Ask A Pixie, Blog, Herbalism
Lose Weight the Easy Way: Cinnamon and Honey?
Amber Shehan • March 1, 2014
Nope. It doesn't work. In this post, I shall debunk a scammy site with a fake remedy that stole my product image to promote itself.
“I came across the recipe for weight loss ‘Lose weight the easy way’ just wanting to know if this really works and do you have proof of someone doing this and it working, especially for the skeptics.”
A friend posted the cinnamon/honey/boiling water weight loss mixture recipe on Facebook. It says that it only works on an empty stomach, but if you drink before going to bed at night, you wouldn’t have an empty stomach. Please explain.
Right after I began posting recipes of electuaries and infused honey, I started getting flooded with readers’ questions about the “cinnamon and honey weight loss” mixture, like the two above.
Allow me to clarify: There is an image of a honey jar and cinnamon stick that has been floating around the webs, specifically on Facebook of “TheNaturalFarmacy,” and it has been getting me a lot of attention lately. The photo of the jar and cinnamon was originally a product photo for the cinnamon-infused honey that I used to sell that was taken by Modern Scribe Photography.
I have never claimed that the combination of honey and cinnamon was a magical weight loss drink or anything – that text was added by “TheNaturalFarmacy.” They list Pixies Pocket and Modern Scribe Photography to give credit for the picture because they nabbed that photo of the honey jar and cinnamon from my shop without permission and we took them to task over it! Not only did they steal an image, but they also spread exaggerated claims.
So to answer the first question: Does Honey & Cinnamon make you shed pounds?
NO! The hard truth is that THERE IS NO LAZY WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT! It takes focus, smart decisions, and some amount of both physical and mental strength to break old habits and start new, healthy ones.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Cinnamon is wonderful for many reasons – it warms you by increasing your blood flow and bumping your body temperature up a bit. It helps to settle the stomach, boosts metabolism, and it shows promise in helping with diabetes, but probably not while sitting in a ton of sugar, natural or not!
Honey is wonderful, too. It preserves, has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties, and it can even be good for your skin!
That being said, these two herbs are not magical, problem-solving cures when you shove them together and it gives them a bad rap to say that they are. Drinking honey and cinnamon every day would be tasty and is probably healthier than soda, but don’t pin your dreams to them. They are allies to support us. Make the honey and cinnamon a treat to replace bad-for-you, processed sugary treats at the end of a day where you stuck to a healthy diet and moved your body.
Now that second question really had me shaking my head. When a doctor or herbalist says to “take something on an empty stomach,” it means that you should take the medicine without eating, or a few hours after you’ve eaten. This is to ensure that your stomach acid can break down the medicine so that it is effective! It is true that once you take the medicine or tea or what-have-you, your stomach is no longer empty, but that’s ok. Here’s an explanation from NHS.uk.
So you want to lose weight?
Try simple steps. Cut out sodas. Cut out processed food and fast food. Eat more veggies and less fried foods. Eat fruit, not candy or cookies. Eat nuts or dried fruit instead of chips for a mid-day snack. Take the time to walk somewhere, or dance in your living room and move your body! Love yourself, and be healthy.
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Posted In Ask A Pixie, Blog, Herbalism
Tagged: Ask A Pixie!, cinnamon, cynical, debunking, healthy eating, herbal, herbalism, honey, losing weight, nutrition, sugar, thenaturalfarmacy
Amber Shehan
Hi! I'm Amber Pixie, and this is my site. Enjoy the recipes, information, posts, and please feel free to message me if you have questions!
Thank you for answering as honestly as you can. I think many forget that if it is to good to be true, it probably is.
“if it is to good to be true, it probably is” – So true, Teresa!
so how often to do this honey/ cinn thing is it every day every otherday etc
Holly – read the post a little closer. Cinnamon and Honey is not the miracle weight loss drink that people claim it to be. Drink a little bit each day if you want, but watch your sugar intake!
WOW….WELL SAID!!!! You’re absolutely right in saying that One will. It lose weight by just sitting on their Behind!!! It takes Will Power and Strength!!! Just like anything else…you’ve got to really want it in order to achieve it!!! Thank You for the Clarification on the Cinnamon and Honey deal.
Thanks, Hope! I know so many loved ones who struggle with weight, some from bad decisions, others who have health issues that have added to their weight – trust me, if there were a magical drink that could do it, they would have already tried it! They’ve only overcome obesity through diet changes and exercise, and the help of a herbalist or doctor to help them out. Have a great day!
GOSH, I HATE THIS SPELL CHECK! *One will not lose
No easy way or lazy way to lost weight. Healthy way is to exercise. Heard this a thousand times? Why such questions again? Maybe pop a slimming pill ever day and see what does it do to your health?
For sure, Kathy. That’s why I had to speak up and clarify, since the confusion over the picture was sending all those weight loss questions my way. I unfortunately HAVE seen diet pill overuse damage the livers of people I know…not to mention their moods, hormones, and attitudes!! Hopefully this well help some of those people seeking a “magic bullet” answer to weight loss.
I was just wondering if this would actually be of any benefit if used in conjunction with a balanced diet and full exercise program or would the sugars in the honey out weigh the benefits (pardon the unintended pun)
[…] I keep getting questions about the Honey & Cinnamon Weight Loss image shared by TheNaturesFarmacy on Facebook. Just a reminder: the recipe is not mine, and I’m not confident that drinking honey and cinnamon daily will make you lose weight. Here’s my full report on it. […]
I just found your site and LOVE it!!! As to the honey and cinnamon weight loss, well, it’s been around a long time. The way I heard it was honey, cinnamon and cayenne pepper!!! It’s amazing what people will believe!!! Thank you for the wonderful advice and recipes!! Pixie, you are the BEST!!!
i feel inclined to post a comment here to share my personal experience… not with cinnamon infused honey (i have not made that YET) but with hibiscus sabdariffa infused honey.. …so i LOVE hibiscus and especially with loads of honey .. i have a sweet tooth. .. i made 1:1 infusion over probably a good 7 days at very VERY low heat. .. ..so short story shorter — i had not changed anything in my diet other than eating some hibiscus honey (Electuary?) .. possibly indulging a little here and there .. over about 2 weeks and i noticed i had lost some weight! .. at that time i hadn’t properly “digested” the fact that hibiscus is a weight loss herb as i had been focusing on other properties of the herb. .. i also enjoy the tea but i definitely was not drinking very much hibiscus infused tea as much as the honey at the time. … so since then i have tested this theory a few times on myself and most definitely there is a pattern of weight loss (for me) with eating the hibiscus honey!
That’s interesting, Andrea! Now, you aren’t using the hibiscus honey to replace other sweet treats, just adding the honey into your diet? No physical activity change, or anything else that could account for the weight loss?
Not trying to dispute your claim, but just have no experience with hibiscus and or honey being a primary cause for weight loss!