by Elizabeth Kaplan
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Always in search of anti-inflammatory foods for wellness and to combat some of the symptoms related to gluten intolerance: bloating, swollen joints, headaches, upset stomach, to name a few, I discovered the healing benefits of ginger. I’m excited to share some of my favorite ginger recipes with you today. But first I’d like to share with you some interesting facts about ginger and how I learned from my dad way back that ginger helped to relieve his migraine headaches; we’d make ginger cookies, ginger ice-cream, ginger this and ginger that at home. As time went by I learned more and more what a helpful remedy ginger is, long used in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine as a remedy for ailments such as nausea, indigestion, flatulence, flu, diarrhea, motion sickness and osteoarthritis.
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) now has been scientifically proven to be helpful in relieving muscle pain and soreness. A new study shows that taking daily doses of ginger can ease the aches and pains that follow strenuous exercise, apparently up to 25%. Ginger works much like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen) by inhibiting prostaglandin production. Unlike these NSAIDs, ginger also serves to desensitize a type of pain receptor found in the peripheral nerves and it also reduces the body’s production of inflammatory chemicals called cytokines. The results of the ‘ginger study’ were published in the September 2010 issue of The Journal of Pain.
THE GINGER STUDY
Researchers at the University of Georgia studied whether daily doses of ginger can inhibit exercise-related muscle pain. One group of 34 participants consumed capsules filled with two grams of raw (untreated) ginger (this is equivalent to the 500-mg capsules of raw ginger sold in health-food stores). A second group of 40 people took two grams of heat-treated ginger (earlier studies had shown that heating ginger may increase its pain-relieving properties). A third group took a placebo. All participants consumed their capsules for 11 consecutive days, seven days before, the day of, and three days after a high-intensity weight-lifting session (designed to induce muscle pain and inflammation) performed on the eighth day. Measuring several different variables, including effort and pain intensity (reported by participants), range of motion, strength, and levels of prostaglandins (inflammation-mediators involved in pain), researchers found that:
• Participants taking daily raw ginger supplements reported 25% less exercise-induced pain than the placebo group.
• Participants taking daily heat-treated ginger had 23% less pain than the placebo group.
HOW TO TRY THE GINGER REMEDY
If you’d like to give this a try, Dr. O’Connor, who led the research study, suggests purchasing ginger capsules that contain a standardized extract with a gingerol content of 5%. Take one two-gram daily dose for several days before and after planned workouts. If you love the taste of ginger: Kitchen equivalents are as follows, a two-gram dose of raw ginger in capsule form is roughly equivalent to one teaspoon of powdered ginger, 2 milliliters (about one-half teaspoon) of ginger extract, or (my favorite) one tablespoon of finely chopped fresh ginger.
Source
Here are some recipes from my cookbook, “Fresh from Elizabeth’s Kitchen” that use ginger. The flavor and health benefits are fabulous – the possibilities are endless.
Asian Veggies in Tamari-Sesame-Ginger Stir-Fry Sauce
Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free
Serves 4
Tamari-Sesame-Ginger Stir-Fry Sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 tablespoon gluten-free tamari sauce, such as San-J brand
1 tablespoon agave nectar, such as Nature’s Agave, Amber variety
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon Asian chili sauce (optional)
Veggies
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon coconut oil
4-6 cups chopped fresh vegetables: carrots, green beans, broccoli, Asian
cabbage, kale, bean sprouts, celery, onion, etc.
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1. Whisk together 1 tablespoon sesame oil,tamari sauce and agave nectar. Add fresh ginger and garlic and stir. Add optional Asian chili sauce.
2. Place 1 teaspoon sesame oil and coconut oil in a hot wok. Stir-fry vegetables for 2 minutes in oil. Pour sauce over vegetables and stir-fry for an additional 3-4 minutes. Vegetables should be hot and slightly cooked at this point – do not overcook. Serve over brown rice.
And of course we must include dessert! These cookies are delish with or without the chocolate.
Chocolate-Dipped Molasses Ginger Cookies
These cookies call for both fresh and powdered ginger, so they have a very distinct ginger flavor and provide an anti-inflammatory benefit. If you don’t have fresh ginger, you can double the powdered ginger.
½ cup coconut oil or palm-fruit shortening,such as Spectrum brand
½ cup dark brown sugar
¼ cup coconut sugar or white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1egg or egg replacer
3 tablespoons molasses
1½ cups The Pure Pantry Gluten-Free Organic All Purpose Baking Mix
2 teaspoons powdered ginger
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
½ cup good quality bittersweet chocolate or white chocolate for dipping
1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Cream shortening with both sugars. Add vanilla and mix until
well blended. Add egg or egg replacer. Add molasses and blend well. Fold in baking mix,
and beat until combined. Add powdered ginger.
2. Peel away the outer peel of a 1-inch piece of ginger and grate the flesh part with a ginger grater or the fine holes of a regular grater. Addfresh ginger to cookie mix and blend well.
3. Place tablespoon-size balls of dough on a greased baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. If you want to be fancy, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut with scalloped edge cookie cutter.
4. Melt chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat. Place waxed paper on baking sheet. Dip one side of cooled cookies into chocolate and let excess chocolate drip off. Lay on waxed paper to dry.
