For all I prefer to buy my fresh produce at a farm shop or farmers' market, I do appreciate the role that supermarkets have played in improving the variety in our diets, not to mention the convenience. Ginger, the root, is one of those foods that not too long ago, you would have to have hunted high and low for. Now it's available in every supermarket and if you are lucky enough to live in a culturally diverse area, in local convenience stores too.
In my local Waitrose, it's stocked alongside the lemongrass, coriander, garlic and chillies so you could be forgiven for thinking of it solely as just one ingredient in an oriental dish. When you consider all the wonderful properties this humble looking little root delivers, you might want to think again.
Ginger...
- Speeds up your metabolism.
- It's a warming food so grate it into juices or on salads in the winter.
- Its soothing antiseptic properties help the body handle the cold and wind.
- It's a natural remedy for morning and travel sickness. Something to do with the Gingerols
- It's great for the spleen.
Now I don't know about you, but up until about a year ago, I had absolutely no idea where the spleen was, what it did and why I should even care!
I mean, 'spleen'... it's not the most attractive of words is it? Sounds a bit nasty. But the thing is, it's really rather crucial if you want to benefit from a healthy diet. You see, for all it's a small organ, the spleen has many functions:
- #1 - It acts as a blood reservoir in times of emergency, for example, if we cut ourselves badly.
- #2 - It recycles worn out red blood cells by transforming them into iron in your blood.
- #3 - It's part of the immune system, it neutralizes unhealthy bacteria preventing colds and flus.
- #4 - It works with your stomach for the uptake of nutrients from the food we eat, so a worn out spleen means that even if you are eating healthy foods, you are not going to absorb them properly.
A tired spleen is very common indeed.
If you are prone to colds and flu the chances are your spleen is weak. Other signs that yours needs a bit of TLC would be wind, bloating and (I trust you've eaten) constantly loose and runny bowel movements ie. where no stool has formed.
Ginger is just one example of foods that nourish the spleen. Others are onions, leeks, garlic, cinnamon, fennel and anything high in chlorophyll eg. Kale and leafy greens. And try eating oats, rice or spelt for breakfast.
The main active ingredient in Ginger is thought to be a compound called gingerol, which helps to relax blood vessels and stimulate blood flow. Given that the spleen is so busy with our blood, it's no surprise that it benefits so much from ginger, which also appears to be effective in helping to lower blood pressure and reduce blood clotting (as an alternative to Aspirin).
I always have ginger in the fridge and use it in juices, salads, stir-fries, soups, marinades and dressings. My top tip - if it's just the juice you need, use a garlic press. Far less fiddly than grating it! Here's a recipe for Spinach Salad with Ginger Dressing - http://claireraikes.blogs.com/claires_blog/2005/06/spinach_salad_w.html.
Claire Raikes is a Wellbeing Coach, Speaker and Writer who 'cured' herself of a chronic, disabling and potentially life-threatening bowel condition without the use of steroids, surgery or any other traditional medical intervention. She now shares her passion for natural and vibrant health through coaching, speaking and writing about the importance and power of a truly healthy diet.
She publishes a free weekly eZine, In Essence and is compiling an eBook of Healthy Fast Food with 25% of the proceeds going to The Cancer Project, a charity set up by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and nutritionists to educate the public on the benefits of a healthy diet for cancer prevention and survival. If you have a recipe you would like to submit, visit http://www.liveinessence.com for further details. To book Claire to speak at your event, email her at http://www.liveinessence.com.
family-safe home cleaners Lincolnshire ..Our diet is an essential factor for the formation of... Read More
Many people use sugar as medicine. Sugar tends to change... Read More
It is ironic how something as obvious as nutrition has... Read More
Do you need omega 3 fatty acid in your diet?... Read More
Since the 1930's the western diet has dramatically changed. This... Read More
Constipation is the passing of dry, hard faeces fewer than... Read More
You're always hungry right? The last thing you have time... Read More
Having a large amount of such "visceral fat" is associated... Read More
One must always keep in mind that copper is not... Read More
Following a diet program of any sort can sometimes be... Read More
Much controversy and argument surrounds the idea that food may... Read More
OK, no more excuses. Here's how to stop making everyone... Read More
Healthy eating is important for everyone, from babies to the... Read More
Many people avoid avocados thinking them to be fattening, but... Read More
Strict "no carb" phases of low carb diets have developed... Read More
You can start today - right now, even - on... Read More
Endurance Sports are like music concerts. They start at a... Read More
Are Your Cells Talking To Each Other?Communication! It permeates our... Read More
Calcium helps reduce constipationUsing calcium and magnesium in the right... Read More
Do you know the risks to daily intakes of Starbucks... Read More
Imagine you're a cell.Inside your body runs the machinery that... Read More
Diet nutrition physiqueToday, learning about diet nutrition physique isn't all... Read More
Nutrition facts have become a part of everyday life because... Read More
With all the news about Splenda of late and the... Read More
You say you don't know what glyconutrients are? You are... Read More
after renovation cleaning Bannockburn ..Some people say to themselves, junk food is not that... Read More
Diet nutrition physiqueToday, learning about diet nutrition physique isn't all... Read More
Evidence suggesting that alcohol is "cardio-protective" first appeared in the... Read More
Okay, so you think you are doing pretty well with... Read More
Glucosamine is readily produced in the human body and is... Read More
Making simple changes to your food diet can help remedy... Read More
Acid Reflux Disease, or GERD, is a common disease which... Read More
LIFESTYLE WELLNESS = An Adventure of Health + Vitality!Not a... Read More
I am sure you have heard you have to build... Read More
Are you worried yet about your health? Are you anxious... Read More
With the release of the new dietary guidelines, in the... Read More
The word 'homeostasis' is made up of two Greek words:... Read More
When was the last time you consumed soda? Most likely,... Read More
Nuts of all kinds (I am talking peanuts, cashews etc)... Read More
How Can... Read More
A hundred years ago, life was very different here on... Read More
Protein is one of the basic building blocks of the... Read More
The word herb is used to refer to any part... Read More
It is a question we must ask ourselves continually if... Read More
(ARA) - By now you probably think you've heard all... Read More
All of my life I believed the best way to... Read More
The debate regarding Fluoride continues to rage, is it good... Read More
I'm sure by now you've heard all about the amazing... Read More
You may have heard of the "Portfolio Diet" wherein it... Read More
Dr. Barry Sears revolutionized nutritional thinking around the world with... Read More
Nutrition |