Ginger as a cramp reliever?
Ginger tea has been tested and found to be as effective as ibuprofen for relieving painful monthly periods. Just add 2 tbsp of ground or chopped fresh ginger root in hot water and let steep for about 15 minutes, strain and sweeten as desired.
Ginger essential oil is also a very warming essential oil and improves circulation and blood flow, which is why we’ve added it to our very effective best seller Spicey Muscle Oil.
In a bath you can also gain the benefits of fresh ginger root by grating or chopping about 4 tbsp and placing in a muslin bag and placing the bag under running bathwater. Research also shows that ginger has skin rejuvenating properties and can brighten skin – use carefully and sparingly as it can also be skin sensitizing. We like to add our Muscle Soothe essential oil blend to our Dead Sea Mineral Bath Salts for an easy fix for aching, tired muscles and bones.
Traveling? – for motion sickness either carry a bottle of the ginger essential oil and sniff it from a tissue, use it in a car diffuser (coming soon to our website), or try crystallized or pickled ginger, all of which have been shown to work better than other over-the-counter medications at preventing and treating motion sickness.
Give these a try! Let us know how you use ginger and the results you’ve had with it.
Another recipe using ginger – haven’t tried this one yet, but can’t wait. Please, please!! Let us know if you try this and what you thought, or how you would change it or even any of your own favorite recipes using ginger.
Carrot Ginger Soup:
Spice Blend:
1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped
2 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 Tbsp black pepper corns
3 garlic cloves, chopped coarsely
2 star anise
2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
Using cheesecloth, gather edges around spices or use a clean muslin bag and tie tightly. Add the bag to chicken or vegetable broth.
Soup Base:
1 tablespoon organic extra virgin olive oil (or enough to saute vegetables)
1 medium sized onion, chopped
1 pound carrots (buy the ones marked for juicing – they’re cheaper and chop up easily)
5 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
Saute onions and carrots in olive oil for about 5 minutes – they’ll cook more later. Add bag of spices to broth and bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat down just enough to keep liquid to a low simmer, add carrots and onions and continue simmering until carrots are tender – about 15 minutes. Remove bag of spices and process the soup with a hand blender until soup is smooth and carrots are pureed. Or – if you’re like us, leave some lumps!
If the soup is too thick, add additional seasoned stock, up to 2 cups, to achieve desired consistency. Adjust seasonings. Place sour cream in a plastic bag, snip the corner and squirt a swirl of sour cream around the bowl of soup. You can be really fancy and drag a toothpick from the center of the bowls out to the edges, forming a spider web design on soup. Top with some fresh sprigs of cilantro!
Be sure to let us know if you try this and if you have any suggestions to improve it.
Hopefully, healthfully helpful!
Ann
