An Ode to Cinnamon, Misunderstood Spice

I recently found this wonderful article (link here) on the health benefits of cinnamon and wanted to share it with you. When I say "misunderstood," I mean that cinnamon is often an ingredient in desserts such as cinnamon rolls, coffee cakes, etc. However, cinnamon alone has the beneficial properties of lowering blood sugar, cholesterol and triglyceride levels--a great reason to include it regularly as part of your diet.

Fall is a great time of year for cinnamon to make a cameo appearance as it's a great compliment to apples. I put cinnamon in oatmeal, whole wheat waffles, and whole wheat pancakes regularly. Here's a great quick and easy oatmeal recipe that even the pickiest of picky eaters seem to love! This is from Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet:

Quick Date-Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal Makes 1 serving 1 cup organic rolled oats (I happened to use Quaker Old-Fashioned Oats, but Stop and Shop has both their Nature's Promise as well as the Quaker ones for the same price, $2.69) 2 tablespoons maple syrup 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts 1/3 crisp apple, cut in cubes About 5 dates, pitted and chopped Fine sea salt to taste 3 shakes of ground cinnamon Scant 1 teaspoon flaxseed oil (I would refrain from this if/when you are trying to conceive) Note: I have made it like the above recipe, but really you can put whatever dried fruit you want---dried cranberries are also great. Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Combine the oats, syrup, nuts, apple and dates in a bowl. Add a pinch or two of salt, then pour enough hot water to just cover the oats; don't add too much or it will be watery. Cover the bowl with a plate or pot lid, and let the oatmeal stand until the oats have absorbed the water. Stir, and add a little more water if the oats look too dry or a little more oats if it looks to watery. Let the oatmeal cool a little, and then drizzle with the flaxseed oil. Enjoy! This recipe is so quick to make and the taste is much better than those bagged oatmeal packets. Plus, you won't be on a jacked-up sugar high all morning and the fiber will keep you fuller, longer! *phew!* You can tweak this recipe to be whatever you want. Experiment! If you find a new combo to put in the oatmeal, let us know!