“I really don’t think I need buns of steel. I’d be happy with buns of cinnamon.” -Ellen DeGeneres

I LOVE cinnamon… no, that’s putting it too lightly, I adore cinnamon. It’s like magic. It adds such deep flavor and richness to all sorts of dishes, sweet or savory. Honestly, we uses cinnamon like it’s going out of style at my house. We go through one of those containers (featured above) in less than a month. Just the other morning I was making oatmeal and I couldn’t seem to find the cinnamon. I thought to myself, “Well, now what? I can’t eat this plain!” Lucky for me, I found it on the coffee table in the living room and (after lots of searching) I was able to enjoy my cinnamon-y oats!

Did you know that cinnamon is a superfood? Yep, that’s right! Just as much as I love cinnamon, it loves me right back! Two teaspoons of this ancient spice contain 46% of your daily manganese needs and 11% of your fiber needs. The high fiber content helps aid in digestion and even promotes healthy colon function. Cinnamon helps to prevent blood clots and also stabilize blood sugar levels. It can do wonders for those with type II Diabetes as it aids in insulin production.

Cinnamon helps fight against the common cold, reduces muscle spasms, and fights inflammation within the body. It’s loaded with nutrients and antioxidants. It helps to lower cholesterol levels and even reduces the risk of heart disease. Cinnamon is a very homeopathic remedy that can be used to protect neurotransmitters in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. You can also mix it with honey, coconut oil and coconut sugar as a face scrub (yep, tried that… and it’s amazing)! Believe it or not, cinnamon was once considered more valuable than gold! …and now? You can buy it at Job Lot, Big Lots or the Dollar store for only $1! That, my friends, is a bargain!

So what are you waiting for? Go pick up some cinnamon and add some ‘spice’ to your life! Some of my favorite ways to enjoy it?! Stirred into my AM oats, sprinkled onto frozen banana slices or added to a scoop of vanilla coconut milk ice cream (the healthy girls version of cinnamon bun ice cream)! I also love to mix it with chopped apples or with sweet potatoes chunks and then bake them for a hearty ‘fall-flavored’ dessert or side dish. My mom tosses a healthy dose into her Greek yogurt for lunch and adds it to cooked carrots for dinner. I stir some into my Cinnamon Spice Tea (Double the spice, twice as nice!) and I love it on my Cheerios with almond milk and fruit! I bake it into gluten free pumpkin muffins and I’ve even tried it with spaghetti squash! Clearly, I’m hooked!

How about you? Do you love cinnamon? What are your favorite ways to enjoy it?!