15 minutes
Ideal not just to beat the Monday blues but also the winter blues!
There are 115 different chemical components found in ginger root, but the therapeutic benefits come from gingerols, an oily resin that acts as a highly potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. These bioactive ingredients, especially gingerol, have been clinically evaluated, and the research backs up why you should use ginger on a regular basis!
Benefits: Great for improving circulation, coughs and colds, digestion, travel sickness (nausea), as an immune boost, and as a support for balancing blood sugar, to name but a few of its advantages!
How to use: Use the fresh root to make a tea with lemon and some honey (see recipe below), you can also grate into your smoothies, curries, stews, soups or incorporate into a salad dressing or marinade with olive oil, tamari, chillies, lemon juice, mustard. No fresh ginger in house, then make sure your store cupboard has a jar of good quality ground ginger powder as this is another good way to take advantage of this super spice!
Lastly, ginger essential oil, which contains the highest levels of gingerol, can be mixed with a carrier oil like sweet almond or jojoba and rubbed topically onto an area of pain. The recommended therapeutic dose is two to three drops of essential oil.
- fresh ginger
- water
- honey
- sage (optional)
- thyme leaves (optional)
- lemon (optional)
- lime (optional)
- cinnamon stick (optional)
- Heat 1L of water in a saucepan. According to taste, add in grated ginger if you like a strong brew, or add just slices if you prefer something milder.
- Let it steep for 10 minutes.
- Then finish off with a small teaspoon of organic honey, and for an extra boost you could add some sage or thyme leaves and some lemon or lime (if you’ve got a cough or cold), or pop in a cinnamon stick for a bit of extra warmth and circulation boost!