Cinnamon-Based Foods Can Cure Diabetes

My first two hubs on Diabetes Awareness as our HubMob weekly topic this last week of October 2010 delved mostly on my experiences as cook and radio announcer.

I should pass on the story of my uncle who's still living in his 60s, even though, he's a diabetic and my former musical director on the radio who acquired Type 2 Diabetes just recently. Maybe it's enough for me to pry at another pair of  people having the 'sweet' disease.

I cannot tell further about their lifestyles before ( the same likings on drinking, eating fatty foods and smoking cigarettes).

I must concentrate on the food that they must eat, usually in bland preparation. But they can still enjoy life by knowing the ingredients of the food they're taking in on their bodies.

So, without much further ado...let me introduce you to the most important ingredient of diabetic foods---the CINNAMON!!!

Now I know why my Greek chief cook liked cinnamon too much that it became the most aromatic fragrance on board ship. Even the air freshener we used was also cinnamon-scented. It is a good insect repellent.

And he often added little cinnamon powder on his hot milk and the Greek porridge, cinnamon rolls (of course, loved it!), cinnamon bark on beef, pork and chicken menus.Cinnamon-based curry powder is good for stew.

And take note: if you add cinnamon (usually the bark) on the food you prepared, it will last for days as it preserves its flavor and enhances it too.

For comfort food, like cinammon cake, you can also used cinnamon powder as toppings.

If you like hot chocolate, cinnamon powder will enhance it's flavor! And coffee latte with dust of cinnamon is a good welcome in the morning.

And the doughnuts, too. You can mix the refined or brown sugar with cinnamon powder for dusting.

There are lots of 'food possibilities' that will feature cinnamon in it. You can still enjoy the food that you usually eat but with a twist.

If you want to get cured or healed, you'll never get away with the aroma, the scent and the flavor of cinnamon.

Share it with you partner, children, family and friends as well.or even enemies (if you still love them)---a good gesture of friendship this coming Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons.

BUT...I don't know why there's always big 'buts' about everything. Cinnamon, if overused can destroy our blood vessel and kidneys as well. The culprit is the moderately toxic component of cinnamon called coumarin.

Cinnamon and other herbal plants when used raw can have an alarming toxicity level, so dilution is a must (1 is to 4 parts=meaning, one part of herbal plant, like cinnamon plus 4 parts of water).

Still, herbalists, these days, mostly doctor by profession, are practicing herbal medication to cure or neutralize diseases like diabetes in our body.

Since cinnamon is known for its worldwide importance from the biblical times up to the recent times, more and more researches are being conducted and formulas are being perfected to make it commercially available at the local pharmacy in the vicinity.

The cinnamon trees are common here in Asia, mostly in India, Ceylon--now Sri Lanka , Pakistan, China and the rest of Southeast Asia. Dutch explorers and Arab traders were responsible for spreading it into Europe at the start of 16th century.

Right now, Pakistan scientists are testing cinnamon-based diabetic medicines to all kinds of diabetic patients.

It is a known fact that it can lower blood sugar, triglycerides and bad cholesterol in diabetics.

I remember my catering instructor, who's a dietitian/nutritionist at the same time, said that I will never forget the role of cinnamon in the galley on board ship. She nailed me to it. Sighs.

My diabetic thoughts

How do I get away with all the diabetics around me?

Ops, I should get my annual test in a jiffy or maybe next month. I am planning to go on board ship again. I hope, my blood sugar, my triglycerides and cholesterol are all in normal level.

Please, diabetes, go, go, go away. Don't ever, ever, ever invade my body.

Okay, I will try to befriend cinnamon again, whenever I'm on the kitchen or galley.