Cinnamon for Appetite Control
Cinnamon has a history of being used as a spice and also as medicine. Cinnamon is the brown bark from a cinnamon tree. It comes in either a whole quill (which is sticks) or as ground powder.
Cinnamon can be beneficial for stabilizing your blood sugar and also help with fatigue by giving you energy. Cinnamon increases the stabilizing effect of insulin while reducing insulin resistance. It does this by two ways; the one way is by activating the enzymes to stimulate insulin receptors. The second way cinnamon helps with blood sugar is by enhancing the effects of insulin-signaling pathways in your skeletal muscle tissue.
When you increase your insulin sensitivity it decreases harmful effects of carbohydrates. Consuming high glycemic carbohydrates cause blood sugar levels to fluctuate making you crave carbohydrates through out the day, and also promotes chronic inflammation, which in turn promotes obesity. High glycemic carbohydrates are foods such as white bread, sourdough, dark rye, canned baked beans, many cereals, jellybeans, watermelon, and full fat ice creams.
Cinnamon contains flavon-3-ol antioxidants which enhance insulin sensitivity. This makes more of your blood glucose enter the cells where it belongs; helping your levels to stabilize which in turn stops inflammation and ends your carbohydrate cravings. Some studies show cinnamon lowering blood cholesterol as well. All you need to do is add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon to water or hot tea a day.
A metabolic condition known as fatigue is characterized by the inability by the body to utilize glucose. Fatigue is known as lethargy, weariness, exhaustion, and tiredness. Cinnamon increases the ability of insulin to metabolize glucose. Using cinnamon powder on food or eating raw can combat fatigue.
You want to use ½ a teaspoon of cinnamon as a spice on food, eaten raw after you eating will help reduce fatigue. It will also increase your body’s ability for the body to use glucose. The symptoms of fatigue generally go down immediately after using cinnamon. Using cinnamon on a regular basis will help improve endurance and keeping fatigue to a minimum. If you drive a lot you may want to put some cinnamon sticks or a cinnamon car freshener in your car. Studies show that the scent of cinnamon while driving can make you more alert and less frustrated. It will also enhance your motivation, performance, increase alertness, and act as a central nervous system stimulant.
A few ways to enjoy cinnamon and get the benefits of stabilizing blood sugar or helping with your fatigue are to sprinkle it on toast, adding it to cream cheese or butter, sprinkle in your tea or coffee in the morning, add it to your cereal, or add it to applesauce.