As many of my friends know, I love to run. I don’t do it competitively
or anything because I’m not that fast. But I love it. It’s exhilarating and
provides me with a moment of clear thinking. It’s definitely the closest thing
I can get towards existentialism. Aside from the semi-spiritualism that running
brings me, it keeps me in pretty good shape because I am big hungry; I love
food! But even the longest run cannot make up for my strong appetite. I need
something extra to boost my metabolism. Enter my natural secret weapons:
cinnamon, honey and good old hot water. For years, colds, diarrhea, constipation,
and all other ailments were met with natural herbs. Of course, for serious
problems, I was sent to the doctor’s office, but my mother, paternal
grandmother, and great aunts worked hard to limit my consumption of
prescription pills. That being said, cinnamon was used often. And as I’ve grown
older, I’ve come to appreciate its well-documented benefits.
Every night, I have a cup of cinnamon tea and honey before I go to bed.
I boil the water and mix it with a teaspoon of cinnamon. I let it steep for
about 20-30 minutes and then I add a tablespoon of honey. I let it steep for
that long because it helps to cool off the water. My grandmother always told us
never to add honey to hot water because it does something to the enzymes so
that the benefits of the honey basically become non-existent.
The benefits of this little tea have been great. First off, I never
have morning breath. Like ever. Even if I forget to brush my teeth before bed.
Secondly, whenever I pick back up the habit of drinking the tea, my immune
system is amazing. I’m hardly ever sick. And if I am, it never lasts long.
Thirdly, I have way more energy. Perhaps the most important benefit has to be
the fact that my metabolism is pretty great. Even when I eat the heaviest of
heavy meals, I don’t feel so heavy because the food gets broken down pretty
easily. In other words, I don’t get the “Itis” that often.
I don’t usually endorse things that concern other people’s eating
habits or bodies because I don’t like to make people feel like I’m preaching to
them about their lifestyles. But this tea is so easy to make and the
ingredients are so easily accessible that I felt like I had to share it
(actually my mom suggested that I share it). If you want to speed up your
metabolism, lose a few inches, improve your digestive tract, or pick up a
little extra energy to add a pep to your step, give this tea a try. Even if you
don’t want to drink it every day, having it a few times a week will definitely
make a difference.
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