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Sunday, January 11th, 2009
A sweet and Idaho Potato Snuggling
The information I’m going to post on this blog, is, by virtue of me posting it here, copyrighted. That means don’t try to repackage it and claim it’s yours and sell it. If you like the plan and it works for you, please point people here.
Cinnamon was originally derived from the thin inner bark of the Cinnamomum zeylanicum tree and was only found in Ceylon which is now known as Sri Lanka. Used for thousands of years in medical applications, as a meat preservative and embalming agent as well as a spice, it was once considered to be of greater value than silver and nearly equal to gold. In addition to my culinary use of cinnamon, I powder it on top of my seedling trays, using the phenols to stave off bacterial and fungal diseases.
Today cinnamon most commonly comes from the C. Cassia (Cinnamomum aromaticum) tree and is grown throughout the far and middle east. This cinnamon is usually considered less desirable than true cinnamon because it is courser, and the flavor is more pungent but I prefer it. I get the Extra Fancy Vietnamese Cinnamon from Penzy’s spices. They offer the following with a lot more information on their site:
Korintje Cassia Cinnamon sweet and mellow, this is the cinnamon we all remember from our childhood
Cinnamon Sticks traditionally used as a tasty stirring stick for hot drinks
Ceylon Softstick Cinnamon nice for steeping, not stirring, hot drinks or as an addition to cream sauces
Cassia Cinnamon Chunks a blend of 1/4″-1/2″ Chinese and Korintje cassia chunks
China Cassia Cinnamon our best seller, it is strong and spicier than Korintje, with a potent, sweet flavor
Extra Fancy Vietnamese Cinnamon the highest quality, strongest cinnamon available in America today
Ceylon “True” Cinnamon complex and fragrant, with a citrus overtone and rich buff color
They also offer a cinnamon sugar which I will not be using, of course, because the Vietnamese cinnamon is incredibly sweet all on it’s own and if I need it sweeter I’ll add Stevia!
Medically, it is used for digestive problems, as an anti-coagulant, for colds and throat problems, as an anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial agent. It might even help lower your cholesterol by binding to bile salts and it helps regulate blood sugar in type II diabetics. One of the active ingredients in Cassia cinnamon is hydroxychalcone which may increase the sensitivity of the cells insulin receptors allowing a more normal processing of glucose into cells and out of the blood stream. The domino effect of this is that as the glucose is used by the cells, more stored glucose is freed up eventually leading to a more ‘normal’ systemic balance. To read more see Science News Daily, Medical News Today, New Scientist.
Cinnamon
It may be possible to eat too much cinnamon if you are on Coumadin (warfarin) a blood thinner as there is naturally occurring coumarin in Cassia “cinnamon”. However I could find no actual scientific papers that stated it was toxic in humans (although apparently rats metabolize it differently and have some adverse liver issues at very high levels) nor information about what level of cinnamon would become toxic in humans. According to this site:
There is no data to support an interaction between cinnamon and warfarin. In over 50 years of warfarin use – no cautions or warnings have been issued regarding cinnamon and warfarin use together.
If I had these kinds of concerns I might stick to the actual Ceylon variety cinnamon but even then I’d like to see more documentation. I used to be on 1 baby aspirin a day when I was diabetic. At that time I bruised like crazy due to anti coagulating properties. Now that I’m no longer considered diabetic I stopped taking the aspirin and even with elevated cinnamon usage I no longer am constantly bruised. This is just anecdotal and I am not suggesting anyone make decisions for their own health based on this information. I’m just saying this is how I made my choices.
Healthy ways to use cinnamon:
Chocolate powder! See yesterdays blog for more information.
Add to tea: A dash added to tea with or without a touch of ginger or try Kassandra’s Chocolate Kiss
On sweet Potatoes I sprinkle cinnamon, salt and pepper and eat as is. Yum!
On Apples or pears Sprinkle to taste and enjoy
On nuts if you like a few dry roasted nuts moisten them lightly with water (not too wet) toss them in cinnamon mixed with light salt (knock some of the mixture off if it’s too heavily coated) and put them on a baking tray in the oven for a few minutes. I broil them on the middle rack with the oven opened and find when I can smell them, in 2-5 minutes, they are done. Remember, nuts are good for you but you have to count their calories!
Today’s weigh in:
Yesterday I ate: 1395 calories 9.4% protein, 3% S. Fat, 7.7 U. Fat, 79.8 % Carbs
1 Yellow Sweet Pepper
2 cups Salsa
1 Onion
1 Potato
3 cups Broccoli
1 Banana
4 Sweet Potato
1 Apple
Today’s Weight: 229.0 lbs, 42.2% fat, 40.7% water and 15.1% other. I missed my calorie goal again by a couple hundred but I think it’s more important to never be hungry especially if I’m under my BMR calorie amount. On top of that I’m still under the influence of Friday so I’m not concerned. I usually don’t even bother weighing until Mondays but I’m doing it here just for you. Have a good night!
Tags: cinnamon, diet, food, weight control, Weight Loss
March 3rd, 2009 at 9:28 am
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July 20th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
You should consider eating much more protein…30% if you can. And don’t be scared of fat…3% is WAY too low. Everyone knows these days that the fat your body produces is largely created by the carbs you eat. Low calories is a great idea, but when 80% of your food is carbs, you will never lose the weight. Remember, most of the important stuff in your body (organs, tissue) is structurally made of protein…you need more. I would switch out 2 of your 5 potatoes for a chicken breast, fish filet, or vegetarian protein. Nuts and beans can also supplement your protein. In fact, I wouldn’t eat potatoes more than twice a week if you are serious about weight loss. Good luck!
P.S. My favorite high protein food is cottage cheese. Unlike real cheese, it is very low in fat. The low fat (1.5%)cottage cheese I get has 1.5g fat, 4g carbs, and a whopping 14g of protein per serving. It’s a great way to tip the balance of protein to carbs in your favor!
Another pure protein option are egg whites…get rid of the cholesterol in the yolks!