It is getting cold!

The temperatures have dropped here in Chile, I even had to start using the heating. When I lived in Australia the winter never felt so tough. I didn't dread it the way I do here. I find that my body still hasn't adapted to just being cold all the time. This also means that as my body burns calories to keep warm, I find I constantly feel the need to feed myself.

My winter snacking solution

Throughout the colder months I drink a lot of ginger tea. My body loves the warmth of the ginger infusion and the warmth that the ginger provokes in the body. There is a saucepan with slices of ginger root on our stove top for the duration of the colder months. I find that I snack less, if I am having my ginger tea.

Uses for ginger

Ginger has sufficient evidence to show that is useful for the reduction of nausea, and to aid in digestion ( Braun & Cohen, 2015). More interesting for us women, is that ginger has even been found to reduce the intensity of menstrual pain, to the same level as mefanamic acid, when taken for a period of two months (Shirvani, Motahari-Tabari, & Alipour, 2015). Whilst studies have not pin pointed the mechanism, it is thought to be partly related to its ability to decrease the formation of certain inflammatory mediators (Braun & Cohen, 2015). Brilliant,. hey?! So for those of you who are cold blooded, or those of you who suffer from painful periods, now is the time to start introducing ginger tea to your daily routine.

How to prepare ginger tea

Simply cut 2cm ( or more!) of ginger root into slices and place it into a saucepan, cover it with around 300mls of water, bring the water to the boil. Pour into your mug, using a tea strainer. The ginger can usually be re-used for a couple of cups of tea, before you have to replace it.

Ginger and medication interactions

If you are taken any blood thinning or antiplatelet medications or undergoing surgery soon speak to your medical practitioner about possible interactions prior to increasing ginger consumption (Braun & Cohen, 2015).

References

Braun, L., & Cohen, M. (2015). Herbs and Natural Supplements, Volume 2: An Evidence-Based Guide (Vol. 2). Elsevier Health Sciences.

Shirvani, M. A., Motahari-Tabari, N., & Alipour, A. (2015). The effect of mefenamic acid and ginger on pain relief in primary dysmenorrhea: a randomized clinical trial. Archives of gynecology and obstetrics, 291(6), 1277-1281.