Apple Cinnamon Water

Ahh, the holidays. They are upon us.

It can be tough to stay on track with a plan for wellness during this time of year. (Trust me, I'm struggling with it myself.) So what do I do when I'm struggling with something? I head to the internet!

Sometimes, that's a giant backfire waiting to happen- but other times, I stumble on to a gem. This is one of those times! While browsing Pinterest a week or two ago, I discovered a recipe for Apple Cinnamon "Day Spa Inspired" water. It touted itself as a detox drink, and I thought, "I'll take all the help I can get!"

So I followed the pin, a couple of different blogs have their take on this, but the two most popular I found were Lose Weight By Eating and Running Away? I'll Help You Pack!

They each have their take on it, and here I'll share mine.

Here's what I use:

2.25 Quart (approx 1/2 gallon) pitcher
1/2 Washington Honeycrisp Apple (my personal favorite, you can pick whatever kind you like)
1 stick of Cinnamon

Slice the apples into thin slices, add the cinnamon stick, fill the pitcher about 1/2 way with ice, then add your water. Leave it sit for a while in the refrigerator, approximately 10 minutes or so. The water needs some time to absorb all the apple-cinnamon-y goodness!

If you are using a gallon pitcher, I'd say double the recipe, using a whole apple and 2 sticks of cinnamon. I find I am able to re-fill the pitcher at least once or twice before throwing out the apples and cinnamon and starting all over again!

It's also nice to hold back a slice or two of apple for your glass. It's a refreshing change from plain old water, and everyone knows getting plenty of water is a staple for a healthy diet.

What you might not realize are all of the health benefits that apples and cinnamon bring to the table!

Apples have been shown to:

• Lower LDL (bad) Cholesterol
• Protect/strengthen bones
• Help prevent several types of Cancer
• Assist in weight loss
• Boost exercise endurance

Cinnamon has been shown to:

• Regulate blood sugar levels
• Boost cognitive function and memory
• Act as an effective natural remedy for headaches and migraines
• Inhibit bacterial growth and food spoilage
• Reduce the proliferation of leukemia and lymphoma cells

With these kinds of benefits, it seems like upping your daily intake of apples and cinnamon is a no-brainer!

To learn more about these and other health benefits of apples and cinnamon, visit the following links:

Huffington Post- Eating Well

Health Diaries- Eat This!

Organic Authority