Australian Yoga Journal — July 2017

72

july 2017

yogajournal.com.au

TRY ITTo add heat to savoury foods like:

• Asian soups


• Dal/lentils


• Grilled meats


• Tomato-based curries

CINNAMON

ORIGINSMade from

the inner bark of a

cinnamon tree, the

spice version of cinnamon

is cut, dried, and sold as

sticks or ground powder. Most of the

cinnamon sold in the United States is

‘cassia’ from trees grown in China,

Burma, Vietnam and Indonesia. While

it’s fine in moderation, regularly eating

large amounts (about 1/2 teaspoon or

more) can possibly cause liver damage

and other ill effects thanks to a naturally

occurring toxin called coumarin.

Another variety of cinnamon tree,

indigenous to Sri Lanka and Southern

India, produces ‘Ceylon’ or ‘true’

cinnamon, which has very low levels of

the toxin and is found online or in

natural grocers.

HEALTH BENEFITS The research on

cinnamon’s ability to lower blood sugar

has been mixed, but a recent review by

Western University of Health Sciences, in

California, gives it the thumbs up. It

showed that people with type 2 diabetes

who eat about 1/4 to 2 teaspoons daily

can substantially drop their blood

sugar—by 25 mg/dL. And if you have

pre-diabetes or even normal blood sugar,

cinnamon may blunt the rise in blood

sugar that results from downing a sugary

beverage, according to a few studies.

DAILY GOAL In various studies, about

1/4 to 2 teaspoons daily for 4 to 18 weeks

were enough to significantly lower blood

sugar in people with type 2 diabetes.

This data is based on studies using

cinnamon capsules, but you could also

try adding this amount directly to your

food.

TRY ITIn garam masala (a classic

Indianspice blend) or in sweet or

aromatic foods, including:

• Baked goods like biscuits and
  fruitbreads


• Beef curries


• Masala chai


• Rice pudding or ice cream

Masala chai ice cream (spiced-tea ice cream)

SERVES 8

Indian ice cream is made by boiling whole milk for hours until it thickens, making it

denser than its Western counterpart, which is typically aerated. To save time, this recipe

uses evaporated milk as a quick alternative to boiling whole milk.

1 ¾ cups evaporated milk

1 ½ cups condensed milk

3 tea bags black tea, such as English

breakfast, or 2 tsp. loose-leaf tea

½ tsp. dried ginger or juice squeezed

froma5cmpiecefresh, grated ginger

(fibrous part discarded)

½ tsp. ground Ceylon cinnamon

3 pods green cardamom, seeds finely

crushed and husks discarded

8 5cm-diameter silicone moulds or 2

plastic tubs (should each hold 2-3

cups/620 g.)

1 tsp. crushed pistachios

In a medium saucepan over low heat,

combine milks, tea, ginger, cinnamon,

and cardamom; cook, stirring frequently,

until milk is almost boiling. Remove from

heat and pour liquid through a sieve into a

heatproof jug. Squeeze tea bags, if using,

in order to extract maximum flavour.

Cool mixture to room temperature, about

1 hour. Divide among moulds or pour

into tubs. Freeze until solidified, 2-3 hours

for moulds or overnight for tubs. Store

in freezer up to 2 months.

Serve sprinkled with crushed pistachios.

NUTRITIONAL INFO263 calories per serving, 9 g fat (6 g saturated), 37 g carbs, 0 g fibre, 8 g

protein, 134 mg sodium