you can use almond milk which also contains tryptophan.
Healing Vanilla Cinnamon Milk and Honey
- 1 cup of milk (or almond milk)
- 1 teaspoon of honey
- 1/2 teaspoon of natural vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
Directions:
- Put the milk, honey, vanilla extract and cinnamon in a small saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, over a low heat for 5-7 minutes or until warm.
- Pour into a mug and serve.
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