Your Body Is Talking—Are You Listening? (It May Want You To Eat More Ginger…)
We’re firm believers over here that, if you’re listening, these bodies of ours may actually communicate what they need. And because I’ve done the exact opposite for some time—ignoring all the signs that my body is totally fed up with me—she’s been a bit of a loud b*tch lately, pardon my French.
See, even though I’m a healthy eater, and I put really nice stuff on my skin, and I exercise regularly—and despite what I sometimes preach—my stress levels have probably been way off the charts for way too many years. I think about fifteen. (My stress is sneaky too because people who don’t know me well think that I’m totally chill, as I quietly churn. Sometimes I even trick myself!) But from aches and pains to hiding periods, my body isn’t really playing ball anymore.
Which is why not too long ago, when I came face to face with a mountain of fresh ginger at the small grocer on my corner, and almost involuntarily reached for one of the gnarled stubs—it gave me pause.
Sure, I knew ginger was healthy, and that ginger tea was good for digestion. But I was unprepared for the barrage of health benefits this strange and spicy root has to offer, some supported by science and others anecdotally.
Just a few that I came across: Ginger does contain powerful digestive enzymes; it also helps the body sweat and detoxify (I can attest!); it’s highly anti-inflammatory; it strengthens the immune system; it reduces nausea and is a common prescription for morning sickness; it’s been shown to help with arthritis; in a study done by Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center ginger powder caused cell death in ALL the ovarian cancer cells it was applied to; in another study it slowed growth of colorectal cancer cells; Chinese medicine uses it to assuage menstrual cramps; Ayurveda tells you to eat it fresh daily and also uses it as medicine; and word on some women’s sites is that it helps bring on hiding periods too. Wouldn’t you know. (I’ll have to report back on that one.)
Lately I’ve been grating some fresh ginger into hot water for tea, and adding it (also grated) into simple warm vegetable dishes with olive oil, lemon and fresh cilantro. It’s delicious, and it seems to help me digest the veggies better. Though that could be a placebo-power-of-suggestion thing too.
Has your body talked to you lately? What has it said? Do you eat ginger?
I love ginger! If you juice, I totally recommend throwing a little piece of ginger in. It’s especially good in carrot and carrot-blend juices. I like ginger in any form, though. I even convince myself sometimes that candied ginger is healthy. :) And maybe everybody knows this, but if you ever need to peel ginger, try using a regular spoon. It works perfectly to scrape off the thin outer skin.
I’m big on candied ginger- I’m a spice wimp so the sugar helps me handle it, haha. Plus it stays good forever and you can just leave a bag in the car and munch it when you’re feeling kind of carsick. Ginger tea is great too though.
I definitely listen to what my body is saying. If I get an intense craving for something, I eat it. Or if I’m really hungry even though I shouldn’t be, I eat! Same goes for sleep and rest, although sometimes that is harder to squeeze in. Ginger is great! It’s so warming and good for digestion.
What’s a hiding period?
Totally on board with listening to your body! I’m a big fan of ginger in all forms. Just the other day I ordered from a juice bar…”make that heavy on the ginger, please.” I like to cut big chunks and throw it in the Vitamix with my breakfast smoothie ingredients. The very best thing I’ve ever found for a sore throat or swollen glands is a ginger gargle (and I’ll swallow some, too). It’s very hard core so when you first take it, you’ll think it’s insane. I use fresh ginger cut into chunks (no need to peel) and cover with filtered water, run it through the Vitamix (or other very strong blender) and squeeze through a nut milk bag. This makes a very intense juice that you can use for a variety of purposes. It keeps for several days in the fridge. It smacks down a sore throat and it’s prevented illness from taking hold in me when used a few times a day when I feel something coming on.
Also, ginger is butt-kickin’ good at improving circulation!
Very interesting! I had heard a while ago that ginger was super duper good for you, and I was hesitant to wholeheartedly embrace it, not being a fan of the flavour. It did take some getting used to (it is a STRONG flavour!) and I tried a few tricky things for working it into my diet as well as adjusting my palate to tolerate and subsequently appreciate it. Teas were good for simplicity’s sake – how difficult is it to pop a teabag into hot water? Even I can do that… But I could only take ginger tea on extremely cold nights or when feeling truly miserable, because the heat was like a warm, liquid hug from the inside out and I didn’t taste the tea but rather felt it. (Lovely on a cold, miserable, sickly, feeling-sorry-for-my-sad-self winter’s night.) I also tried sneaking it into things like my cereal – I already eat Cheerios (no judgement, please! I’m doing well sticking to unsugared cereal!) with blueberries and cinnamon, adding giner was not noticeable at first, but I now add a good bit more and the cinnamon / ginger flavour combination is really quite yummy! A great kickstart to the day. I sprinkle it anywhere I do cinnamon, now as well as randomly to anything with spice. (Sometimes a very small amount until I’m sure the flavours are complimentary.) It’s quit easy and I’m converted.
Love ginger too – it’s great in stir-fries as well. Btw, not to add to your stress, but for the longest time I’ve noticed that your site is loading so slowly – it doesn’t matter which computer I use, or which browser. Does anybody else has this problem? It’s actually faster on my smartphone than on any regular computer I use…especially the pictures, but a post takes minutes to load…It’s only because I love your site so much I sit there and patiently wait…
Such a great post! I’ve been trying to get back on track with listening to my body lately as well. I love putting chunk of ginger in my fresh juices in the morning, and salad dressings, sauces, etc.
Yes to everything in this! It’s a really cool feeling when you start to be more in tune with what your body needs and you’re like “Wow, I have the weirdest craving for spinach…” Haha.
@Rebecca, that’s such a great tip! Definitely making that tonight to try and get rid of a sore throat that’s been hanging around for way too long.
Ginger is great. Although I haven’t used it in any other form from any of the comments above.
@ Eva, no problems whatsoever ( even abroad I was able to access it smoothly ) … could it be on your side:)?
This is also the first time I recall seing a mention of the problem too …so no need to elevate Alexandra’s stress levels:)
Oh MAN ginger. I sometimes chew a little strip of it to keep me from biting my nails. No candy on earth beats a good crystallized ginger cube. So chewy and spicy.
I was on a road trip for three months earlier in the year and ginger oil drops in my water combined with ginger oil gum saved me. I was at first taking Dramamine every time motion sickness set in, and then I would be a drooling zombie the rest of the day, not ideal when you’re supposed to be switching off on driving duty.
I always start every stirfry with fresh garlic and fresh ginger. If I miss either one, I miss the flavor (and my body misses the liver cleansing and circulation benefits!).
Ginger is so perfect in any creamy soup. I always put some in my award winning (a thumbs up from the boyfriend is an award, right?) root soup.
Go Ginger!
My body tends to scream at me if I am not paying attention. It is funny that just because you are easy going people assume that you have no stress. I have used ginger for digestive but was not aware of all the other benefits. This is a timely post. I love all the suggestions. Once again everyone has so much info to share.
I just tried a new recipe from my Hero Foods cookbook, parsley and ginger juice. Delicious, I’m sipping it now!re
What about pickled ginger? You know, like the kind you get with sushi. Does that have the same health benefits?
When I’m eating sugar I’m soooo obsessed with ginger syrup from The Ginger People (http://www.gingerpeople.com/ginger-delight.html). I drizzle it over baked sweet potatoes with a little Earth Balance. And some goes into my tea.
And of course there’s ginger beer.. which is just a knockout. Lime, ginger beer, and rum. Delish.
Unfortunately my ginger beer and ginger syrup are probably a lot like “ginger ale”. Not exactly super nutritious like the whole food. Sigh.
So yeah.. I eat.. a lot of ginger products. But when I haven’t been nice to my body it craves seaweed salad and pickled jalapenos! (Not together.)
My dad, who at 65 still plays hockey, bikes long distance and builds stuff constantly, swears by ginger for sore joints! I made him a tincture for his birthday by shredding a ton of ginger and letting it soak in vodka for about a month of so, then straining it. Works well as a cocktail, too. :)
…also, sorry to hear you are stressed. Breathing exercises and calming tea is the only thing that stops my IBS from acting up and my hair from literally just falling out.
There were three things always in my Grandmother’s pantry, olive oil, garlic, and ginger. These three staples were also cures for any and all ailments, sometimes combined. My Grandmother would chop garlic and ginger together and allow it to “breathe” before adding a shot of olive oil and downing it when she felt a cold coming on. Funny, that I’ve also developed a love of ginger and make my own ginger lemonade during the summer and hot ginger milk during the winter, which incidentally I also use to soothe dry skin. Ginger rocks and so do you Alexandra!
@Eva and @Nancy You ladies are hilarious, and so sweet. No stress Eva, I’m hoping you’re just having a Mercury Retrograde problem! Let us know if it persists—and yes, anyone else having probs please always tell us. Thanks for being such awesome readers. :)
@Krystal I just put some in soup! But creamy root soup? Ayo. You’ll have to post the recipe please. :)
@jessica :) Been all over the pranayama.
Heads up everyone, we’re doing our first deal with STARK soon (OK, Friday). I expect fireworks to go off in Canada!
Ooh, VERY excited about the Stark deal! I’m dying to try the grapefruit balm and the cypress oil, even just for the smells!
I regularly drink a Vata Ayurvedic tea from David’s tea that contains ginger. I feel it helps my stress/anxiety level. http://www.davidstea.com/our-teas/ayurvedic-tea/vata-ayurvedic-tea
Oh, I’ve been meaning to try Stark for a while, yay for the Friday deal!
Just watched an awesome Ayurvedic webinar where the practitioner recommended a daily balancing therapy of 1 tsp chopped or grated fresh ginger boiled with H20 for 10 minutes then add juice from 1-2 lemon wedges, let cool and sip immediately or throughout the day. As I, too, am new to enjoying ginger, I also added some honey to my drink. Mmmm, it has replaced my hot tea for now (and I love me some hot tea)! I am diggin’ this lil’ concoction so much, I’ve been carrying a bottle of ground ginger and requesting a mug of hot water with lemon at every restaurant we visit. With honey. I’ve been knocked out with a sinus infection for over a week and have been generous with the honey to get that antibacterial benefit.
Thanks for such a timely post! :)
Wow! Such awesome ideas! I LOVE ginger tea, especially when my tummy is unhappy (I considered buying stock in Yogi Ginger tea when I was pregnant!). I usually use it for stir fried veggies or as a marinade with garlic, soy and rice vinegar on salmon. But I am so excited to try some fresh ginger in my morning smoothie and on my cereal! Thanks for the great ideas!
As for listening to my body, I am a firm believer that our bodies will tell us when something is wrong, if we just listen. Sadly, in this day and age, I think society encourages us to ignore our bodies signals and just keeping pushing ourselves. Alexandra, I applaud you for paying attention!
Just wanted to link to another article talking about listening to your body. This woman realized that her body needed fats and meats to ovulate. Pretty fascinating!
http://menstruationresearch.org/2012/07/31/bring-on-the-fat/
@Mary: this conuses me as well. could someone tell us what a hiding ‘period’ is?
I depend on ginger in my daily diet. At a minimum, I add it to my daily freshly pressed veggie juice. It gives the juice a bit of a kick and is a great way to sneak it into my diet. My favorite recipe is here http://aunaturelessence.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/incorporate-fresh-juice-into-your-daily-routine/
@ Mary and @ Denise- I wondered the same but I think a “hiding period” is just a super cute way of saying it hasn’t come (out) yet. Aka, it’s hiding. This can definitely be a side affect of too much stress, as I’ve personally experienced. I had no idea ginger could help. Love ginger!