16/03/2015
Great in a green Juice...
How to Choose the Best Ginger!
Ginger makes Green Tonics taste great, makes vegetable juices taste great as well and is great benefits when juicing Apples, Pineapples, Celery and quite frankly, just about any fruit or vegetable.
Interesting notes:
Ginger contains very potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols. These substances are believed to explain why so many people with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis experience reductions in their pain levels and improvements in their mobility when they consume ginger regularly. Physicians found that 75% of arthritis patients and 100% of patients with muscular discomfort experienced relief of pain and/or swelling.
Ginger is highly alkaline and delivers great benefits to helping to soothe stomach troubles, no matter what the troubles are.
Here's some good tips on how to take care and choose the best Ginger:
1. How do I know if it's fresh?
You can cut a small piece of ginger before you buy it (if you have a small swiss army knife) to make sure it's fresh. If it's pink or yellow inside, you know you are safe in buying it, because this means it's fresh! If it's grey...forget it.
2. How Long do I store it?
Fresh ginger can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three weeks if it is left unpeeled. Stored unpeeled in the freezer, it will keep for up to six months.
3. What are the signs that it's not safe to buy?
Always buy it smooth, clear of fungus/mold and firm. Never buy Ginger when it's grey in color.
4. Can I buy it from Asian Stores?
Mature ginger, the more widely available type, has a tough skin that requires peeling while young ginger, usually only available in Asian markets, does not need to be peeled. (However Linda and I don't recommend buying Ginger Root from any Asian stores nowadays because of the Fukushima plant exposures to radiation, whereby all Asian food products are under scrutiny.
5. What if my Ginger Root is old?
You can peel the Ginger Root (if juicing or blending) and if you see only grey color meat inside, then throw it away. If it's yellow or pinkish in color, but the skin is grey, this is ok because you will be peeling it. Never juice Ginger if it's old, grey or moldy. But if you peel it and it looks good and smells good, then go ahead and juice with it but never juice with it when the skin looks this way, so peel it and see what it looks like inside.
6. Can I blend Ginger without peeling?
No. Never blend Ginger unless it's peeled, even if it's organic. When you are juicing you can please peel the rough spots but it does not have to be peeled as thoroughly when you are blending.
Here's a fantastic healing tonic for the stomach and also for a good AFTER WORK OUT Remedy: (Organic only please) (serves 1)
2 Apples (Any color)
8 ribs Celery
1 inch fresh Ginger Root
ADD Ice to this tonic and you've got a fanastic tonic to replace the Sodium/Potassium that is lost when we workout hard and this is especially refreshing on a hot summer's day when we sweat frequently, or if you just have a hangover or feeling your tummy is not right, drink 24 ounces of this and you'll feel great.
Enjoy and happy Sunday!
