Roots and Remedies

Ginger, that knobby, fragrant root so often revered as a culinary spice, holds more than just the power to add a little kick to your dishes. This unassuming root is packed with potential that can have profound effects on your health. From soothing an upset stomach to fighting inflammation, ginger root is a natural powerhouse worth exploring.

I was always taught to take fresh ginger daily, to stimulate our inner fire (digestive fire, or metabolism) for overall health and energy, or whenever I was in need of an extra immune system boost while fighting off colds.

If your wondering where to find fresh ginger, or how to prepare and enjoy it – skip to the bottom for my favorite tea recipes that makes drinking ginger not only healthy, but delicious too!

Lets take a moment to explore some of the great uses of ginger for overall health and wellness.

Inflammation

Managing Colds

Ginger is very warming (just try some and you will immediatley understand this!) which can stimulate your immune system and also help with managing mucus production. In my family, I am well known for ramping up my ginger and black pepper consumption whenever I get a stuffy nose.. but I swear by its affects on helping with congestion!

Digestion

Ginger is renowned for its ability to soothe nausea. Whether you ate some foods that hasnt settled properly, or are trying to calm your stomach from motion stickness, ginger goes a long way in calming down nausea or upset stomach.

Recipes: Two Teas To Enjoy Ginger

Ginger is a very common spice in asian style dishes, so you may have already heard of recipes calling for powdered (or fresh) ginger root for curries, soups, chilis, or sauces. Its warming qualities make it a very comforting flavor in a number of different dishes.

In this context, if you are looking to reap the benefits of ginger for your wellness or health, I would recommend considering these two tea recipes, which contain higher proportions of fresh ginger with its health properties in mind.

Lemon Ginger Honey Tea

• 1 Cup Water
• 1 Inch of Fresh Ginger Root
• 1/2 Lemon, juiced
• 1 TBSP Honey

Please adjust these quantities to taste… I usually double the ginger quantity!

Start by boiling the water. As the water is boiling, you can grate the ginger into pieces. Once your water has boiled, steep the ginger for 3-5 minutes in the water. Then strain the ginger tea into your cup, and add lemon juice and honey. Enjoy!

Traditional Chai

This is my daily. Chai simply means “tea” in hindi, and is traditionally made with warming spices and boiled milk. If you’ve never had traditional chai before, this will blow you away. Its nothing like Chai Lattes you find at coffee shops, and contains fresh ginger alongside black tea, cardamom, and your choice of milk. Many others have other spices they include, which can be tailored to your taste. It takes around 8-10 minutes to make, but quickly becomes another enjoyable part of your morning routine.

Ingredients

Process:

1. Grate your ginger, and add to a pot along with 1 cup of water. Bring this to a boil.
2. Add Black tea, and allow to steep for 3-5 minutes.
3. While tea is steeping, crush your cardomom pods using a mortar and pestle. The finer you can grind this, the greater the flavor you will achieve (can also use a spice grinder, etc)
4. Add your milk, cardamom and sugar to black tea/ginger mixture. Bring to a boil. (traditionally, its brought to a boil 3 times prior to straining)
5. Strain, and enjoy.

Few notes: feel free to adjust your quantities here to taste. Some days I like my chai a little sweeter, other times Ill add honey instead of cane sugar. Also, I enjoy adding saffron and black pepper for extra kick. If you are using Chai to support your immune system, also consider increasing your ginger quantity.