need to know | preventive nutrition & supplements
healthy tip!
THE HEALING EFFECTS OF GINGER
When buying fresh ginger, look for a root with smooth, taut skin, and a spicy aroma.
Take full advantage of ginger’s healing power with these creative ideas
“G
inger is a workhorse herb,” says Mary Hardy, MD, a Los Angeles-based integrative physician. Tradition, scientific studies, and Hardy’s experience have shown that colds, nausea, joint and muscle pain, PMS, digestive issues, diabetes, and even sore feet respond to its healing effects. Ginger also enhances circulation, helps to prevent heart disease, and may help to prevent cancer. “It’s a good herb for self-care,” says Hardy. “It has a very good safety record, is easily available, and it’s not expensive.”
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There are various ways to eat and drink ginger, from adding it to soups and stir-fries to juicing it with fruits and veggies. But for more concentrated benefits, Hardy has some other, lesserknown recommendations.
BREW A THERAPEUTIC GINGER TEA A good tea starts with really fresh ginger root. “Take a nice, plump herb that has a thin skin, is unmarked, and smells fresh when you break a little piece off,” Hardy says. “The root should be a nice, light, bright yellow, and should have
the spice smell you’re used to, as well as a slight citrus aftersmell.” Here’s how to brew: 1. Add 1-2 tsp. freshly grated
root to a cup of hot water. 2. Steep 10 minutes. 3. Strain, add a little honey,
and start sipping. WHEN TO DRINK GINGER TEA: For better digestion, drink it after a meal, and for everything else, drink it any time. However, in the case of nausea, especially morning sickness, supplements of ginger root powder may be better tolerated.
By Vera Tweed
MAKE A THERAPEUTIC GINGER COMPRESS Studies have shown that the combination of ginger and heat creates a synergistic effect that helps relieve joint and muscle pain, stomach pain, and bloating. To make a hot ginger compress, which can be applied a couple of times a day, Hardy recommends: Follow the tea-brewing directions, minus the honey, using two to three times as much ginger root per cup of hot water. 2. Soak a small, 100% cotton 1.
FALL 2018 | AMAZING WELLNESS
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7/18/18 5:11 PM
