Ginger - Ancient "Natural Medicine"
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If there were ever an ancient "miracle drug," ginger would no doubt be in the running for that title. Ginger's widespread use in ancient Chinese, Indian and Arabic cultures is testament to the versatility and potency of this natural medicine. Ginger rhizomes, or roots, have been used to help digestion, clear the arteries, treat arthritis, relieve nausea, reduce tumor growth and migraines, eliminate fever and infection and lower cholesterol levels. Ginger's curative properties make it an essential and beneficial food.
Ginger and Digestion
One of the most exciting properties of ginger is its ability to help digestion, reduce food cravings and assist with weight loss. In Ayurvedic medicine as practiced in India, ginger is identified as being one of the most important foods to "ignite the digestive fire." The Western diet leaves people overweight, tired and undernourished. Your body simply can't process all of the salt, sugar and fat that you put into it when you eat the standard Western diet. When digestion slows down, you'll experience increased digestive problems like constipation, heartburn and indigestion. You'll also start gaining weight because you are eating more than your body can handle.
Ginger helps your digestive system in a few different ways. First, it can help to speed up your metabolism by increasing the circulation through the tissues in your body, including those in your digestive system. A faster metabolism will help you digest the food that you eat more efficiently. The enzymes in ginger also help your body break down protein efficiently and rapidly. It increases saliva and digestive juices as well. This can help you deal with heavy, rich foods like those most common in the Western diet.
Ginger and Weight Control
What does this mean for cravings and weight control? Most cravings result from a drop in blood sugar and a panicky "I need to eat something now!" feeling. Ginger can help stave off that feeling and keep your blood sugar stable. As a result, you'll be less prone to weak moments and less likely to succumb to cravings for sugar and other quick pick me ups like caffeine. Recent studies on ginger and type 2 diabetes have showed the important link between blood sugar levels and ginger. Ginger root supplements reduced the effects of elevated blood sugar or stomach rhythm. Ginger helped maintain a normal rate of stomach emptying, when compared to the placebo group.
Eat Ginger in its natural form
If ginger isn't part of your daily foods, it should be! Eating ginger in its natural form is most beneficial. You effects of keto on cholesterol can steep shredded ginger root in water for a pleasant tasting tea or add shreds to salads or soups.
Cholesterol is called "the silent killer", as it accumulates within your body over extended periods of time and will kill you very suddenly. It's common knowledge that checking your cholesterol level regularly is an important step towards maintaining a healthy, long life.
Don't worry if you've recently discovered that you have high cholesterol, though. You can do something about your cholesterol with this early detection. Limiting the effects of cholesterol on your life can be accomplished with certain lifestyle changes. Here are some steps you can take.
Lowering your intake of saturated fats is the first step towards creating a diet for high cholesterol. Fats are commonly misunderstood, as it is believed that all of them are bad. This is false. The human body needs cholesterol and fats to function, but only in limited quantities.
"Good oils", such as corn, olive, safflower, sesame and sunflower, should be used for cooking. Avoid lard, bacon fat and shortening, as these can negatively effect your condition. Each of these oils can be purchased in small volumes so you can try them out. You'll be impressed with how gratifying these choices are.
Following that, you should opt to consume only skinless, lean meats, such as fish, chicken and lean beef. Fish is more effective than any other meat at lowering your cholesterol quickly. As with oils, you can test out many types of fish and experiment with different ways to prepare them before you count anything out.
Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to give up the things you love to maintain a low cholesterol diet. Angel food cake and graham crackers are just two sweets that can be consumed while on a low cholesterol diet. However, danishes, doughnuts and pastries should still be avoided. You can still have fun snacks and satisfy your cravings for sweets, even during your low cholesterol diet.
For most people, ice cream is the hardest thing to give up. There's nothing better than a bowl of ice cream in the middle of summertime. Ice milk or sorbet can be substituted for ice cream. Ice cream aficionados will still be able to tell the difference, though. It's still better than abstaining from all cold treats.
Cheesecakes and french fries should be replaced with pretzels and baked potatoes. Instead of complaining about what you can't have, appreciate and enjoy what you can have. By implementing a diet for high cholesterol and remaining positive, your health will quickly improve.