All Natural

Ginger -- Halt a Hangover With This Amazing Spice

By Amber Niswonger

Did you have too much to drink last weekend and wake up wondering why you felt so awful? Or maybe that big greasy cheese pizza you had for dinner last night is catching up with your stomach? If so, the cure for these may be in your kitchen cabinet. Containing 477 known active constituents, ginger may be just the thing you need to spice up your life!

Confucius wrote that he was never without ginger when he ate and always kept a plate of it handy to aid in digestion. Ginger has been used for stomach problems for thousands of years. It is very popular among people who suffer from nausea, and pregnant women use it for morning sickness. Ginger also helps with motion sickness. One gram of powdered ginger or two to four grams of fresh or candied ginger 30 minutes before discomfort begins is recommended for people with sensitive stomachs.

An ancient Indian proverb declares: "Every good quality is contained in ginger." Anyone who has taken ginger to help cure a hangover would agree with this statement. Just have some ginger after a night of partying and you should be feeling better soon. It helps hangovers by removing toxins and because of its anti-nausea and circulatory properties.

Ginger has many other benefits -- such as boosting the immune system. People taking ginger during an arthritis study noticed that they caught fewer colds. Doctors have observed ginger's anti-cold benefits since ancient times. Ginger also supports heart health because it prevents clumping of blood cells. One outpatient cardiac care facility in Israel recommends that its clients take a one-half teaspoon of dried ginger every day. They came to this conclusion after Israeli scientists fed ginger extract to mice. The ginger extract significantly lessened the development of lesions, which lead to clogged arteries. Ginger has also been shown to help with arthritis and high cholesterol levels.

Ginger is available in many different forms such as capsules, tinctures, powder, teas, candied pieces, etc. You can also add it to food to spice it up and give it more flavor. Ginger salad dressings are good and you can add a ginger tea bag to steamed veggies or pasta to give it more flavor. Something that is good, but not quite so healthy, is softened vanilla ice cream with pieces of candied ginger added. If you have a juicer, you can add fresh ginger to any juice to put a kick in your step and boost your immune system.

Natural food companies make ginger soda that is similar to ginger ale, but has much more of a ginger bite to it. If you try one you will see what I mean, because if you drink it too fast your ears will start to feel warm. That is because ginger is a warming spice. People who frequently have cold fingers and toes can take ginger, because it increases circulation, which helps to warm them.

Ginger is also very good in the bath tub for sore, aching muscles. Natural bath salts and gels often contain ginger for its muscle-soothing properties. You could add a few drops of ginger essential oil to sea salt and make your own bath salt. Or put some ginger tea bags in your bath water to help with inflammation. Diluted ginger essential oil can be rubbed on the stomach for cramping. You can also dilute ginger essential oil with a carrier oil such as jojoba oil, almond oil, apricot kernel seed oil, avocado oil, etc., to make your own massage oil.

Ginger has many healing properties. It is good for inflammation, circulation, sores and wounds, liver and stomach problems, arthritis, fever, headache, indigestion, morning sickness, motion sickness, muscle pain, nausea, hangovers and much more. So spice up your life with some ginger!