Curiously Awesome

Researchers have recently found that black pepper can reduce the perception of pain, reduce inflammation, and fight arthritis. Other studies show black pepper can block complications from diabetes, act as an antioxidant and fight off colon cancer. Black pepper improves digestion and frees nutrients for absorption within the body. It stimulates amino-acid transporters in the intestinal lining, regulates enzymes that metabolize nutritional substances, and inhibits the removal of substances from cells.

Before the invention of modernmedicines and drugs people kept themselves well through the use of natural substances. The New Testament of the Bible tells of the gold, frankincense and myrrh brought by the Maji to the infant Jesus. This tells us that frankincense and myrrh, substances from trees, were compared to gold. Black pepper has played a similarly important role throughout history and has been prized since ancient times. It was so valued that it was used as a currency and offering. Taxes and ransoms could be paid in black pepper.

My kids love fireflies…in fact it isn’t really and truly summer where we live until the fireflies come out at night…and that isn’t until the nights stay consistently in the 60s. This year we are a long way away from this it seems…temperatures have been so chilly!

But anyway…I digress.

I just heard about a contest with a grand prize of a $10,000 scholarship. How to enter? Name a cute little firefly! How fun is that? Kroger food stores are holding this contest. Parents can help Comforts baby formula name its cute little firefly mascot and you have a chance to win a $10,000 college scholarship.

Conforts for Baby formula is fortified with iron and is considered a complete source of protein for the first year. It contains those important lipids necessary for mental and visual development. It also has some of the natural nutrients found in breastmilk. No worries about where it’s made either…right here in the US.

I’m horrible with names…it’s amazing that we settled on names for all of our kids…but this sounds like fun. I would name the firefly “Flit.” Cute? Fitting? I think so. What would you name the firefly? Well…think up a name and go to the site and enter the contest. The winning entry will be announced after September 21, 2009.

Cinnamon may be the world’s oldest spice. In ancient times, Cinnamon was an expensive luxury that was used as an aphrodisiac. It was more expensive than silver and many people used it as currency.
Cinnamon was also used to treat colds, coughing and sore throats. Burning Cinnamon was thought to cleanse the air. Modern research has found that this ancient spice is very good for your health.

A study conducted in Sweden showed that eating a meal laced with cinnamon lowers the food’s effects on the blood’s sugar levels. The test included 14 people…half of them were given normal rice pudding and the other half had rice pudding with cinnamon. They repeated the test again with the same results. The researchers believe that cinnamon may slow down part of the digestion process giving the body more time to break up the carbohydrates.

Another test conducted in Copenhagen has found that cinnamon mixed with honey can reduce pain associated with arthritis. The study was conducted on 200 arthritis suffers who were given a honey and cinnamon mixture before they ate breakfast. All of the patients reported an improvement in their pain management. 73 of the patients reported relief from all pain within a month.

These tests are not conclusive…but anything that produces a positive result in these diseases is worth trying.