Blood sugar is always one of the core issues that needs to be addressed immediately in addiction recovery - regardless of it being from drugs, alcohol and/or food.

It is important to be aware of the first triggers, emotionally as well as biochemically.

The first triggers are those that cause the domino-like effect of going from discomfort -> cravings -> uncontrollable drive -> relapse.

One of the first things, that will always be affected prior to the relapse, will be a blood sugar fluctuation.

Blood sugar is a driver for other biochemicals parameters, such as serotonin and beta-endorphins, which drive addictive behaviors.

So what is the takeaway lesson here?

Understanding that managing your blood sugar is a constant focus point throughout recovery. Addicts have a very low stress tolerance level, and this translates to being exceptionally sensitive to blood sugar imbalances.

Any drastic changes in the blood sugar dramatically alters the physical and emotional balance.

This means on a practical daily level, that meal structure is key. Addiction occurs as a way to numb out from being highly sensitive to sensing-overload; life often feels chaotic. This means, that recovery must focus on finding our way back into the gray zone - a safe place of structure, repetition and safety. We often tend to dislike the structure needed to support us, because this is the very nature of our black-white thinking in addiction.

However, avoiding turmoil is essential in order to not escalate addiction relapse in order to numb out fromt the sensing overload. Addiction recovery is a lesson in finding balance - internally and externally. This also means, that our meals must be balanced - both regarding balanced protein/fat/carbs abut also timing. In early recovery we react similar to small changes in structure as we do to big changes - our biochemistry is on high alert all the time and the alarm goes off with things that others consider part of normal living. I.e. skipping lunch, pushing meals an hour or just having a high carb pasta dish for dinner. Our body is hypersensitive and we need to respect this for a long time, before our body has gained enough trust to relax a bit and not set off the alarms with smaller changes in structure. That said, a somewhat set structure is important for life - also is managing blood sugar.

This is where cinnamon essential oil becomes a therapeutic remedy in addiction recovery.

The compound cinnamaldehyde in cinnamon has in animal models been observed reducing glucose levels and normalizing responses in circulating blood. In 2015, researchers found cinnamic acid to improve glucose tolerance and potentially stimulate insulin production. Cinnamon was used in medicinal preparations in the Ayurvedic model of medicine. It was thought to be “warming” and was used as an antimicrobial treatment or protective substance. Furthermore, eighty studies to date have investigated cinnamaldehyde’s ability to inhibit tumor cell proliferation via trigger cancer cell apoptosis (“programmed cell death”). Sugar and imbalanced blood sugar is at the core of cancer, and thus cinnamon essential oil also shows efficacy in this area.

How do you use cinnamon essential oil?

Cinnamon essential oil is quite potent. Thus, of using internally only take max. 3-4 drops daily. A few drops diluted in a fat (oil) and include in recipes; inhalation or diffusion. Even aromatherapy has shown to have a direct impact on blood sugar.

References:

J Med Food. 2011 Sep;14(9):884-9

Phytother Res. 2007 Apr;21(4):374-7

Phytomedicine. 2007 Jan;14(1):15-22

Phytomedicine. 2015 Feb 15;22(2):297-300