45. GINGER

                                                     GINGER

Ginger is used in so many dishes that it has now become world’s most popular spice. When anyone in the family catches cold, mothers remember ginger. It is always available in the kitchen. Just boil ginger and drink the warm liquid. Cold will disappear. Ginger is used in many medicines in Ayurveda.  Ginger is roasted and powdered.

Benefits:

1. Jaundice: Mix ½ teaspoon of ginger juice in 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and mint and drink once a day.

2.  Ginger works as tonic for indigestion. Make a decoction of dry ginger, add salt and drink.

3. Water in which ginger is boiled is good for cold, cough, vomiting and fever. You can even take ginger powder mixed with honey.

4. Ginger will make you hungry removing the bad taste from your mouth when you have fever.

5. Ginger gives energy to a tired person.

6. Arthritis: Drink decoction of crush ginger and castor roots to reduce joint pains.

7. Ginger cures stomach ache. It removes the worms in stomach and perfects the motions.

8. Swelling on any part of the body can be reduced using ginger.

9. Gas or loose motion: Boil ginger, add hing and ghee. Mix with rice and eat.

10. Leg pain: soak ginger in lemon juice and dry in the sun. Powder it and take with honey twice a day to cure leg pain, head ache and body pain.

11. Muscle pain: Tie ginger paste on that part of body with cloth for ½ hour.

12. Sinusitis: Heat ginger in milk. After it has cooled down, put a few drops in your nose once or twice a day.

13. Breast milk: Mix ginger powder with ghee and eat with rice. Milk secretion will increase and swelling on leg will reduce.

14. Monounsaturated fatty acid in ginger oil is good for the heart.

15. Cough: Keep a piece of ginger in your mouth and let the liquid go in slowly. Cough will disappear.

16. Jaundice, piles: Mix dry ginger powder and jaggery and make small bolls. Eat one ball per day. It will allow easy passage of stools and act as tonic to liver.

17. Asthma and cold: Make decoction of dry ginger and drink twice a day to reduce inflammation, remove congestion and reduce body pain. You can add garlic cloves if you want. Apply ginger paste made with mustard oil on the chest to reduce congestion.

18. Ear pain: warm ginger juice and use as ear drops. It will clear the infected material in the ear.

19. Blood in urine: Boil one table spoon of ginger powder in one glass of milk and drink twice a day.

20. Stings: Make a paste of ginger powder and curd. Apply the paste on the swelling.

21. Toothache: Apply paste of ginger to the cheek near the tooth.

22. Heart disease: Make a decoction of ginger and drink after a meal.

23. Rashes: make ginger juice and add jaggery. Drink to cure rashes due to allergy.

24. Painful joints: Pepper, cumin and ginger boiled in mustard oil makes effective massage oil. Apply it on painful joints.

25. Lies in hair: Mix ginger and lemon juice. Apply on scalp and rub nicely. Wash after eight hours (you can put a cap over your hair and go to sleep).

26. Head ache: Boil ginger in water. Strain the solution and drink.

27. Indigestion: Mix cardamom powder with ginger, clove and coriander. Consume to cure indigestion. OR drink a decoction of garlic in water and drink.

28. Loss of appetite: Fry curry leaves and grind with black pepper, cumin and dried ginger. Add a pinch of salt and mix it with rice to get a good appetite. OR just chew ginger with salt before having food.

29. Gas problem: dry ginger with jaggery is a good cure for gas problems.

30. Painful periods/irregular periods: Drink decoction of fresh ginger thrice daily after meals.

31. Vomiting: Ginger juice with lime and honey is a good cure for vomiting.

Danger: Only one or ½ spoon or ginger should be taken per day since it will increase the heat in the body. Do not take directly. Take with curd, ghee or honey.