Benefits of Ginger.

I think I mentioned last week that I was recently sick. Sore throat, stuffy nose, hoarse/inexistent voice. Fun stuff.My secret weapon was lemon ginger tea... lots and lots of ginger tea. It took the edge off and soothed my sore throat. I talked about my go to ginger tea recipe earlier this year- I really do swear by it for sore throats.Ginger though has a couple of other really great benefits for other types of ailments- other than a sore throat.

1. nausea relief

I mainly use ginger for nausea relief. I use it a lot to relieve the light, uncomfortable nausea I struggle with from my birth control. I don't usually make tea for when I need relief from that particular type of nausea- but I found that ginger candies (no joke) really hit the spot for me.When I'm struggling with nausea from the flu- I'll make a whole pot of a minty ginger tea (recipe below) or make a quick cup of tea with one of these packets. You can also full on chew on a chunk of ginger (with the skin pealed off) if you really want to jump in and embrace the full flavor of ginger- its not really my favorite thing, but it works in a pinch.

2. digestion aid

Kind of the same idea as with the nausea relief- although I find candies to be less effective here. I mean I tend to not think about 'light nausea' like I do 'light indigestion' as it usually doesn't make it harder for me to fall asleep like nausea does (lol... tmi?).This is definitely tea worthy... if the indigestion is bad enough for me to be really uncomfortable. Ugh. I feel embarrassed just typing this- but its true. The tea really helps when I'm uncomfortable like that. ;)

3. anti-inflammatory

Being an anti-inflammatory makes it great for pain relief for things like headaches and menstrual cramps. I use it for headaches quite often- usually by sipping my favorite lemon ginger tea. The relief from both cramps and headaches are slower than with an aspirin or ibuprofen- but if you prefer a drugless approach it is a great way to go.I have also heard that a ginger tablet is also a great way to go for this type of thing- but I have honestly never tried it. So I can't speak to it.Whatcha think? Awesome stuff huh?

Zingy Minty Nausea Fighter

serves 2 | prep time 30 min

Ingredients

2 cups of water2 teaspoons of dried peppermint (or 1 tablespoon fresh)1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger1 teaspoon of honey

Directions

1. In a saucepan, bring water to a boil.2. Add peppermint and ginger.3. Turn off the heat, cover, and steep for 15 minutes.4. Strain out the herbs.5. Stir in honey. Sip for a soothing experience.*Mint is a general stomach settler- so when combined, ginger and tea are a nausea fighting super team.

Now- please be aware. I am NOT a doctor in any way shape or form. Please consult a doctor if you have any concerns or if you are really sick. If you are pregnant or nursing, please talk to your doctor first. Just saying.