Ginger 4 Spleen - A Love Story!

For all I prefer to buy my fresh produce at a farm shop or farmers' market, I do appreciate the role that supermarkets have played in improving the variety in our diets, not to mention the convenience. Ginger, the root, is one of those foods that not too long ago, you would have to have hunted high and low for. Now it's available in every supermarket and if you are lucky enough to live in a culturally diverse area, in local convenience stores too.

In my local Waitrose, it's stocked alongside the lemongrass, coriander, garlic and chillies so you could be forgiven for thinking of it solely as just one ingredient in an oriental dish. When you consider all the wonderful properties this humble looking little root delivers, you might want to think again.

Ginger...

- Speeds up your metabolism.
- It's a warming food so grate it into juices or on salads in the winter.
- Its soothing antiseptic properties help the body handle the cold and wind.
- It's a natural remedy for morning and travel sickness. Something to do with the Gingerols
- It's great for the spleen.

Now I don't know about you, but up until about a year ago, I had absolutely no idea where the spleen was, what it did and why I should even care!

I mean, 'spleen'... it's not the most attractive of words is it? Sounds a bit nasty. But the thing is, it's really rather crucial if you want to benefit from a healthy diet. You see, for all it's a small organ, the spleen has many functions:

- #1 - It acts as a blood reservoir in times of emergency, for example, if we cut ourselves badly.

- #2 - It recycles worn out red blood cells by transforming them into iron in your blood.

- #3 - It's part of the immune system, it neutralizes unhealthy bacteria preventing colds and flus.

- #4 - It works with your stomach for the uptake of nutrients from the food we eat, so a worn out spleen means that even if you are eating healthy foods, you are not going to absorb them properly.

A tired spleen is very common indeed.

If you are prone to colds and flu the chances are your spleen is weak. Other signs that yours needs a bit of TLC would be wind, bloating and (I trust you've eaten) constantly loose and runny bowel movements ie. where no stool has formed.

Ginger is just one example of foods that nourish the spleen. Others are onions, leeks, garlic, cinnamon, fennel and anything high in chlorophyll eg. Kale and leafy greens. And try eating oats, rice or spelt for breakfast.

The main active ingredient in Ginger is thought to be a compound called gingerol, which helps to relax blood vessels and stimulate blood flow. Given that the spleen is so busy with our blood, it's no surprise that it benefits so much from ginger, which also appears to be effective in helping to lower blood pressure and reduce blood clotting (as an alternative to Aspirin).

I always have ginger in the fridge and use it in juices, salads, stir-fries, soups, marinades and dressings. My top tip - if it's just the juice you need, use a garlic press. Far less fiddly than grating it! Here's a recipe for Spinach Salad with Ginger Dressing - http://claireraikes.blogs.com/claires_blog/2005/06/spinach_salad_w.html.

Claire Raikes is a Wellbeing Coach, Speaker and Writer who 'cured' herself of a chronic, disabling and potentially life-threatening bowel condition without the use of steroids, surgery or any other traditional medical intervention. She now shares her passion for natural and vibrant health through coaching, speaking and writing about the importance and power of a truly healthy diet.

She publishes a free weekly eZine, In Essence and is compiling an eBook of Healthy Fast Food with 25% of the proceeds going to The Cancer Project, a charity set up by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and nutritionists to educate the public on the benefits of a healthy diet for cancer prevention and survival. If you have a recipe you would like to submit, visit http://www.LiveInEssence.com for further details. To book Claire to speak at your event, email her at Claire@LiveInEssence.com.

---

Antioxidants - Add a Lean, Muscular Body to the List of Benefits!

I'm sure by now you've heard all about the amazing... Read More

The Best Way to Consume Vitamin C

Eating orange mean absorbing vitamin C to our body, is... Read More

Organic Eating - Why Bother?

Originally, all foods were "organic" ? grown and prepared without... Read More

Why You Should Eat Lentil Soup at Least Once a Week

If you're looking for a power-packed entrée or soup to... Read More

The Skinny on Salt

Salt was used long before recorded history began. One of... Read More

Water - The Natural Choice

Proper hydration is extremely important during exercise. Adequate fluid intake... Read More

What Colors Are on Your Plate?

Can the colors on your plate tell you what health... Read More

Odd Fact or Oxymoron: Learning How To Cook Will Help You Drop a Few Pounds and Gain a Few Friends

Finding simple ways to reduce my waistline is always a... Read More

5 Secrets of Reading Food Labels Revealed

Whether you're concerned about cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or simply... Read More

Stay Healty, Eat more Fish and Seafood

There are a lot of very good reasons to eat... Read More

The Many Benefits of Green Tea Extract

The Benefits of Green Tea Extract: Anti-Aging, Anti-Cancer, Weight Control... Read More

Organic Food ? The Benefits of Natural and Organic Produce

Having spent most of my life living off of junk... Read More

MonaVie Acai Berry Juice - The Tree of Life from Amazonian Rainforest...

What ancient tribes and people of the Amazon have known... Read More

Lingzhi A Miracle Herb For Peak Health

The secret of success is knowing how to deal with... Read More

The Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Diet, Your Health & Your Life!

Because I believe diet and exercise are so important, I'm... Read More

Fruits and Vegetables and Phytochemicals

I'm willing to bet you probably haven't heard the word... Read More

Ayurvedic Nutrition: Let Your Food Be Your Medicine

It is ironic how something as obvious as nutrition has... Read More

The Niacin Rush

Your face turns flush and your skin starts to itch.... Read More

Eating On the Go: Healthy Choices While You Travel

If you have a business trip tomorrow morning, you've probably... Read More

Good Meal Sizes and Frequency

Meal sizes and frequency are very important. Over the years... Read More

Foods Can Lower Cholesterol and C-reactive Protein

If you have high cholesterol, the American Heart Association's low-cholesterol,... Read More

The Five Keys to Healthy Eating

1. Enjoy what you eatWhether someone is following the Atkins... Read More

How The Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health

When was the last time you consumed soda? Most likely,... Read More

Enzymes and Raw Food ? Can You Cheat Time and Stay Young for Longer?

I'm going to be a bit radical here, but know... Read More

Benefits of a Variety of Fruits and Vegetables

We know we need to eat a minimum of 5... Read More

How to Stop Bad Breath In 4 Refreshing Steps

OK, no more excuses. Here's how to stop making everyone... Read More

You Dont Have to be Wealthy to Eat Well: The Truth about Your Grocery Budget

Many people complain that organic foods are more costly than... Read More

Alcohol Addiction and Obesity

People who consume too much alcohol have good chance of... Read More

Chocolate Is Good For You!

Great news on the chocolate front! Chocolate is good for... Read More

Omega 3 Fat is Good for Your Heart and for Your Brain

Scandinavian fishermen are a healthy bunch. It had long been... Read More

Train Your Self To Eat Healthy

For some people it is really hard to give up... Read More

Soytastic ? The Health Benefits of Soy

It is often taken as a given fact that soy... Read More

Magnesium Deficiency Causes Personality Change and WLS Patients are at Risk

Have you ever felt like you were completely losing your... Read More