Ginger! Yet another medicinal food that is right in your nearest grocery store produce section. Remember when you were young and had an upset stomach and your mom told you to get some saltines and ginger ale? Well I do. There were plenty of times in college when I would grab the “upset stomach cure all”, saltines and ginger ale, from the campus store to ease my stomach woes. Well although fresh ginger is known for it’s ability to help with stomach pain and discomfort….using a soda with a trivial amount of ginger and large amounts of High Fructose Corn Syrup and 32g of sugar, may not be the best 1st choice to get that ginger fix into your body.
There are several forms to get and use ginger. From whole root, dried, pureed, frozen, as an oil, tea or powered. All of these, when used are beneficial to your body both preventatively and to relieve real time discomforts.
Two of the main active compounds in ginger are gingerol and shogaols. Both show many biological activations including anticancer, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiallergic and many nervous system ailments. It has been shown to provide protection against diabetes, cardiac and hepatic disorders. Below I’ve listed some of the well studied benefits of ginger:
1. Alleviates nausea and morning sickness
2. Decreases arthritis and joint pain
3. Can rev-up metabolism
4. Helps fight against cancer
5. Treats Type 2 Diabetes symptoms
6. Calms and relieves menstrual cramps
7. Improves joint mobility
8. Reduces cold symptoms
9. Improves circulation
10. Aids in digestion
To some, ginger can have a strong flavor when used as a spice (although I love good ole’ ginger snaps….these are not the medicinal option we’re talking about=}). Two of my favorite ways to enjoy ginger is in my ACV (apple cider vinegar) “Spritzer”! I just take fresh ginger root (it looks like a mini tree root if you’ve never seen it), juice it then mix in a glass with ACV and a little organic honey, then pour over sparkling water…..it actually has a ‘ginger ale’ taste and fizz! But if juicing isn’t your thing, you can shave off a few slices and put in hot water to brew as ginger tea. Add honey or stevia and lemon juice and its a warm relaxing throat fix.
Grab some ginger today, experiment and try to work it in to your diet. You’ll love the benefits of this “Farm-macy Food”!
“Let food be thy medicine & medicine be thy food!”
-Hippocrates
