Ginger is a root that has been used for centuries, especially in civilizations as ancient as the Chinese culture. In Western countries, ginger has also become one of the essential foods on our shopping list. It has a citrus and spicy flavor, making it ideal for seasoning and giving body to many dishes in the kitchen. With ginger you can dress everything from meat to rice, giving your preparations an exotic and original air.
Beyond being very useful in the kitchen and thanks to its nutritional properties, ginger has also become a key ingredient in many home remedies to take care of our health and prevent certain conditions and diseases. In addition, many people have also discovered the benefits of taking ginger to lose weight.
What is ginger used for?
Ginger is a food very rich in beneficial substances for our body. Among these substances are volatile oils such as gingerol (known for its anti-inflammatory properties) and phenolic compounds, also known as antioxidant substances.
Ginger also has proteolytic enzymes (these enzymes help digest all the proteins found in food) and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium, as well as vitamins such as vitamin B6 and vitamin C. Thanks to its nutritional composition, there are many benefits of ginger , among which we can mention:
- Promotes digestion: ginger contains proteolytic enzymes that help start the intestines and promote digestion. These enzymes also promote the absorption of nutrients from the food you eat. Also, ginger helps you eliminate toxins and waste that your body does not need.
- Regulates sugar levels : Taking ginger is ideal for lowering blood sugar levels, as well as preventing diseases such as diabetes. An infusion of ginger after breakfast or lunch will help you keep sugar at bay.
- Helps with weight loss – One of the most popular uses for ginger is for weight loss. Ginger water has thermogenic qualities that force the metabolism to spend high energy and, therefore, reduce fat. On the other hand, taking ginger in infusion helps you reduce and eliminate fluids from your body. Later, we will tell you in detail how to take ginger to lose weight .
- It has anti-inflammatory properties: if you are prone to joint pain, ginger can significantly help reduce these discomforts. According to experts, the gingerols in ginger have very effective anti-inflammatory properties that help relieve pain and swelling caused by rheumatoid arthritis. If you want to know more, do not hesitate to consult our article How to use ginger for arthritis .
- Reduces cholesterol : due to its high content of vitamin B, ginger has the ability to reduce cholesterol in the blood and, therefore, helps to significantly lower blood pressure.
- Helps fight muscle weakness : its high content of magnesium, calcium and phosphorus make ginger work on the transmission of the nerve impulse that reaches the muscles. Therefore, ginger is the ideal ally to prevent lack of muscle strength and spasms.
- Relieves digestive problems: ginger is a natural protector of the stomach that will help you properly digest and avoid certain digestive ailments such as diarrhea or gas. Also, according to health professionals, taking an adequate amount during pregnancy helps reduce feelings of nausea and heartburn.
- Prevention against certain cancers: gingerols can inhibit the growth of cells that cause colorectal cancer.
- Avoid throat infection: the antiseptic and antibacterial qualities of ginger make it an ideal ingredient when it comes to fighting minor inflammations of the throat. If, for work, you have to strain your voice and your vocal cords, nothing like taking an infusion of ginger to avoid hoarseness or unwanted discomfort. In our article How to use ginger for the throat , we tell you more about the benefits of this root.
How to take raw ginger
There are many ways to take ginger, including taking it completely raw. If you want to know how to take raw ginger , the first thing you have to do is buy it fresh. To check that the ginger you buy is fresh, we recommend that you choose those that have a hard skin and are brown in color. If the skin of the ginger appears wrinkled and yellowish, it means thatginger is not suitable for consumption and therefore does not retain any of its properties. Once you have fresh ginger, we recommend that you take it as explained below:
How to take grated ginger
The first thing you have to do before taking raw ginger is to prepare it in the following way:
- Wash the ginger and scrape the skin with the help of a knife. Despite being a very hard root, the ginger skin is removed very easily. If you are not good with kitchen knives, you can use a potato peeler.
- With the skin already removed, you can take raw ginger both grated and chopped or sliced.
The most common way to take raw ginger is by grating it, since in this way it adds flavor to dishes but without being excessively noticeable. You can add grated raw ginger to dishes and recipes such as:
- Soups and broths.
- Vegetable creams.
- Fruit or vegetable detox smoothies.
- Meat and fish cooked in the oven or on the grill.
- Rice or noodles.
- Dressings or vinaigrettes to dress salads.
Ginger will give all these dishes a spicy touch and a very intense citrus aroma.
How to take ginger: detox smoothie recipe with raw ginger
If you want to cleanse your body with a detox smoothie that contains ginger and is high in vitamin C and antioxidants, you will like this smoothie made with strawberries and ginger, both for the energy it will give you in your day-to-day life, and for its richness. what is it These are the ingredients you will need:
- 100g strawberries
- The natural juice of two oranges
- The natural juice of half a lime or half a lemon
- 1 carrot
- 30g ginger
- A tablespoon of honey or brown sugar
To prepare your smoothie with ginger , follow the steps below:
- Prepare the ingredients you are going to use: wash the strawberries, peel and slice the ginger and carrot, squeeze the oranges and lime or lemon.
- Add these ingredients together with the honey or sugar in a blender and beat for a couple of minutes or until you get a homogeneous smoothie.
- If you wish, and to give it a touch of color, add a chopped mint leaf to your drink.
How to take ground ginger
Ginger can also be consumed ground, as it retains the same qualities as raw ginger. One important thing you should know is that if you take ground ginger, you should do it in the right measure since it is a much more concentrated ginger and, therefore, much stronger in flavor.
So that it retains all its qualities and does not spoil over time, we recommend that you buy ground ginger only in the quantity that you will need and that you store it in a dry place and away from sunlight. Visit How to Preserve Ginger to learn how to make your ginger last as long as possible.
How to make and how to drink ground ginger infusion
An ideal way to take ground ginger is through an infusion of ginger with lemon , since the solubility of this ingredient makes it ideal to take at any time of the day. To take ground ginger as an infusion, you just need to do the following:
- Boil 250 ml of water or a cup of water.
- Turn off the heat and add one to two tablespoons of ginger dessert (the amount of ginger that you add to your infusion will depend on how intense or spicy you want it to be. If you are not sure, we recommend that you add the ground ginger , little by little, and that you try the infusion until you find the point that you like the most.
- Once you have prepared your ginger infusion, sweeten it to taste and, if you want to give it a citrus touch, add a squeeze of lime or a green lemon. The properties of ginger will be reinforced thanks to the vitamin C of these citrus fruits.
- Sometimes, traces of ginger powder may remain on the surface of the infusion. If so, we recommend that you filter the infusion with the help of a strainer to enjoy your drink in the best possible way.
In our article How to use ground ginger , we explore more ways to take advantage of the properties of this root in our daily lives.
How to take ground ginger as a dressing
Another easy way to take ground ginger is to use it as a dressing in one of your dishes. Ginger, as we said at the beginning, is ideal for seasoning and giving body to many dishes in the kitchen. If, to its intense flavor, we add the qualities and benefits it brings to our health and well-being, there is no doubt that using ground ginger in our meals is a good idea.
To use ground ginger in vegetable soups or creams, add a tablespoon of ground ginger while your cream or soup simmers. We recommend that you add it little by little until you find the amount that best suits your palate.
On the other hand, you can add ground ginger to your dough and pasta recipes, as it goes very well with all kinds of flour. If you want to make a delicious gingerbread cookie recipe to take advantage of its properties while you treat yourself, you just have to look for these ingredients:
- 1 kilo of wheat flour
- 30 g baking powder
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- A pinch of salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 250g butter at room temperature
- 250g brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 125 g of cane syrup or molasses
Preparing these gingerbread cookies is very easy, you just have to follow these steps:
- Mix all the dry ingredients (flour, yeast, salt, ginger, sugar and cinnamon).
- Beat the butter (it should be soft and at room temperature) with the sugar until you create a smooth paste.
- Add the egg and honey or molasses.
- Mix the dry ingredients with the butter dough and work until you have a soft dough that does not stick to your fingers.
- Make a ball with the dough and put it in a bowl.
- Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and put it in the fridge.
- You will be able to use the dough to make gingerbread cookies after two hours.
- Spread the dough on a marble top or on baking paper.
- With the help of a cookie cutter, shape your cookies. If you don't have a cutter, you can use a knife and cut the dough into squares.
- Put the cookies in the oven, previously preheated to 180ºC, for 11 minutes.
- The cookies should be golden or light brown.
- Take the gingerbread cookies out of the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.
How to take ginger to lose weight
As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, one of the most frequent uses of this root is using ginger to lose weight. Have you ever wondered how to lose weight with ginger ? If you are thinking of going on a diet and want to take advantage of the fat-burning and diuretic qualities of this food, you can do it in a very simple and effective way.
How to make ginger water for weight loss
To make this ginger water or ginger infusion to lose weight , you will need the ingredients listed below:
- 1 liter and 1/2 of water or 6 cups
- 3 tablespoons ginger powder
- The juice of half a lemon (adding some lemon to your ginger infusion to lose weight will give it a delicious flavor and will complement the fat-burning action of ginger).
- 6 teaspoons of natural sweetener. To sweeten this ginger infusion, we recommend that you use only unrefined sweeteners such as honey, brown sugar or stevia.
Now it only remains to prepare it, which is quite simple. Follow these steps:
- Heat the water until it boils. Put out the fire.
- Add the ginger powder and stir until completely dissolved.
- Add the sweetener.
- To finish, add the lemon juice.
- You can consume ginger infusion to lose weight both hot and cold.
The best time to drink ginger tea for weight loss is in the morning. The reason? It is at this time of the day when your metabolism is at its highest and most active and, therefore, absorbs all the benefits of ginger more easily. In any case, if you like infusions, you can also take ginger to lose weight after a meal, as it will promote your digestion and help you eliminate waste from your body.
