Cinnamon - කුරුදු

Cinnamon

කුරුදු

The botanical name for "true" cinnamon is Cinnamomum verum, which belongs to the family Lauraceae. It is widely known as Ceylon Cinnamon or Sri Lankan cinnamon, distinguished from common commercial "Cassia" cinnamon (Cinnamomum aromaticum).

If there is a spice that Sri Lanka is particularly famous for, it is undoubtedly be Cinnamon.                    

“Ceylon Cinnamon” is world renowned for its notable qualities such as unique flavour, colour and aroma in comparison to Cassia. It has been a major spice in Ceylonese culture thousands of years.

These thin brown pieces of bark emanate a sweet fragrance and are commonly found in bakery products and flavoured teas. Additionally, it is in meat preservation. It is not only an excellent mood elevator but also an acknowledged health promoting product.     It is believed to possesses medical properties to heal chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer.

It has anti-inflammatory properties.

As a notable Ceylonese export product, Ceylon Cinnamon it is exported in its natural form and as a processed product. It is converted into value added tablet, a powder and as an oil to the global market.               

Sri Lanka ranks in the top, as the source of 90% of theCeylon Cinnamon exported.

Cinnamon is rich in antioxidants and other beneficial compounds. Some research suggests that it may help you manage blood sugar, protect against heart disease and reduce inflammation. Cinnamon is a spice that has been ranked top among the plants with medicinal properties for thousands of years. Cinnamon contains almost no protein or fat and won’t play a big role in your overall nutrition, but a teaspoon of ground cinnamon does include lot of trace elements, many vitamins and phytochemicals.

Energy             6 Kcal

Protein            0.1 g

Fat                     0.03 g

CHO                 2 g

Fiber                 1 g

Calcium            26 mg

Potassium         11 mg

Beta-carotene    3 mcg

Vitamin A         8 IU

Cinnamon doesn't just spice up the flavour of our food and drinks it has many health benefits. Some research shows cinnamon may be good for people with diabetes. A review of 18 studies suggests that cinnamon might lower blood sugar. Many of the studies do not say what type of cinnamon was used or have other problems that make their findings uncertain.              

One review suggests the benefits of cinnamon for weight loss. It is sometimes used for irritable bowel syndrome or other stomach or intestinal problems.         It is not clear that it works.

Cinnamon contains potassium, magnesium and calcium. Potassium helps to counteract sodium’s effect on blood pressure and controls the heart rate. Potassium is also involved in nerve function. Magnesium and calcium work together to maintain a healthy heartbeat. These two minerals are essential for skeletal health, preventing the weakening of bones, a condition called osteoporosis.

In addition, cinnamon can provide other health benefits like:

Cinnamon is an effective anti-inflammatory agent. Researchers tested the phytochemicals found in cinnamon and discovered antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. In one study, certain cinnamon compounds also targeted free radicals with promising results.

Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels to feed tumours. One of the keys to treating cancer is to stop angiogenesis. A study showed that cinnamon can slow down or hold off angiogenesis,    cell growth and retard cellular signaling involved in carcinogenesis. This suggests that cinnamon could be a tool in preventing or treating cancer.

The compound cinnamaldehyde is responsible for cinnamon’s distinct odour and flavour.                 

This phytochemical also has proven widespread antibiotic effects. Cinnamaldehyde was tested against several bacteria and viruses, including staphylococcus, E. coli, salmonella, and candida. Researchers found that it was able to prevent these bacteria from growing.

Cinnamon has a ton of antioxidants, like polyphenols. These can help your body avoid oxidative damage. The antioxidants in cinnamon are so strong that it can sometimes be used as a natural food preservative.

Experts have seen that taking cinnamon supplements can boost antioxidant levels in our blood as well as lower inflammation markers.

Cinnamon could lower your triglycerides and your total cholesterol levels, which could help prevent heart disease. If you take supplements with at least 1.5 grams of cinnamon a day, it may lower your total cholesterol, LDL (or bad) cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar if one is having major metabolic disease.    It lowers blood pressure if it is consistently take for 7 weeks.

Cinnamon also might help with, Alzheimer’s disease, HIV, tooth decay and some allergies.

Why I believe in Rebirth?

I have met lot of good guys and only a few nasty guys. 

The bad guys made me to remember the quality of good guys. 

It is like one who throw away the pebbles and collect only the gem stones in a gem pit. 

The REBIRTH even if it is a Theory make one to forgive and forget. 

 

If my past life make me feel like a commoner, so be it. 

This life's professional capacity was only a coincidence and in the past 25 years I live without the M.B.B.S. tag and that made my current life Very Simple by not having to solve difficult medical problems day on end.

Some of my short dreams related to these few bad guys temper my acid relationships, I may have had. 

My current theory is we have night and day to discard the bad memories of this life including the old past birth memories. 

The dreams are a way to Forget and Forgive. 

I have no inclination to investigate past births but keep them as a viable link to DHAMMA. 

 

The extended childhood is also the default methodology to suppress past memory.

One should live in this life without rumination of past lives.

It is an antithesis to good living in this life.

I hope nobody takes ideas from this Blog Piece and create one grand old theory that REBIRTH is absolute in to One Grand SOUL.

Currently, I do not live with those Bad Guys not by choice but by circumstances in this life that bear some relationship to my past Kamma.

 

I met some of those nasty guys in United Kingdom and New Zealand. 

 

I believe I would never meet nasty guys in AUSTRALIA. 

Judging by the frequent visits to Singapore, I may have been stationed there during Second World War, that hate so much.

Theoretically the NASTY guys I met abroad were related to my past births in those countries. I think I was never born in CEYLON but had to work in CEYLON as a British civil servants. 

Except for KANDY and Anuradhapura I have no affinity to any place in CEYLON. 

 

I hate COLOMBO by default but I love all the fruits of CEYLON and hate almost all Western fruit varieties probably due to commonality of the past lives outside of CEYLON.

All these are tenable but not real in scientific sense but Rebirth Concept brings sanity to my this life.

At least we can think of a better life next time by being good in this life.

Do not be like an Americans, Israelite or Iranians. 

They all live in HATE and all are born again in Hell next time round.

Double Murder and Double Coffin

This was an old Case.

This happened in Panideniya.

 

I was a first hand witness.

Strangely, three of us came by the same bus. 

Suffice is to say the other 2 were our neighbours and my relationship with them was less than ideal. 

I walked up to our house briskly avoiding neighbour couple by default and because of the steep incline, I decided to take a rest at an advantage point. 

What I witnessed was coincidental.

The husband and wife had an argument on the middle of the road. 

Wife pushed the husband to the well below. 

He was drowning. 

Then the jeep belonging to the house belonging to the top most house on this road came in. 

He was a confirmed alcoholic. 

He knocked the wife to the adjoining muddy well. 

She got stuck in the mud. 

The bystanders were trying to pull her up but little by little she got stuck deeper up to her neck. 

No sooner her the face also disappeared. 

The people gave up the rescue operation. 

The ambulance came late and took the husband to nearest Peradeniya Hospital. 

Police came last and gave the contract to a known builder guy to lift the body of the wife from mud. 

I quietly went to the house of the said to be "the double murder victim house" and solicited my condolences. 

The idea was to convey the message that I did not witness at least part of the episode. 

While we were talking a telephone message came in confirming the death of the husband. 

Soon the conversation changed to what sort of coffin to be ordered. 

I said make it a double coffin like a double bed. One can save on the middle plank of the coffin. Then the suggestion came double coffin one on top of the other. 

The presumption was they would not fight after death. 

The middle plank could be made of Glass, for clear vision to the demons. 

 

Who is on top or bottom of the chamber is immaterial after death for the demons. 

 

Suffice is to day both ended up in. Hell.

In a Worst Case Scenario a Buddhist monk with meditation skills can decide on the past Kammas of the two individuals. 

 

One with better Kamma on top portion of Niraya or Hell realm.

Police actually charged double murder on the guy who ran down the wife.

My dear Nada.

This case is for you to solve without involving me as a witness. 

I do not want to attend Courts of Law in CEYLON in my retirement.

 

First of all you have to say:

This is not a dream but this actually happened. 

 

Location is true.

All individual are true but one of them died long time before this incident. 

He is in Niraya realm. 

He can participate by bringing bad luck to living people by default.