(my original post got deleted somehow so here is the abridged version) For over 2 thousand years Chinese medicine has recommended the use of ginger to help cure and prevent several health problems. It is know to most people as “ginger root” when in fact we injest the rhizome of the plant which is more of a subterranean stem than a root. No matter what you call it, it has a spicy, fruity, and almost tangy flavor. It is commonly used in dishes such as stir-frys, lemongrass soup, ginger-candies, ginger bread and snaps, and alongside sushi as a palette cleanser. That's right, it's a cleanser and in more ways than one. It has more than 12 antioxidants which cleanse the body of toxins which makes ginger an excellent health mantanence aid and a stellar currative when already sick. This herb contains essential oils, protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin C, choline, folic acid, inositol, manganese, panthotenic acid, silicon, and a small amount of vitamin B3. Read on for health benefits...
Anticoagulant: Add ginger in most of your cooking or add a teaspoonful of fresh ginger juice in your beverages to enjoy the anticoagulant properties of ginger. It helps make blood platelets less sticky which in turn reduces your risk of atherosclerosis.
Aphrodisiac effect: A natural aphrodisiac, this might be the better substitute to viagra! Drink hot ginger tea (by mixing ginger juice, hot water and raw honey) after a not-too-heavy meal and see it work!
Cold: Cut up a small piece of ginger and boil it with a small cup of pure drinking water. Add some green tea leaves if you wish. Strain and drink when hot. Effective if you also have fever resulting from the cold. You may also drink this concoction if you feel a cold coming. *I add some lemon and honey which are also very healing and antiseptic.
Cough: Drink ginger juice with raw honey three to four times a day for a bad throat. It is soothing and helps clear up phlegm.
Digestive disorder: Mix a teaspoonful of fresh ginger juice with one teaspoonful each of fresh lime juice and fresh mint juice with some honey to taste in a glass of water. Drink to relieve heartburn, indigestion, nausea and vomiting. Especially helpful after a big meaty meal.
Fatigue: Slice a piece of ginger into disks and boil it with a big glass of water. Add a piece of cinnamon bark, bring to boil and then cover it for about half an hour till it turns to golden color. Drink it to relieve fatigue when recovering from fever. It also relieves muscle pain and soreness.
Flatulence/wind: Pound a piece of fresh ginger and boil with a cup of water and add a little honey to taste. Drink it twice a day to let off the wind trapped in the intestinal tract.
Impotency: Believe it or not! Mix a teaspoonful of fresh ginger juice to a half-boiled egg and a teaspoonful of honey. Take this concoction on an empty stomach, every night for a month. It is supposed to cure impotency, premature ejaculation and increase sperm count. (Not proven but worth trying!)
Inflammations: The anti-inflammatory (gingerols) and anti-oxidant properties in ginger help relieve various inflammatory disorders like gout, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. It provides substantial relief in pain caused by inflammation and help decrease swelling and morning stiffness.
Menstruation disorders: Pound a piece of fresh ginger and boil with a cup of water and add a little honey to taste. Drink it hot two or three times a day for a month. The pain-relieving and anti-cramping compounds in ginger effectively help relieve painful menstruation cramps (dysmenorrhoea). In the absence of menstruation in women in the reproductive age (amenorrhoea), this concoction can also help induce menstruation.
Morning sickness: A teaspoonful of fresh ginger juice with some honey will also help alleviate morning sickness, sea or motion sickness, dizziness and even nausea caused by chemotherapy or anesthesia.
Pain killer: Ginger juice makes an excellent pain killer, even when applied externally. In headache, apply ginger juice to the forehead. With toothache, apply it to the external area either on the cheek or jaw area.
Recipes with ginger:
GINGER fried rice from SmittenKitchen
GINGER spiced Chai Latte from Sprouted Kitchen
Soy GINGER dipping sauce from Martha Stewart Living
GINGER and butternut squash pie from Martha Stewart Living
Thai Lemongrass soup from Epicurious
Anticoagulant: Add ginger in most of your cooking or add a teaspoonful of fresh ginger juice in your beverages to enjoy the anticoagulant properties of ginger. It helps make blood platelets less sticky which in turn reduces your risk of atherosclerosis.
Aphrodisiac effect: A natural aphrodisiac, this might be the better substitute to viagra! Drink hot ginger tea (by mixing ginger juice, hot water and raw honey) after a not-too-heavy meal and see it work!
Cold: Cut up a small piece of ginger and boil it with a small cup of pure drinking water. Add some green tea leaves if you wish. Strain and drink when hot. Effective if you also have fever resulting from the cold. You may also drink this concoction if you feel a cold coming. *I add some lemon and honey which are also very healing and antiseptic.
Cough: Drink ginger juice with raw honey three to four times a day for a bad throat. It is soothing and helps clear up phlegm.
Digestive disorder: Mix a teaspoonful of fresh ginger juice with one teaspoonful each of fresh lime juice and fresh mint juice with some honey to taste in a glass of water. Drink to relieve heartburn, indigestion, nausea and vomiting. Especially helpful after a big meaty meal.
Fatigue: Slice a piece of ginger into disks and boil it with a big glass of water. Add a piece of cinnamon bark, bring to boil and then cover it for about half an hour till it turns to golden color. Drink it to relieve fatigue when recovering from fever. It also relieves muscle pain and soreness.
Impotency: Believe it or not! Mix a teaspoonful of fresh ginger juice to a half-boiled egg and a teaspoonful of honey. Take this concoction on an empty stomach, every night for a month. It is supposed to cure impotency, premature ejaculation and increase sperm count. (Not proven but worth trying!)
Inflammations: The anti-inflammatory (gingerols) and anti-oxidant properties in ginger help relieve various inflammatory disorders like gout, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. It provides substantial relief in pain caused by inflammation and help decrease swelling and morning stiffness.
Menstruation disorders: Pound a piece of fresh ginger and boil with a cup of water and add a little honey to taste. Drink it hot two or three times a day for a month. The pain-relieving and anti-cramping compounds in ginger effectively help relieve painful menstruation cramps (dysmenorrhoea). In the absence of menstruation in women in the reproductive age (amenorrhoea), this concoction can also help induce menstruation.
Pain killer: Ginger juice makes an excellent pain killer, even when applied externally. In headache, apply ginger juice to the forehead. With toothache, apply it to the external area either on the cheek or jaw area.
Recipes with ginger:
GINGER fried rice from SmittenKitchen
GINGER spiced Chai Latte from Sprouted Kitchen
Soy GINGER dipping sauce from Martha Stewart Living
GINGER and butternut squash pie from Martha Stewart Living
Thai Lemongrass soup from Epicurious
Here is a list of medicinal properties ginger has been known to have throughout history.
antiemetic/antinausea
anticlotting agent
antispasmodic
antifungal
anti-inflammatory
antiseptic
antibacterial
antiviral
antitussive
analgesic
circulatory stimulant
carminative
expectorant
hypotensive
increases blood flow
promotes sweating
relaxes peripheral blood vessels
anticlotting agent
antispasmodic
antifungal
anti-inflammatory
antiseptic
antibacterial
antiviral
antitussive
analgesic
circulatory stimulant
carminative
expectorant
hypotensive
increases blood flow
promotes sweating
relaxes peripheral blood vessels
Resources: Facts here
Mmm, my acupuncturist said I should eat more of this to help with my spleen qi deficiency. That, and more sweet potatoes & yams. CAN DO. :)
ReplyDeleteSounds delicious to me! Ginger has amazing effects. Gingered candied yams/sweet potatoes (using honey or agave instead of brown sugar)...yum! Or ginger sweet potato fries. yummy after-spin treat!
ReplyDelete