Ginger for weightloss & 21 cool facts about ginger

Ginger for weightloss can actually be very effective – and there are many, many cool facts about ginger that abound on the web, so, I have done you a favour and collated the most useful and thrilling facts about ginger from near and far by reading multiple medical and naturopathic studies.

First, the basics: Ginger is a herbaceous perennial which grows annual stems about a meter tall bearing narrow green leaves and yellow flowers. There are 24 calories in 30 grams of ginger root and 5.3 grams of carbs. In this amount, there is only 0.2 grams of fat and 4mg of sodium. Now, onto the more fun facts about ginger and how you can use ginger for weightloss.

Here are 21 facts about ginger

#1: Great for tummy trouble: Try taking ginger in doses of 200 milligrams every 4 hours. You can slice it thinly and place in boiling water, allowing it to steep for 20 minutes.

#2: Might cure a cough: according to Disabled World, “Take a half teaspoonful of ginger powder, a pinch of clove with a pinch of cinnamon powder and honey in a cup of boiled water and drink it as tea.”

#3: Reduces pain & aids digestion: Yes, according to a University of Georgia study on ginger, ginger is healing for your aching muscles. The study showed reductions in pain of 25%. In fact, according to Health Ambition, “From the moment you first taste it on your tongue, ginger has a beneficial effect on your digestive system. Phenolic compounds like gingerol help to stimulate saliva in your mouth and then bile and gastric juices in your stomach to improve your digestion.”

#4: Have it in tea: Ginger is great in tea. I work near Chinatown and you can buy this granulated Vietnamese tea in all the Asian supermarkets. It’s amazing. Try it. The brand I buy is Tra Gung Instant Ginger Tea. For two years I thought this was a Chinese product but after travelling to Vietnam on my honeymoon (I got sick on the last 2 days!) I learned how ginger tea is often served up tp those people feeling poorly. Shout out to my friends at The Rex, Saigon, who kept sending up countless pots of this liquid gold.

#5: Make gingerbread: I remember making gingerbread with my mum as a kid. What fun! Make little people, animals and even a gingerbread house. Please note, gingerbread will not help you lose weight but eating cookies and cakes should be part of a moderate diet.

#6: Relieves severe menstrual cramps: Pity the poor Jane who is besmirched with severe period pain. Try ginger! Medical News Today says it’s been found “to reduce the symptoms of dysmenorrhea (severe pain during a menstrual cycle). In one study, 83% of women taking ginger capsules reported improvements in pain symptoms compared to 47% of those on placebo.”

#7: Relieves motion sickness: Feeling queasy in the car? Ginger is a known effective remedy for the nausea associated with motion sickness. A recent Lancet study tested naval cadets on ginger and found that those who took it suffered less.

#8: Pickled ginger served with sushi: Do you love sushi? Me too. I am able to eat it in moderation by slathering it with wasabi and covering it in pickled ginger, both of which are low calorie and full of flavour.

#9: Ginger Beer: As a kid I loved ginger beer. However, it does have lots of calories so if you want to use ginger for weightloss then choose diet versions.

#10: Ginger schnapps: Do you like schnapps? Then you’re either a teenager, on the slopes, or have a very sweet palette. Here’s how to make your own ginger schnapps, a sweet alcoholic beverage.

#11: Ginger shampoo: The Body Shops makes a ginger shampoo that won’t help you lose weight but will act as a “refreshing and smoothing, promoting a healthy scalp with its alluring zesty scent”. Buy ginger shampoo here.

#12: Shrimp and yam soup: The hubby and I discovered this on our honeymoon in Vietnam. The fresh leaves of the ginger plant, finely chopped, can be added to this traditional dish as a garnish. Ginger spices of the leaves tend to add a subtler flavor of ginger than the chopped root.

#13: Persian ginger tea: I love Persian (Iranian) food and here’s how you make a traditional tea, very good for cutting your appetite and therefore for managing your weight. You will need: 1 tsp grated fresh turmeric, ½ tsp grated fresh ginger, 1 stick cinnamon, 1 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice, ½ slice of lemon and 1½ cups water. For the recipe method, head to this beautiful website My Persian Kitchen.

#14: A ginger-flavoured liqueur: Produced in Jarnac, France is made with ginger, called Domaine de Canton. Interestingly, the liqueur was produced until 1997 in Doumen, a district of the city of Zhuhai in the Pearl River Delta of China’s southern Guangdong province, near Macau.

#15: Use ginger instead of oil: Ginger has so much flavour that you can use it in place of oil in many dishes. Health How To has lots of tips on how to infuse your regular meals with ginger for weightloss.

#16: Candied ginger: This is a delicious sweet treat that is comparatively low in calories and super delicious. I like the type covered in dark chocolate like these Ginger Kisses from Haigh’s Chocolates.

#17: Leda Bars: I used to love Leda Bars which are vegan and really tasty but I went off them when I found their calorie packaging info to be sub-par. I eat them in this article where I undertake a 5 Day Vegan Cleanse. Yup, it was hard work. Read about my vegan cleanse here.

#18: Gyin: According to Go Asean, “In Burma, ginger is called gyin. It is widely used in cooking and as a main ingredient in traditional medicines. It is consumed as a salad dish called gyin-thot, which consists of shredded ginger preserved in oil, with a variety of nuts and seeds.”

#19: Might stop you passing wind: Yep, you heard me right. “Ginger is believed to increase saliva and other digestive fluids, alleviating indigestion and associated problems such as flatulence,” according to Body + Soul.

#20: Try ginger and cinnamon ice-cream: Good Food says that you can add many flavours too. Try split vanilla beans, a few coffee beans, orange zest or star-anise. Again, stick to one small bowl if you need to lose weight!

#21: Anti-inflammatory: According to Whole Foods, one of the most comprehensive guides you’ll find, ginger contains anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols that are very potent. “In two clinical studies, 75% of arthritis patients (and 100% of patients with muscular discomfort) experienced relief of pain after taking ginger.” Read more of the findings here.

So, is ginger for weightloss a good trick?

There are many studies that say that it is. Read “Ginger, its role in metabolism” and the “Complementary and Alternative Medicine Guide Herb: Ginger” study done by the University of Maryland.

According to Progressive Health, ginger affects weight in three main ways:

1. By serving as a digestive aid
2. By improving metabolism
3. By enhancing satiety

The best part about ginger is that it’s safe and natural. And inexpensive! So there is little harm in buying some from the supermarket on your way home and trying it at home tonight. Good luck!