Many of us may only encounter cinnamon as a tasty sprinkling on a dessert or tea. But this easy-to-find spice has healthy medicinal properties used in Ayurvedic medicine to address a number of imbalances. Here’s how you can incorporate cinnamon as a supplement to a healthy diet.

All foods and tastes in Ayurveda have properties that act a certain way upon the body. Cinnamon is considered to have a heating, drying effect on the body. This can bring more heat and flow to the digestive system, the blood, and a woman’s menstrual system. Like ginger, peppers, and other heating spices, you can feel the heat rise in your body after having a good dose of cinnamon. So why can this be good for you?

Cinnamon’s heating effect can improve flow in the body. It can reduce clotting in the blood. With this same idea, eating medicinal doses of cinnamon can also help the flow of a woman’s period if there are any clotting or thickness issues.

It also has anti-inflammatory properties. Studies have shown that just a half-teaspoon of cinnamon mixed with honey in the morning before breakfast reduced the pain of people suffering from arthritis.

Eating a half-teaspoon of cinnamon has also been proven to lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. And other studies suggest that cinnamon can help regulate blood sugar. In this way, taking cinnamon before meals could be beneficial for people with Type 2 diabetes.

And cinnamon is also great for comfort when you have a cold or flu. It brings warmth to the body, and also has anti-bacterial action to help combat viruses and bacteria.

Ayurvedic medicine prescribes cinnamon, among other spices, for a sluggish digestive system. So if you need help with constipation, slow digestion, or even weight loss support, try taking cinnamon before meals as a tea or mixed with honey. The heating effect will bring fire to the digestive system and can even work to speed up your metabolism.

This versatile spice works great in both savory and sweet contexts. Here are some great ideas of how to incorporate a spoon (or a few!) of cinnamon into your daily healthy diet:

- Add to a smoothie with tasty ingredients like bananas, coconut or cashew milk, and other fruits and superfoods.

- Sprinkle onto your breakfast granola or muesli

- Drink cinnamon as tea for a comforting, warming effect

- Add to savory meals for a sweet and spicy kick

- Or just simply have a spoonful of cinnamon with honey to start your day or before a meal.

And a few more detailed notes about cinnamon: you can find two kinds of spice commonly called “cinnamon.” One is cassia, and the other is Ceylon cinnamon or “true” cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon is stronger in terms of the health benefits. Avoid cassia, as it has a compound called Coumarin that could be unhealthy for the liver and kidneys in doses any larger than are used simply for seasoning. Look for Ceylon cinnamon by its scientific name, Cinnamomum zeylanicum  orCinnamomum verum. And always try to buy organic!

So you wake up in the morning and realize you left your personal chef in dreamland. Your next question will likely be, how to start the day with a healthy breakfast? Part of the answer is that giving yourself a strong start for the day depends on your individual body and needs.  But for all of us, in order to “break fast” after our bodies have been resting and our digestion shut down for many hours, this first meal is our opportunity to prepare our bodies and minds for another day.

Studies show that a healthy breakfast is import in kick-starting the day, from improving concentration and focus to starting up the metabolism to maintaining a balanced weight. Here are our suggestions for putting together an individualized holistic body-mind breakfast routine.

Start the day with some movement to bring life back to the body and get grounded. Even if you’re not a yogi, some relaxed stretches and deep breathing can make a huge difference to activate the body and mind. Bringing some movement to the lymphatic system is also a great idea to help circulate nutrients and toxins to where they need to go. Unlike the blood, which has it's own magnificent pump (the heart), the lymphatic fluid needs our activity to move it through the body. Shake up the lymph by dancing for a few minutes or doing jumping jacks. Any physical activity that brings your heart rate up will signal the body that it’s time for all the little systems and machines to get going and do their job! It’s also good for calming and centering the mind, especially if you follow movement by sitting for a few minutes to quietly visualize your day and bring in a sense of positivity and centeredness.

There are may reasons why Fall is a great time to fire up that dehydrator and start putting it to use. As the summer winds to a close we come into what is known as the season of bounty and harvest! So much bounty in fact that many of us don't know what to do with all of it! If you have fruit trees or a garden (or a friendly neighbor with one) you'll know what i mean. One can only eat so many fresh tomatoes before they either start going bad or start loosing their fantastic juicy, sweet and salty appeal. What is the solution? Bust out that dehydrator, slice up all that extra fruit and veggie goodness, and get yourself set up with enough dried goods to last throughout the winter! Once soaked and reconstituted, home made dried tomatoes make the most delicious base for flavorful raw tomato soups and spaghetti sauces! Keep your eyes peeled for fruit trees or berry bushes in unlikely places, even if they are in someone else's yard most people are more than happy to let people pick their extra fruit if it's about to end up back in the soil.

Raw, dehydrated foods are more nutritionally dense and beneficial to the body than cooked foods as they are low temperature dried, and therefore retain many more of their heat sensitive nutrients and enzymes. Drying food for preservation purposes has been a practice used for centuries. The very first food dehydrator was invented in 1975, and before that people simply utilized the power of the sun. Making big batches of raw snacks in your dehydrator is also a great way to save time (and money) during Fall back to school season. If you have an abundance of yummy crunchy snacks like raw crackers, kale chips, veggie chips, nori snacks, breads, granola bars, raw cereal, cookies, etc. the odds are that you and your family will be reaching for those healthier options during meals and snack time. 

How long have you been involved with raw foods and holistic health?

I first started the actual raw food lifestyle full on  over 4 yrs ago now. It all initially commenced with a change to a more healthier regime overall which then, through research and more self learning.....progressed into the raw food regime and onto my qualifications in nutrition.

What lead you to your interest in raw food nutrition and did you have any health issues that you've overcome through this lifestyle?

It all stemmed from receiving the sad news that both my parents fell ill. My mother was diagnosed with early on-set althzeimers at the young age of 61yrs and my father having cancer at the age of 64yrs. Feeling helpless in every way, i wanted to research if there were any means to help either ailments. This started off my personal journey into nutrition. I was convinced that somewhere along the way to my mother's illness, her food intake had some connection to her situation and with regards to my father, I was in search of helping his progressive illness to relent some what via his food choices too. I personally had no health issues of my own thankfully.

Where do you live currently and where would you live if you could be anywhere in the world?

I live in the South of France near Monaco and have done for the past 12 yrs. As for the question of ...''where in the world I would live?"..... I strongly believe 'home is where the heart is' and my heart lives here in France precisely where I am.

At first glance, chia seeds are pretty demure in appearance. Tiny and brownish/grey, they almost look more like something you might throw out into your lawn as birdseed. But do not be fooled, these little morsels of goodness have amazing nutritional benefits and are in fact a true superfood! 

Chia seed actually comes from a small desert plant called Salvia hispanca which is, believe it or not, in the mint family. Salvia hispanica is an ancient plant dating back to the times of the Aztecs and Mayans where it was included in their diets as a staple food. The warriors of these two cultures used chia as a potent, sustaining energy source. Years ago between 1500 and 900 BC chia was grown as a major staple crop in areas of modern day Mexico and Central America. After the Spanish invasion it was banned due to its association with Aztec and Mayan religious ceremonies. The nutritional powers and intelligence of this plant were all but lost until fairly recently. Now you’ll find chia seeds in everything from breakfast cereal and tortilla chips to raw chocolate bars and kombucha. 

The health benefits of chia lie in the omega fatty acid content of these small yet powerful seeds. The importance of healthy omega fats in the diet is something that has gotten a lot of press in recent years. More and more people are getting sick with diseases and conditions that can often be linked to the consumption of the wrong types of food. When it comes to creating a disease state in the body, the wrong types of fat can be one of the worst culprits. The flip side to this is that eating the right kinds can bring about numerous benefits. We need specific types of fat to thrive. Many of our organs absolutely must have specific fatty acids to function properly. The brain in particular has a very high concentration of omega 3 fatty acids and a lack can cause extreme cognitive problems spanning from depression and mood swings to memory loss and nerve damage. Omega 3 fatty acid in particular is often lacking in our diet today and it is an essential fatty acid, meaning that our bodies cannot produce it. Getting proper levels of omega 3’s help encourage the flexibility and permeability of our cell membranes. This is important when it comes to hydration and the import of nutrients and export of toxins in and out of our cells. There must be a cellular fluidity otherwise things stagnate and become toxic. Most nuts and seeds contain omega 6 and 9 but its harder to get enough omega 3 unless we specifically make a point to eat foods rich in this EFA. 

Nuts and seeds have always been important components of a raw food diet. Likewise, organic nuts and seeds provide the nutrition of raw ingredients without the pesticides, herbicides, and other poisons that inorganic products may present. For these reasons, raw, organic nut butter is a wonderful addition to any raw food diet! Packed with health benefits and delicious, these nut butters come in a variety of flavors and can provide a boost to any meal plan.

Why Eat Raw, Organic Nut Butters?

The issue of treating illnesses while following a raw food diet concerns many individuals who prescribe to this lifestyle. Are the medications that your doctor prescribes raw? How will they interact with your body? With so many chemicals, modern medications may be as harmful as they are helpful.

Many raw food dieters have taken to adding healing herbs to their meals in order to keep their health in top shape. While this in no way should take the place of the recommendations of a trained, licensed healthcare professional, introducing healing herbs to your meal plan may help keep you healthy.

One great way to add healing herbs to your diet is to add them to raw salads. Not only will the texture of the herbs often blend well with the leafy components of the meal, the herbs can be used to create delicious new flavors.

What Healing Herbs Can You Add to Your Salad?

Some recipes advise cooking herbs before consuming them, which does not hold with the raw food lifestyle. Herbs can be used, but make sure that you do a bit more research about the individual herbs you are looking to eat before adding them to your meal.

Here is a list of herbs that you can add to a raw salad to improve your health:

Alfalfa: Alleviates symptoms of diabetes and arthritis, purifies the blood, and acts as a mild
stimulant. Alfalfa, which contains eight essential amino acids, also acts as a diuretic and can
reduce infection in the urinary tract system.

Basil: Acts as an antiseptic, fungicidal, digestive aid, and antibacterial.

Chives: Possess antiseptic properties.

Cilantro: Acts as a digestive aid and diuretic. Also contributes to detoxification by the removal of heavy metals.

Dill: Alleviates symptoms of gastro-intestinal issues.

Garlic: Has antibacterial, antiseptic, antifungal, antiviral, and anti-parasitic properties.

Ginger: Functions as a digestive aid and tonic.

Mint: Performs antiseptic and cleansing functions.

Oregano: Provides antimicrobial and antiviral properties.

Parsley: Acts as a diuretic and tonic.

Rocket: Also known as arugula, rocket is a great raw salad base.

Rosemary: Functions as an antiseptic, antimicrobial, and diuretic.

Thyme: Possesses antiseptic and antimicrobial properties.

Boost Your Health

By adding these healing herbs to your raw salads, you can boost your body's health while enhancing the flavor profiles of your diet. Herbs often have strong flavors, so experiment with them to determine which ones best complement your favorite salad recipes!

Adhering to a raw food diet may seem great during the summertime, but when winter rolls around you may find yourself looking for a way to keep warm. Raw food diets are not as restrictive as many people may think, and there are also other ways to keep your body temperature up.

Here are the top five ways to keep warm this winter without having to break your raw food diet.

People who do not abide by a raw food diet may think it is restrictive, but there are actually many versatile ingredients that can be used to create a variety of delicious meals, snacks, and desserts. One of these ingredients is the raw coconut wrap, which is renowned for its adaptable taste and ability to be transformed into any kind of dish, from sweet to savory.

People who do not abide by a raw food diet may think it is restrictive, but there are actually many versatile ingredients that can be used to create a variety of delicious meals, snacks, and desserts. One of these ingredients is the raw coconut wrap, which is renowned for its adaptable taste and ability to be transformed into any kind of dish, from sweet to savory.