Red Ape Cinnamon!

I'm excited to announce the start of Running Girl partnership with Red Ape Cinnamon!  Organic Red Ape cinnamon is my go-to cinnamon in baking, and is featured in many of my recipes including my Cinnamon Bun Bites, a clean eating cinnamon roll-esque mini bar.

Since delving into Sports Nutrition, I've really come to admire the health benefits of incorporating cinnamon into a healthy diet on a regular basis.  Just 1/2 teaspoon a day added to smoothies, tea or coffee, quinoa, etc. may help with digestion 4, acne 3, allergies, and infections.  Cinnamon energizes, reducing cravings (cinnamon has compounds that improve insulin sensitivity and glucose control 1 ) and has anti-bacterial/anti-fungal properties 2.  So many benefits from a delicious spice!  The Red Ape Cinnamon comes with a wee wooden spoon in each jar as well, making that half teaspoon feasible, and fun.

Red Ape in particular is a company I'm proud to represent with my baked goods.  They are on a mission to save the apes!  5% of their profit gets donated to save the orangutans and their habitat.
They also package their cinnamon spices and now coffee at The Pearl Buck Center in Eugene, Oregon, which creates job opportunities for those with disabilities.  For a great video about Pearl Buck and their work for Red Ape, check it out here!

Here too is a Benefit Breakfast for the Pearl Buck Center with Red Ape owner Dan Vishny:  http://youtu.be/jkaFUKfbXCo

I'm delighted to create more products incorporating Red Ape Cinnamon!  Have a great day, and don't forget to shake, sprinkle and smile!

My current favorite snack?  1 teaspoon Red Ape cinnamon mixed into 3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce to form a "sauce" to coat berries: cranberries, wild blueberries and raspberries is my current favorite combination for an antioxidant boost

* I am not paid by Red Ape!  They are generous enough to give me some products to try...and in turn, I will share the recipes with you!

Research and references:

(1) Anderson, RA. Chromium and polyphenols from cinnamon improve insulin sensitivity.

Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center Study Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18234131 Accessed February 27, 2015.

(2) Md. Mahfuzul Hoquea , M. L. Barib , Vijay K. Junejac , and S. Kawamotob. Antimicrobial Activity of Cloves and Cinnamon Extracts. Available at: https://www.naro.affrc.go.jp/publicity_report/publication/files/naro-se/sh72p009.pdf Accessed February 27, 2015.

(3) Chase, Brad.  Progressive Health. Cinnamon for Acne.  Available at:http://www.progressivehealth.com/acne-cinnamon.htm Accessed February 27, 2015.

(4) Godiyal, Sandeep. Natural News.  Cinnamon Indigestion and Digestive Health.  Available at: http://www.naturalnews.com/043734_cinnamon_indigestion_digestive_health.html Accessed February 27, 2015.