Conscious Ingredient: Ginger

All of us have had an upset stomach and have been told by someone to drink ginger ale as a remedy- and it works!  Well, we don't necessarily need to drink  the "ale" part of it which includes a lot of sugar.  (For every 8 ounces of ginger ale, there is about 22 grams of sugar.) The ginger is the ingredient that soothes and calms the stomach. This sweet yet pungent ingredient also has a myriad of other health benefits besides calming digestive issues. 

Ginger can be found in environments all over the world and any time during the year.  It's loaded with potassium, copper, manganese, magnesium and Vitamin B6.  You can buy it tea form, grounded spice or straight from the ground as a root.  If you choose the last form, make sure you take off the skin before ingesting.

Some of the benefits include:

Slows the growth of colon cancer cells
Eases sinus congestion
Migraine relief
Heartburn relief
Motion sickness/nausea cure
Increases circulation
Anti-inflammatory properties helps with arthritis
Promotes sweating which helps break fevers and detoxes
May destroy ovarian cancer cells

It's very easy to incorporate some ginger into your diet. You can include a slice in your smoothies, drink some ginger tea or even make your own ginger ale.  I tried this recipe from Simply Recipes, making my own adjustments (see below) and it came out pretty good.

Homemade Ginger Ale Recipe

Ingredients

Ginger water

1 cup peeled, finely chopped ginger

2 cups water

Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Let cool for 20 minutes or so (I put the pot into the fridge)

Once cool strain through cheesecloth or strainer

Add:

Agave Nectar (to taste)

Club soda

Lime juice (optional)

Lime wedges

Ginger is not only beneficial when ingested but also as a topical agent. As an antioxidant, it makes a great anti-aging beauty treatment.  As a matter of fact, I used some of the ginger juice I made and put it into my homemade facial toner.

Here is the recipe

1/2 cup Witch Hazel

Ginger Juice (see method above)

A couple of drops of tea tree oil.

Store in the fridge for a month or so. Your skin will feel so refreshed and instantly soothed. 

So the next time you have a bit of a tummy ache, some nausea or need a skin pick me up, pick up some ginger. 

Conscious Ingredient: Ginger