One of my favorite spices is cinnamon. Cinnamon has been used as food and medicine since ancient times, and is a powerful herb for regulating blood sugar. It comes from the rust colored inner bark of the cinnamon tree. I love it in smoothies, oatmeal, granola, coffee and hot toddies. Luckily, cinnamon has some great health boosting properties.

In addition to being delicious, cinnamon:

• Helps balance blood sugar, which is why it’s so great to add to smoothies and desserts
• Is rich in antioxidants that help reduce inflammation*Reduces the risk of heart disease and also lowers blood pressure
• Boosts brain health – 2 compounds found in cinnamon appear to inhibit the buildup of the protein that is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease
• Keeps your teeth pearly white and your breath smelling fresh with its anti-microbial effects

Keepin’ it healthy homework:
Try incorporating cinnamon into your diet more often. One of my favorite things to make with cinnamon is this refreshing tea:

Cinnamon Grapefruit Tea

1/2 grapefruit
1 stick of cinnamon

Put the grapefruit and cinnamon in a teapot (or a quart mason jar) and cover with boiling water. Let steep for 10 minutes, then enjoy! I love to drink this during the cold months, but you could make an iced version of it as well.