Cinnamon Challenge

A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down.

Well, what about a spoonful of cinnamon?

Cinnamon and a spoon: these are two seemingly innocent objects that can cause you serious damage—possibly even death.

Let’s start from the beginning…

Cinnamon is a spice that actually has a variety of benefits. According to Organic Authority, some of these benefits include stabilizing (even lowering) blood sugar levels, decreasing bad cholesterol, and it can even relieve headaches.

All good things, yes?

This is correct; however, it’s important to consider how you ingest your ½ teaspoon of cinnamon each day.

This brings me back to the danger of the cinnamon and the spoon.

In the past couple of years, there has been a phenomenon called the cinnamon challenge.

I heard about this viral challenge that was taking over social media because my dad forwarded an article about it to me. He said, “This is stupid. Don’t do it.”

Come on now. Your parents tell you not to do something, and what’s the first thing you want to do? You want to do it!

I mean, it’s just cinnamon. What could possibly be so bad about this challenge?

Then I read the article.

Cinnamon, which I consider to be a miracle spice because of its array of health benefits, can be extremely dangerous if you swallow a spoonful of it without any liquids.

Part of what makes this “appealing” for some people is that swallowing cinnamon alone is painful. That’s why it’s called a “challenge.”

While the appeal of a challenge is sometimes just too great for people to pass up, the cinnamon challenge is not worth it.

Along with the pain, the cinnamon challenge can also make it difficult for you to breathe.

According to Forbes, “the ingestion of the powder invariably stimulates the gag reflex followed by inhalation of the powder that’s stuck inside the mouth and throat. The pain then causes rapid exhalation characterized by ‘dragon breath’ upon blowing the powder out.”

You could experience an asthma attack. You could damage your lungs—perhaps even cause one of them to collapse.

A collapsed lung can be a life-threatening condition. While I have not seen any reports of death caused directly by the cinnamon challenge, it is possible.

So, my dad was right when he said, “This is stupid. Don’t do it.” Don’t worry, Dad, I won’t.

And I hope you won’t either.

Here are 5 ideas for how you can get your daily recommended cinnamon intake that do not involve putting it on a spoon and swallowing it alone.

1. Top your mug of hot chocolate with some whipped cream and a little bit of cinnamon (you could even mix some cinnamon into the hot chocolate itself)
2. Combine a little bit of cinnamon with honey (you could eat this alone or use it as a topping for breakfast, perhaps)
3. Put some cinnamon on top of your oatmeal
4. Add a little bit of cinnamon to barbeque sauce
5. Make apple butter with some cinnamon mixed in

Remember that cinnamon is only beneficial in proportion. Do not add too much!

Have you previously heard of the cinnamon challenge? Share your ideas for how to mix cinnamon into your daily meals.

*Resources: wikiHow, Organic Authority, Core Physicians, and Forbes.

This blog entry was contributed by Adena Siefert, a PR and Marketing Intern at Hedstrom – Ball, Bounce and Sport. She recently graduated from Ashland University with degrees in Sport Communication and Public Relations. She likes listening to the Jonas Brothers during her morning commute.

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Jog with a Dog

That moment when you and your jogging/running partner agree to meet at certain time, and then they show up late.

And also that moment when your jogging partner doesn’t even show up at all.

Yeah, those moments aren’t very much fun.

We’ve all been there. Unfortunately, people are sometimes not very reliable.

Of course, we’re human! We love to give people the benefit of the doubt. So what if they show up late? That doesn’t mean it’s going to happen every day.

So what if they don’t even come? I can jog by myself—it’s not a big deal. They were probably busy.

But, most of the time, we decide to have a jogging partner for a variety of reasons:

1. It’s not as much fun to jog by yourself
2. Jogging with a partner makes your allotted distance feel shorter because you talk and talk and talk…and lose track of time
3. You hope that your partner will keep you focused on your goals—you don’t want to let them down, so you will definitely show up

So, when your partner doesn’t show up, you’re kind of bummed. It’s disappointing.

To avoid this, here’s what I suggest: jog with a dog!

If you don’t have a dog, you probably have a local shelter who would love if you volunteered to give the dogs exercise. After all, dogs need exercise as much as you and me.

There are also dogs who have a lot of energy building up and need to let it loose.

If you’re tired of your jogging partner not showing up, here are 10 dog breeds who would love to take your partner’s place:

1. Dalmatian
2. Labrador Retriever
3. Weimaraner
4. Border Collie
5. Siberian Husky
6. Australian Cattle Dog
7. Greyhound
8. Vizsla
9. Bloodhound
10. Brittany

I hope these dogs turn out to be more reliable than your jogging partner!

The blog entry was contributed by Adena Siefert, PR and Marketing Intern at Hedstrom – Ball, Bounce and Sport. She recently graduated from Ashland University with degrees in Sport Communication and Public Relations. She is a proud owner of two rescued Dalmatians.

*Resources: Dog Breed Info, eHow, and Dogtime.

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Racing is a Sport

"NASCAR isn't a true sport. All you do is sit in a car all day."

Ryan Ellis, part-time driver in both the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series, disagrees with that statement.

For those who have never experienced what it is like inside a race car, it is difficult to understand the demanding physical and mental strength, as well as the endurance, that is required: “You don’t perform at peak potential, mentally or physically, when you’re worn out. By being in better shape, you are able to perform at your best [for a longer period of time] than everyone else,” said Ellis.

This is why it is important for drivers, just like football players, baseball players, and the like, to train and eat properly to prepare for a race.

How exactly does one prepare to go 200 mph for 3 hours?

According to Ellis, one of the most important aspects of a driver’s training is cardio.

This can include boxing workouts and running every day of the week. It also helps to play another sport—Ryan Ellis, for instance, plays hockey—at least once a week to stay in shape.

Ellis added that he also lifts “weights with a few other drivers, namely Tanner Berryhill, Austin Reed, and another friend three or four times a week.”

Another crucial part of training for a NASCAR race is working out your core, especially because of the “wear and tear” a driver endures on the track, said Ellis.

A tool often used to intensify core workouts is the BOSUⓇ Balance Trainer, and it can also increase balance: “When doing boxing workouts on the speed bag, we use it for balance. I prefer to use it at the end of my workouts for general core workouts,” Ellis said.

While physical training is important, there’s another piece of the puzzle to keep in mind when preparing for a race: nutrition.

Protein and carbohydrates are a driver’s best friends.

Ryan Ellis noted that “during the week, I try and keep a high protein diet for my lifting and bringing carbohydrates in to fuel the workouts.”

Carbohydrates especially, said Ellis, help drivers get through some of the longer races on the NASCAR schedule.

Right before a race, however, it’s best not to get too creative with your meals or have too much to eat because the heat you experience in the car can make you sick. A typical pre-race meal for Ellis is pasta with chicken or a salad.

During the race, a driver has to stay hydrated. After all, water is essential for survival. The heat in a race car can make a driver dehydrate easily and quickly, which can cause headaches, lightheadedness, and confusion—none of which are ideal for racing as focus behind the wheel is vital.

While drivers need to drink plenty of water and watch what they eat, they don’t deprive themselves of the occasional cheat meal. Ellis, for example, loves Chipotle.

All in all, drivers need to train and eat just like, what some might consider, “normal” athletes because driving nearly 200 mph for 3 hours in a race car that reaches over 100-degrees in the cockpit is not an easy task.

Ryan Ellis, who has played hockey in college and baseball, said that NASCAR “is by far the most wearing on the brain and body.”

Some people believe racing is easy, but I’m in agreement with Ellis… Racing is both a mentally and physically taxing sport—yes, I said sport.

This blog entry was contributed by Adena Siefert, a PR and Marketing Intern at Hedstrom – Ball, Bounce and Sport. She recently graduated from Ashland University with degrees in Sport Communication and Public Relations. She gets very upset if she misses a NASCAR race on TV.

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Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth... in a healthier way

You exercise. You eat right. Maybe you don’t go out with your friends because you don’t want any temptations—just the slightest whiff of a burger, fries, or any kind of dessert could make you cave.

Then comes cheat day. The day that allows you to reward yourself for all that you’ve done the past week—the salads, the squats, the running…

If you’re like me, you have a love-hate relationship with cheat day. You get to indulge in what you’ve been missing all week, but sometimes it can be taken too far. Sometimes it’s hard to convince yourself to eat healthy again the next day because, let’s face it, that chocolate chip cookie just tasted so good. And sometimes you might slip before cheat day arrives, and it can send you down the slippery slope of going back to your old ways.

“I have self-control. I know I won’t overdo it,” you might say. And that’s great! But, unfortunately, not all of us possess that kind of self-control, and that is nothing to be ashamed of.

Don’t worry—there is a solution. You can still satisfy your sweet tooth on cheat day—you deserve to!—but do it more wisely.

But how?

There’s an answer to that, too. (And it’s easy, I promise). Find recipes that are still healthy but also give you the indulgence that you need. It’s cheating without really cheating.

Now, I don't mean eat some fruit when you're craving sweets. Fruit is wonderful, but that's not always what you want on cheat day. I'm talking about truly treating yourself—ice cream, cookies, pie.

To save you some time, here are 10 of my favorite sweet and healthy desserts. Give these a try on your next cheat day!

• 40-Calorie Cake Batter Ice Cream
• Clean Eating Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
• Skinny Oreo Milkshake
• Blueberry and Lime Yogurt Cookies
• Kitty Chow
• Skinny Addicting Cinnamon Banana Bread 
• Quinoa Coconut Chocolate Chunk Cookies
• Iced Cherry Lemonade—No sugar!
• A Healthier Fudge
• Healthy Blueberry Pie  

Again, the key is to have these only on occasion and in proportion, but I hope these recipes allow you to enjoy your next cheat day (without all the calories).

For more recipes (sweet and savory), follow BOSU Fitness on Pinterest.

Do you have a favorite cheat day recipe? I’d love to hear it!

This blog entry was contributed by Adena Siefert, a PR and Marketing Intern at Hedstrom - Ball, Bounce and Sport. She recently graduated from Ashland University with degrees in Sport Communication and Public Relations. She loves puppies and flowers.

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