If you're anything like me, you're on a journey of loving devotion... to your own soul and the body It lives within SO THAT you can enjoy your life while fulfilling your Purpose.
I believe we have many ways of fulfilling Purpose in our lives... as the NDErs say, it's all about Love.
Love is an energy that inspires us to act.
I also believe, as a Shamanic Hand Analyst, that we have been Gifted more details in how that Love was designed to flow through us (specifically as an individual) and into our lives to create endless possibilities for Good in this world.
A couple of months ago I made a commitment to myself to expand on my various practices of self-care, deep healing and loving devotion in the form of hiring a personal trainer/coach. I had some very specific requirements since I have a comical amount of injuries ;-) and I'm a "vibe" kinda gal, meaning my coach's vibes matter!
I'm also a plant-based gal AKA healthy vegan (not a junk food vegan ;D So I needed a trainer to believe in me and my plant-food ways rather than give me wonky looks and lectures!! I really needed my coach to understand The Future of Nutrition (a book by T. Colin Campbell, PhD), my compassion for animals, sustainability for the planet and beyond.
And... for sure I was over-eating all that delicious plant food... not just cuz it's delish, but also the unhealed places within wanted to stuff and numb... so I wanted a coach that could hold space for someone with PTSD because in the past I've had panic attacks when losing weight.
The goal is simple: lose weight, gain strength.
My insides didn't feel so simple though...
To recap requirements: plant-based, vibe, injuries, PTSD.
"This is TOO much to ask!" you declare?!
Nope.
The power of focus to manifest is a little gift I have... some have called me a Master Manifestor! Haha! ;D
Enter stage: Conscious Muscle and my coach, Jordan!
@conscious_muscle
One of the things he suggested is an all-natural, plant blend protein supplement (Conscious Muscle Protein) and I'm loving it! No. He's not paying me to say this!! Haha! ;D I just love sharing what works for me (I've got a "Line 3" in my Human Design profile ;-). I've tried other brands in the past (depending on the decade... both vegan and not) and they made me feel sick and/or dizzy and weird, but this one makes me feel amazing!
I mean, I often feel amazing, but now I'm amazing magnified! ;D
I've been using Conscious Muscle Protein Vanilla because it's SO versatile in recipes... of course there's other flavors like chocolate and banana, sooo you do you, but I decided that if I want chocolate or banana then I'll add them to the Vanilla protein powder! Another flavor I've been adding is Cinnamon! Ceylon (not cassia) Cinnamon to be exact. I'll be sharing WHY down below...
One last thing to share regarding my new obsession with Conscious Muscle Protein is their Mission!
Their vision for the planet and compassion for animals as well as their commitment to health are all in alignment with my personal values. This is a cruelty-free product and 10% of their profits go to animal sanctuaries and rescues! <3 Protein after my own heart! <3
I've dropped some weight and pains while gaining strength and a healthy sense of pride ;-)
*Note: I didn't put it on my list of requirements, but I got a surprise! Jordan is an EXCELLENT communicator! I didn't realize how helpful this part was gonna be (he lives in a different state than I do), but maybe since I chose partly by "vibe" it included exceptional, clear communication! ;D
My gawd, I didn't mean for this to sound like an ad! Ha! ;D ...but if you wanna drink some delicousness that's good for you, animals and the world, click the button below:
Now... on to some the medicinal power of Ceylon Cinnamon...
Ceylon Cinnamon (Cinnamon zeylanicum); there's some fire magic in these wands!
*NOT safe in larger, medicinal doses during pregnancy or nursing.
"Cinnamon helps build the internal fire and will. Its warm energy can dissipate inner coldness and allow the creative fires to burn." -- The Spirit of Herbs, by Michael Tierra & Candis Cantin
Cinnamon stimulates your inner drive, motivation and focus and it does this with warmth and strength rather than coldness, control or force.
To me, Cinnamon tastes like luxury and sensuousness and I just have to close my eyes to take it all in... the scent, the rich flavor it adds to SO many "recipes," the way it makes me feel beyond blessed!
Cinnamon is such a simple way to bring us to the present moment and steep in the joy of now.
So, even if it didn't do a dang good thing for me, I'd still use it in almost everything! Ha! ;D
Cinnamon bark lives within many herbal categories: energetically stimulating, warming and drying as well as the spicy and sweet tastes.
Although Cinnamon is a drying astringent herb, it's also a demulcent which means it's mucilaginous and soothing... excellent as part of a dry-cough or sore throat remedy.
Here's a long of benefits:
- Digetstive complaints such as indigestion, gas, loose stools or diarrhea
- Chronically cold hands and feet (Prickly Ash is great for this, too!)
- Viral infections when a person feels cold, clammy, sweaty and/or shivery or when a person is experiencing a hot upper body and cold lower body
- Oral health and better breath
- Anti-oxidant, Anti-inflammatory, Anti-fungal, Anti-bacterial, Antispetic... according to Dr. Jack Ritchason, ND, Cinnamon has been shown effective against Botulism, Staphylococcus Aureus, E. coli, and Candida Albicans.
- Analgesic/anodyne (relives or lessens pain)
- Lowers cholesterol
- Supports weaning process by reducing milk flow (as does Sage)
- Stops uterine hemorrhage and excessive menstrual flow (although I'd also add Yarrow, Shepherd's Purse and Cayenne if I had this sort of problem)... just to be very clear: Women do NOT need to suffer and have heavy or painful cycles. Diet and herbs can reverse that issue!
- Insulin Resistance
- Weight loss
"In a 2017 study, 116 overweight volunteers were given capsules containing raw powdered cinnamon or else placebo capsules—that is, dummy capsules with none of the spice in them—to take with their meals. The assignment to cinnamon or placebo pills was random, and the two groups were similar in age, activity, and most other characteristics. Sixteen weeks later, everyone stood on the scale. As you would expect, the placebo pills did essentially nothing. What about the participants who got the cinnamon pills? They lost almost eight pounds (3.5 kg) over the same period." --Dr. Neal Barnard, MD
Dosage
Powdered: 1-6 grams/day. (Dr. Barnard suggests about 1 tsp which is typically 5 grams) internally
or as a tooth powder.
Decoction: simmered on low for a tea about 20 min, sticks or chips. When I make a 4C batch of Elderberry Syrup then I use 1.4oz of the bark as sticks as one of the ingredients. Dosage of Elderberry syrup is just 1T for adults every 30-60-min. I give my grandkids less than this based on their weight.
Tincture: in alcohol/glycerin mix. For adults, I'd only use this if no other option was available to me and I would not use more than a dropperful in a day.
Special Considerations or Contraindications
- Large amounts of cinnamon are contra-indicated during pregnancy.
- Culinary amounts are considered safe.
- Cinnamon can significantly lower blood glucose levels, so people with diabetes should closely monitor their insulin if they wish to regularly take cinnamon.
- There have been some recent concerns about potentially harmful properties of cassia cinnamon for the liver. If you plan take Cinnamon in large amounts for an extended period of time, I recommend using Ceylon cinnamon.
- Cinnamon is a very effective blood thinner and is NOT advised to take therapeutic doses of cinnamon at the same time as blood thinning medications.
It's "Recipe" Time!...
Notice I put the word, "recipe" in quotes! ;D ...it's a recipe for success, but not much of a recipe when it comes to ingredients!! Ha! Of course you can play with ideas to your heart's delight, but let's start basic for a quick start...
1. Quick Fix
Often when I get back from my walk around 5/5:30am, I'll quickly whip up 1.5 scoops of Conscious Muscle with 12oz of water and 1tsp of Ceylon Cinnamon. That's it!
*I do it this way and prefer this over protein bars because I'm losing weight. I need to be in a calorie deficit until I get where I'm going, and protein bars have a lot of calories, sugar and saturated fats which destroy the endothelial cells! My mom died from heart disease, so "No Thanks" to that!
2. A Million Variations of a Green Smoothie (here's one):
- 1-4C Kale (or other dark green leafy veg) (Dr. Goldner uses a pound/day!)
- Water, herbal infusion or unsweetened plant milk (I use enough to cover my greens)
- 1 Banana or Mango
- Frozen (or fresh) Berries... all the berries in the world! Or a little less... ;-)
- 1.5 scoops of Conscious Muscle Protein
- 1 tsp Ceylon Cinnamon
First I add the liquid then add the powders while it's blending on low, next I turn off the blender and add everything else. Finally, I blend on the highest level cuz there's frozen fruit in it... done!
*Calcium: get it from dark green leafy vegetables, plant milks OR Nettle Infusions (made with 1oz dried/cut Nettels) which have over 800mg of calcium.
3. A Not-Green Smoothie
- 1-2C Plant Milk (unsweetened or water or herbal infusion)
- 1 banana or Mango
- Frozen berries
- 1.5 scoops of Conscious Muscle Protein
- 2T Cacao powder
- 1tsp Ceylon Cinnamon
Add to blender, blend til smooth!
*This tastes great with Astragalus root infusion (1oz dried/cut herb to 4C water) and adds SO many health benefits! Natural energy, anti-cancer, healthy bone marrow, stronger immune system... Astragalus root smells like peanuts to me and tastes a little like peanuts, too, but I'm sensitive to actual peanuts so I don't add PB2 nor regular peanut butter.
4. Weird But True ;D
- 1-1.5C Plant Milk (unsweetened)
- 1.5 scoops of Conscious Muscle Protein
- 1 tsp Ceylon Cinnamon
1st I blend this up, then poor it over a ton of berries and a sliced banana and eat it like cereal. Or like a weird dessert! Ha!
5. Vanilla Cream for Fruit Salad
- 2 C Plant Milk (unsweetened)
- 1 C Cashews (if you can't eat cashews try soaked almonds)
- 1-2 scoops Vanilla Conscious Muscle Protein
- 6 pitted medjool dates (my daughter likes 6 or more, but of course you can use less! ;-)
Blend on high until smooth! (I use a Vitamix, my daughter uses a Blendtec).
My kids love a mix of fresh strawberries, bananas and grapes! When we don't have berries and grapes, we use frozen berries (some of us defrost ours and other don't ;-) with fresh banana. Then we pour the desired amound of Vanilla Cream over the fruit... SO good!
*I use 1.5 scoops early in the day and then another 1.5 scoops later in the day per my coach's suggestion for my goals, so it adds up to about 62g of protein just from this product which has 6 plant sources of protein. One of them being Artichoke, which is awesome knowing that it's excellent for the heart, liver and digestion! I LOVE PLANTS! :D
So there you have it! 5 of the easiest recipes in the world with the added benefit of 100% plant-based and cruelty-free protein! :D
Do a little dance!
<3
If you need support losing weight and/or gaining muscle vegan-style, please contact Jordan on IG @conscious_muscle or consciousmuscle@gmail.com He has been a vegan trainer for 10+ years!
If you need a shamanic practioner (herbalist, bodyworker and soul purpose hand "diviner" ;-) then I'm your gal! Give me a call 480-259-7140 or email me: Theresa@11thhourshaman.com