Hi
Today, Paxton's Nanny, Emily, was in a bit of a predicament. Emily has become an integral part of the family during this pandemic, as she teaches Paxton his daily schooling lessons and plays games with him so I can get some work done, so I consider us blessed to have her.
Well, she also has a social life, and as she was trying to apply her makeup for an evening out, her body had other plans.
You see, it's not so easy to put on eyeliner and mascara when your hand and head are jumping around sporadically from a case of the hiccups.
If you've ever had the hiccups, you know how annoying it can be when they don't go away.
And we've all heard our fair share of tips and tricks on how to get rid of them; have someone scare you... drink water... hold your breath... stand on your head... drink water while standing on your head...
Sometimes these tricks work, more often than not they do not.
Luckily for Emily, I had a surefire hiccup-halting herbal remedy...
And it's something you likely have in your kitchen right this second.
Cinnamon!
As I handed Emily a bottle of cinnamon, I told her, "Here, just place a tiny pinch of cinnamon powder under your tongue and it will help you with your hiccups." After giving me a dubious stare, she decided to try it. And guess what? Those hiccups were silenced in seconds.
It works because hiccups are actually a spasm of the diaphragm, the dome-shaped muscle between your lungs and stomach.
Normally, the diaphragm pulls down when you inhale to let air into your lungs, and then relaxes when you exhale so air can flow back out of your lungs to exit your nose and mouth.
But if something irritates your diaphragm, it can spasm, forcing you to suddenly suck air into your throat, where it hits your voice box. That makes your vocal cords suddenly close, creating the distinct “hic!” sound.
Cinnamon is an anti-spasmodic, in other words, it relaxes the muscle.
Cinnamon also has many other natural medicine uses, including:
- Controlling blood sugar
- Reducing inflammation
- Killing bacteria in the mouth
- Minimizing acne when mixed with honey as a mask
Speaking of makeup, cinnamon can also be mixed into your favorite lip gloss to create a natural lip plumper!
I'll be writing a post for the blog this week on the many medicinal benefits of cinnamon, along with some recipes to help you incorporate more of the healing herb into your meals - so stay tuned for that.
Virtual Hugs,
Dr. Michelle
P.S. Herbs are powerful medicine, and I just love teaching about the healing power of plants. In the next week, I'll be announcing a
huge project that I've been working on that is designed to help you learn the many used of natural medicines at home. I can't wait to share it all with you!