The Eastsider Diaries: Miracle Spice

No, no. This isn't the cheesy name of a new Spice Girl. Although... I do miss the Spice Phenomenon from the good old 90's...

But no. The "miracle spice" I am referring to is Cinnamon.

The other day at the office I was fixing myself a little lunch and my coworker was sharing the kitchenette with me. She pulled out her steamer (yes, she has a steamer handy at the office) and started heating up her asparagus. I was about to head back to my desk when something caught me by surprise: she put the veggies on her plate and sprinkled them with-- wait, Cinnamon?

She happily informed me that Cinnamon should't just be used in rolls or pastries.
In fact, she said, you could put Cinnamon on anything you wanted. It's really good for your body and it tastes good. So I did a little research and found out some brilliant things about the spice!

Here's what you need to know about Cinnamon:
- It can reduce the proliferation of lymphoma & leukemia cancer cells
- It has an anti-clotting effect on blood cells
- It acts as a natural food preservative [it stops bacterial growth & stops food from spoiling!]
- If combined with honey, it has been found to relive arthritis pain
- 1/2 a tsp a day can lower your cholesterol & stabilize blood sugar which is great for weight loss

I know what you're thinking: how have we not known about this?!
Cinnamon is amazing, it's like nature's way of saying "Hey human, I love you, sprinkle this magic miracle spice over your food every now and then and you'll live forever!" Or, at least, healthier!
So for the last few days I've been adding Cinnamon either to my tea (delicious!) or to my yogurt.

Greek yogurt with banana and Cinnamon

I have yet to take the dive and sprinkle it on my veggies, but I'm curious to try it and will obviously tell you how it is! Here are a few recipes that showcase Cinnamon that I found on some great foodie blogs: