Wellness to Thrive : Deanna McMahon

Cinnamon Bark Spotlight

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Cinnamon Bark essential oil has a warm, spicy aroma that is so inviting any time of year but especially during the Autumn Season! Cinnamon Bark cleanses the air, creates a warming sensation on the skin when applied topically, and contains antioxidants that help support the immune system and general wellness. Cinnamon Bark essential oil is a key ingredient in the popular Thieves essential oil blend, which has been used in a line of both personal care and household products. Overall it is a staple essential oil for every household!

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CINNAMON BARK AT A GLANCE

  • Has a warm, spicy, inviting aroma
  • Eliminates odors when used aromatically
  • Creates a warming sensation when applied topically
  • Has the highest known ORAC value
  • Strong antioxidant
  • Part of the Botanical Family Lauraceae (Laurel Family)

CINNAMON BARK: THE HEARTWARMER In Chinese medicine there are fascinating theories around using herbs with certain properties to balance the body. Conditions are categorized by influences such as cold vs. heat. Imbalance of “cold” relates to stiffness, decreased energy and vitality, lethargy, and congested flow of all of the body's fluids.

Cinnamon is an herb of warmth that brings an invigorating energy into our organs and immune system. This oil is supportive of the heart, lungs, and digestive system, increasing movement when these systems are weakened.

We can remember Cinnamon's benefits as heartwarming, like the friend who always helps us find our spark in life again, who kindles our dreams and shares their own energy with us, lifting our spirits.

BACKGROUND Native to Sri Lanka, Ceylon cinnamon, or true cinnamon, is a tall, leafy bush that produces fragrant bark and leaves. A member of the laurel family, it is well known the world over as an aromatic culinary spice. Cinnamon Bark is one of the ingredients in “Four Thieves Vinegar” which protected bandits who rummaged the homes and graves of the dead during the black plague, and it is historically believed to attract wealth.

Cinnamon Bark essential oil is steam distilled from the inner bark of the tree and has a warm, spicy aroma that evokes memories of the holidays when diffused. Cinnamon Bark Vitality contains antioxidants and may provide immune and general wellness support when taken as a dietary supplement. Note: Cinnamon Bark and Cinnamon Bark Vitality are the same essential oil, simply labeled differently to comply with FDA standards.

KEY CONSTITUENTS Constituents are naturally occurring compounds in plants (and therefore essential oils) that give them sprecic health-supporting properties

  • Cinnamaldehyde: some studies have shown that cinnamaldehyde may help fight various kinds of infection and that internal use of cinnamaldehyde may support a healthy stomach through its cleansing and soothing properties.

Cinnamon is loaded with powerful antioxidants, such as polyphenols. Antioxidants are a huge bolster to health since so much of our modern life can create oxidative stress in the body. In a study that compared the antioxidant activity of 26 spices, cinnamon wound up as the clear winner, even outranking “superfoods” like garlic and oregano! Antioxidants also help support the body's response to inflammation, which plays a role in almost all chronic diseases. Cinnamon can also support healthy cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure levels, making it a wonderful tool for our health!

STUDIES TO EXPLORE

CINNAMON BARK AND EMOTIONS All of Young Living's essential oils work to support the entire body - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual - and Cinnamon Bark is no different. Cinnamon Bark is a wonderful tool for when you feel easily annoyed or when you feel the need to act a part or fake something. We have all heard the term "fake it until we make it," and often we suppress or play a role in new situations, during holiday times and/or around family. It's not coincidence that the fall and winter months have us gravitating towards warm aromas like Cinnamon Bark! You can use this oil to help you move out of a fake role and more into the true version of you.

How does this work? How do oils help with emotions? Counselor Eryn Jones says: “You may have heard that your sense of smell is directly linked to the limbic system (think Fight, Flight, Freeze, emotional responses that seem to come before thoughts do! You know you always get an unpleasant feeling somewhere in your body before you even process news that can be upsetting or frustrating, right?). This means that smells trigger big emotions and programmed responses. You can probably smell Cinnamon Bark, for example, and remember your Granny baking cinnamon rolls at Christmas and it feels nostalgic, comforting, and homey.

Here is where oils come in to help in bigger ways, other than just triggering memories. The compounds found in essential oils can also help re-write reactions you have that are negative/ unpleasant (programmed responses). Our brains are trained by outside forces in early life, and then our own beliefs later in life. I've never met anyone who has a 100% positive all-the-time inner thought life, but some of us have a more negatively skewed inner dialogue than others!

In the same way essential oils can trigger good-feeling memories, they can be used as a tool in conjunction with helpful resources (like Releasing Emotional Patterns with Essential Oils by Dr. Carolyn Mein) to help you release the triggered negative patterns that you have from a long history of thinking and feeling the same way.

Smell is so powerful to bring about good memories, and essential oils can help solidify NEW (more positive) ways of thinking by helping the limbic system to interact with the more cognitive/ analytical parts of the brain and super-charge your brain's own ability to GET UNSTUCK! By smelling essential oils and focusing on the way you WANT to feel and think, you are creating a new pathway in your brain.”

PRODUCT OPTIONS

  • Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil
  • Cinnamon Bark Vitality Essential Oil
  • Key ingredient in Thieves Essential Oil blend and all Thieves products
  • Cinnamon Bark and Cinnamon Bark Vitality are the same essential oil. Cinnamon Bark Vitality is labeled for ingestion.

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DAILY HABITS WITH CINNAMON BARK:

  • Dilute Cinnamon Bark with V-6 Vegetable Oil Complex and massage it on your feet for a warming massage that supports healthy circulation and tired muscles.
  • Take Cinnamon Bark Vitality as a dietary supplement to help support a healthy immune system.
  • Add a drop of Cinnamon Bark Vitality to your daily NingXia Red for an extra boost!
  • Elevate your Pure Protein Complete smoothie or green drink with a drop of Cinnamon Bark Vitality and benefit from its antioxidant properties.
  • Drop Cinnamon Bark oil onto pinecones, garlands and other seasonal decor to create a simple passive diffuser.
  • Add some spice to your coffee or tea! Add a drop or two of Cinnamon Bark Vitality to coffee grounds before brewing or add a drop to honey before stirring into warm tea or water.
  • Use Cinnamon Bark Vitality in your baking recipes in place of ground cinnamon - 1 drop is approximately 1 tsp ground spice.

DIYS WITH CINNAMON BARK:

  • Daily Wellness Roller:
    • 10mL roller bottle
    • 10 drops each: Cinnamon Bark, Oregano, Frankincense, Lemon, and RC or Raven
    • Fill with carrier oil of choice
    • Roll over the spine and lymph nodes morning and evening
  • Add a couple drops of Cinnamon Bark to your favorite perfume roller for a warm, spicy undertone.
    • Joy, Tangerine + Cinnamon Bark
    • Jasmine, Neroli, Stress Away + Cinnamon Bark
    • Ylang Ylang, Lavender, Tangerine + Cinnamon Bark
  • Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte:
    • 1 cup organic coconut or almond milk milk
    • 1 1/2 tbsp organic pureed pumpkin
    • 1 tbsp organic vanilla extract
    • 2-3 tbsp raw organic honey (optional)
    • 1 drop Cinnamon Bark Vitality essential oil
    • a pinch of nutmeg
    • 1/2 cup strong coffee or espresso (already brewed)
    • a pinch of cocoa powder
    • coconut whipped cream (optional)
    • Combine milk, pureed pumpkin, and raw organic honey in a saucepan over medium heat until the coconut milk is bubbling and steaming. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour into the bottom half of a coffee cup, then pour in the coffee or espresso on top. Garnish with a dollop of coconut whip cream and a sprinkle of cacao powder.
  • Festive Wassail:
    • Organic apple juice, about 3/4 of a bottle
    • Organic pineapple juice, about 2 cups
    • 10 drops Orange or Tangerine Vitality essential oil
    • 5 drops Lemon Vitality Essential oil
    • 5 drops Cinnamon Bark Vitality Essential oil
    • 3 drops Clove Vitality Essential oil
    • 2 drop Nutmeg Vitality Essential oil
    • Cinnamon sticks, dried cloves to taste
    • Orange slices, lemon slices, fresh cranberries, apple slices to garnish
    • Fill a slow cooker, about 3/4 full with organic apple juice, then top with organic pineapple juice. Add in essential oils and dried species and let simmer. Just before serving add plus orange slices, apples, cranberries, etc. to garnish!
  • Cozy Wassail Punch:
    • ½ Gallon Apple Cider
    • 2 cups organic orange juice
    • 2 cups organic pineapple juice
    • 4 cinnamon sticks
    • 10 drops Lemon Vitality
    • 5 drops Orange or Tangerine Vitality
    • 5 drops Cinnamon Bark Vitality
    • 3 drops Clove Vitality
    • 1 drop Nutmeg Vitality
    • Optional: whole cloves, orange peel, lemon peel
    • Optional: Champagne
    • In a large saucepan or dutch oven, combine apple cider, pineapple juice, orange juice, essential oils, cinnamon sticks and citrus peel and cloves (if using). Let simmer for about one hour, stirring occasionally.
    • Allow to cool, then remove the cinnamon sticks, cloves, and orange peel. Pour into a pitcher and refrigerate.
    • When serving, pour the wassail mixture into a glass and fill about half full. Top with champagne or for a non-alcoholic version try adding seasonal sparkling water - cranberry, orange, etc. Garnish with orange slices or cranberries if you're feeling fancy!
    • You could make it and serve it hot too, just stop before after the second step or use a slow cooker for the entire process. You can easily prepare this at home and take it to a gathering as well!
  • DIY Mold & Mildew Purifying Spray:
    • 16 oz glass spray bottle
    • 1 1/4 C white vinegar
    • 3/4 C water
    • 6 drops each: Cinnamon Bark, Patchouli and Tea Tree.
  • DIY Scented Hand Soap:
    • Recycled Thieves or Lavender foaming hand soap bottle (or a new one)
    • 2 Tbsp Liquid Castile Soap
    • 20-30 drops essential oils*
    • Top with water leaving approximately 1" so you can add the pump top.
    • Optional: 1 Tbl Vitamin E oil to help soften the skin.
    • Sugar & Spice: 10 drops Ylang Ylang, 5 drops each Cinnamon Bark, Clove
    • Autumn Spice: 10 drops Orange, 5 drops each Cinnamon Bark, Clove, 3 drops Nutmeg
  • Cinnamon Vanilla Sugar Scrub:
    • 1 cup packed brown sugar
    • 1/4 cup solid coconut oil
    • 5 drops Vanilla
    • 5 drops Cinnamon Bark
    • Mix essential oils and brown sugar in a glass bowl until well blended, then add coconut oil until the scrub reaches your desired consistency
    • Massage the skin in a circular motion and rinse well.
    • This also makes a lovely gift!

DIFFUSE: Diffusing is a wonderful health habit! We have our diffuser going almost 24/7 and love to choose blends that are supportive of individual needs or systems. Try some of these great combinations and enjoy the warm, spicy scent of Cinnamon Bark!

  • Autumn Breeze: 3 drops Orange, 3 drops Cinnamon Bark, 2 drops Northern Lights Black Spruce, 1 drop Clove, 1 drop Nutmeg
  • Coffee Shop: 4 drops Stress Away, 3 drops Cinnamon Bark, 2 drops Tangerine
  • Pumpkin Spice: 3 drops Clove, 3 drops Cinnamon Bark, 2 drops Orange, 2 drops Nutmeg, 1 drop Ginger
  • Cozy Home: 4 drops Lavender, 3 drops Cinnamon Bark, 2 drops Clove, 2 drops Vanilla