We heart ginger!

Of all the amazing flavourings out there, ginger is one of our favourites. It’s as at-home in savoury dishes as it is in sweet, and adds a welcome kick to whatever you add it to. But all that aside it’s also great for your health and wellbeing. Check out why we heart ginger…

Why is ginger so good for you?
This humble-looking root is said to relieve everything from stress to inflammation. ‘Ginger tastes great, is highly versatile, inexpensive, and most importantly is a strong, natural anti-inflammatory, directly reducing stress in the body,’ says Lola Biggs, dietician at Conscious Foods. ‘Premature ageing is linked to increased inflammation in the body, thus incorporating natural anti-inflammatory foods like ginger encourages a longer, healthier life.’ It can also help to pep you up when you’ve over done it and feel burnt out or full of cold.

‘Feeling under the weather is our body’s way of saying it needs a little extra help, and ginger holds a unique mixture of natural components that support repair systems,’ says Lola. ‘These quell excess inflammation and improve the assimilation of other nutrients. It also contains chromium, magnesium and zinc, which help to improve blood flow. Each of these benefits result in your body working more effectively to repair itself, resulting in you feeling back to your spritely self in no time!’

How can you get your fill?
Despite its strong taste, ginger is very versatile. ‘Whether sliced, grated or chopped, ginger can be added to almost anything. It’s at its very best when raw, but can be stewed or lightly sautéed too,’ says Lola.‘I add it to meals raw to maintain as many of the miraculous benefits as possible – I grate it into all of my salads, soups and Bircher mueslis,’ says Lola. It’s also perfect for curries! ‘Ginger adds a lovely freshness to a heavy curry when finely chopped and lightly fried,’ says Lola.

And it works well with sweeter flavours, too. ‘The sharp citrus flavors of lemon, lime and grapefruit complement ginger perfectly,’ says Lola. So it’s a great addition to juices and smoothies, but can also work well in baking.