Who hasn’t had a gingerbread man cookie with a frothy hot chocolate cup??, and I bet you can’t eat just one, right? Characterized by its spicy taste and strong woody sweet smell, it is more than just a spice, and probably after you reading this post you’ll add it more and more to your diet.
Ginger is a flowering plant used in China as a medicinal root, and it can be used fresh, powered, dried or in juice. Its natural oil, Gingerol is the main bioactive compound in Ginger, with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. It has shown being helpful for stomach upset, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), nausea, menstrual cramping and morning sickness (pregnancy nausea) 👈 How come I didn’t know this before!!
Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it has been proved that people with osteoarthritis have less pain and stiffness. Most recent studies have shown that Ginger may lower blood sugar levels, triglyceride and cholesterol levels and, high blood pressure as well. And is one of the superfoods that helps to reduce the risk of cancer due to these properties.
Ginger has high levels of Vitamin C, Niacin, Riboflavin, Thiamine, Iron, Phosphorus, Calcium, Protein, Carbohydrates, Fiber and phenolic compounds (gingerol and shogaol), these last two, responsible for its antioxidant properties and strong scent. The phenolic antioxidants can effectively stop free radicals, absorb the UV light and chelate metals (that means it allows to eliminate some metals).
There are so many ways you can introduce this amazing spice to your daily routine, softly and smoothly. It can be as tea, or in smoothies, cookies, bread, cakes, main dishes, soups and ice cream!! , yes !!, actually in one trip to NY city I had the most delicious ginger ice cream I´ve ever had (the recipe later, promised). But ginger tea is an easy one and I share with you the one I drink every single day as first thing in the morning after oil pulling.
LEMON GINGER TEA
4 inches ginger root
4 cups filtered water
Lemon
1/2 Tbsp. bee honey (natural)
Peel the ginger root (doing this with a spoon, you’ll get into all the nooks and crannies easily), and chop it finely. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat and let simmer for 5 minutes. Let it sit at room temperature until cool and store in a glass jar in the fridge. You can drink one cup of warm tea early in the morning or before lunch, add lemon juice and honey to taste, drink it and enjoy it! If you feel it has a strong flavor you can add as much water as you like.
For PMS (premenstrual syndrome), drink 1 cup 3 times a day starting 2 days before your period until last day, this will reduce discomfort and pain caused by inflammation.
*Consult your physician in case you use any medications for diabetes, high bold pressure or blood clotting, or in case you are pregnant or breastfeeding.