Candied, in hot tea or soup, with fish or meat or chicken, in stir-fries, ground, chopped, shredded or julienned, bake with it, pickle it or even blend it.
Ginger is magical.
This spicy, aromatic and pungent root is cheap and easy to find at the supermarket, and is a knockout fighter against aging.
You probably know that ginger reduces nausea, vomiting and motion sickness. But it also helps reduce indigestion, gas and bloating—a few unpleasant side-effects of an aging intestinal system. Munch on some candied ginger after a big meal to aid digestion.
Ginger also helps you battle the Brothers Grimm—osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. They’re the type of relatives that move in with no plans to leave. Eat ginger regularly to give them the heave-ho. It contains very high amounts of a compound called gingerol, which relieves the pain and inflammation of joints, and even increases mobility.
This knobby looking root also encourages healthy sweating (yes, there’s such a thing), which helps to remove toxins through the skin. Healthy sweating produces an anti-germ agent known as dermicidin which coats the skin and guards against harmful bacteria like E.coli.
And once those toxins are eliminated, drizzle some ginger essential oil in the bath to stimulate circulation and boost your skin’s youthful and healthy glow.
Choose plump roots with no blemishes and store in the fridge. Ginger has no side effects and you can enjoy it in food, drink or as a moisturizer. Any which way to soak up all its health benefits.
All hail king ginger.
Soft Ginger Cookies
Makes 2 dozen
Ingredients
2¼ cups all-purpose organic flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup rapadura sugar
1 egg
1 Tbsp water
¼ cup molasses
2 Tbsp brown sugar
Method
1. Preheat oven to 350o F.
2. Whisk flour, ginger, baking soda and spices together in small bowl.
3. In large bowl, cream butter plus the rapadura sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg.
4. Stir in the water and molasses then gradually stir in the dry whisked ingredients.
5. Shape dough into small balls and roll them in the 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.
6. Place cookies two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet and flatten slightly with a fork and bake for 8 – 10 minutes
7. Let cool 5 minutes before moving cookies on to wire rack to cool completely.
