HEALTH CORNER: CINNAMON: Not Just for Sticky Buns!

Did you know that Cinnamon can be beneficial in everything from lowering blood sugar to weight loss to healing pimples? 

It's true...  

Cinnamon is a small evergreen tree belonging to the family Lauraceae, native to Sri Lanka[1]. Known from remote antiquity, Cinnamon was the first mention of a particular spice in the Old Testament, when Moses was commanded to use both sweet cinnamon (Hebrew קִנָּמוֹן, qinnāmôn) and cassia in the holy anointing oil. In Proverbs, the lover's bed is perfumed with myrrh, aloe and cinnamon. And, in Song of Solomon, the writer described the beauty of his beloved as "cinnamon scents her garments like the smell of Lebanon." It was so highly prized among ancient nations that it was regarded as a gift fit for monarchs and even for a god. Though its source was kept mysterious in the Mediterranean world for centuries by the middlemen who handled the spice trade, to protect their monopoly as suppliers. 

Cinnamon was imported to Egypt as early as 2000 BC. Those who report Cinnamon comes from China confuse it with cassia.[7] It is also alluded to by Herodotus and other classical writers. Too expensive to be commonly used on funeral pyres in Rome, the Emperor Nero is said to have flaunted his wealth by burning a year's worth of the city's supply at the funeral for his wife Poppaea Sabina in AD 65.

PLEASE NOTE: What is sold as Cinnamon in the US is actually Cassia. A chemical called coumarin in Cassia could be toxic. So when you buy Cinnamon make sure it is real Cinnamon and not Cassia. (CLICK LINK BELOW TO COMPARE, also view the Wikipedia article, for the difference between Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum, synonym C. zeylanicum) and Cassia (Cinnamomum aromaticum, synonym C. cassia. Below link also has true organic cinnamon for purchase) http://www.ceylon-cinnamon.com/Identify-Cinnamon.htm

ADDITIONAL READINGS:

Brief History of Cinnamon:

American Botanical Council, articles on Cinnamon:

Cinnamon's impact on Lower Blood Glucose and Cholesterol: 

RESOURCES:

(A) Wikipedia article has extensive references and links, and should be read to fully understand the difference between Cassia and Cinnamon: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamomum_verum

(B)  http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/10-health-benefits-of-cinnamon.html

STAY TUNED FOR PART II IN NEXT QUARTER'S ISSUE: 
 "The Power of Cinnamon & Honey"

 

SPIRITUAL ENLIGHTENMENT

BIBLE FACTS...

Did you know....the system of chapters was introduced to the Bible in A.D. 1238 by Cardinal Hugo de S. Caro, while the verse notations were added in 1551 by Robertus Stephanus, after the advent of printing.  And one version of the Bible at the University of Gottingen, founded in 1734 by King George II of Great Britain, was written on 2,470 palm leaves.

According to statistics from Wycliffe International, the Society of Gideons, and the International Bible Society, the number of new Bibles that are sold, given away, or otherwise distributed in the United States is about 168,000 per day... 

HERE ARE SOME INTERESTING BIBLE STATISTICS:

1. Number of books in the Bible: 66
2. Chapters: 1,189
3. Verses: 31,101
4. Words: 783,137
5. Letters: 3,566,480
6. Number of promises given in the Bible: 1,260
7. Commands: 6,468
8. Predictions: over 8,000
9. Fulfilled prophecy: 3,268 verses
10. Unfulfilled prophecy: 3,140
11. Number of questions: 3,294
12. Longest name: Mahershalalhashbaz (Isaiah 8:1)
13. Longest verse: Esther 8:9 (78 words)
14. Shortest verse: John 11:35 (2 words: "Jesus wept").
15. Shortest chapter (by number of words): Psalm 117 (by number of words)
16. Longest book: Psalms (150 chapters)
17. Shortest book (by number of words): 3 John
18. Longest chapter: Psalm 119 (176 verses)
19. Number of times the word "God" appears: 3,358
20. Number of times the word "Lord" appears: 7,736
21. Number of different authors: 40
22. Number of languages the Bible has been translated into: over 1,200...

The Bible is the single richest heritage of the Christian life. A Love Letter from God to us. Take some time to explore it. You can read more interesting facts at: http://agards-bible-timeline.com/q10_bible-facts.html

(where the above information was borrowed from).

HEALTH CORNER - How To Eat Fruit Properly

Most people think that eating fruit along with their main meals is a good way to stay healthy. Without properly understanding the body's digestive cycle over a 24-hour period, you may be consuming fruit in a manner that will not bring you any real nutritional benefit. Having lots of fruit with your main meals or eating it, as a desert after meals is not the way fruit should be eaten. In fact consuming fruit on a full stomach causes the entire meal to rot, ferment and turn to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach and digestive juices, the entire mass begins to spoil.

In order for your body to get the maximum benefit of eating fruit you should follow the guidelines given below:

• Always eat fruit on an empty stomach. You can do this at any time during the day, as long as it is on an empty stomach. It is also a good practice to consume mainly fruit before noon, as this will help complete the body’s elimination process.
• 
  After eating fruit, you should leave around 30 minutes before consuming any foods besides fruit.


• 
  Wait at least three hours after a meal before you eat any fruit. This will ensure that the previous meal has left the stomach and putrefaction and fermentation of that meal in the stomach can be avoided.


• 
  Never eat fruit along with other foods. Fruit should only be eaten on its own.
  Never eat fruit as a desert, after a meal.


• 
  Avoid fruits like bananas and avocados in the morning because they are heavy foods and tax the digestive system. These can be eaten after noon when the body is in the appropriate digestive cycle for such foods. Also avoid combining different kinds of fruit like watermelon, grapes, or strawberries with any other fruit.


• 
  If you feel hunger during the morning, eat fruit and you can keep eating portions of fruit until your blood sugar level goes back to normal, resulting in your hunger disappearing.


• 
  If possible, eat only organic fruit.


• 
  Avoid processed, cooked, or canned fruit. These contain large amounts of sugars, additives and other undesirables. Additionally cooking fruits destroys all the vitamins.

Fruit is digested in the intestine and not in the stomach. It is also rapidly digested and goes through the digestive system in around half an hour. The brain runs on glucose and fruit is the most efficient source of blood sugar. With sufficient fruit consumption your blood sugar levels normalize, allowing your body's hunger mechanism to be properly regulated and thus avoid over-eating and obesity.

…SO HERE ARE A FEW HEALTHY FRUIT FACTS:

KIWI: Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E, and fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

APPLE: An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants and flavonoid, which enhances the activity of vitamin C, thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack and stroke.

STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits and protect the body from cancer causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.

ORANGE: Sweetest medicine, eating 2 to 4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene - the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C and potassium.

GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene; this is good for your eyes.