Food Focus: Ginger

Hands up, who’s a fan of ginger? I love it combined with lemon in hot water first thing in the morning, but you’ll find it in a host of recipes in this 14-Day Detox Programme – and with good reason!

Ginger is a root, and it’s one of the healthiest spices known to man. It’s been used for millennia medicinally, and these olde worlde claims are now backed by modern science. The magic ingredient is gingerol, which is responsible for ginger’s medicinal properties.

Anti-inflammatory and packed with antioxidants. Can help weight loss. May relieve the pain and stiffness associated with osteoarthritis. Can lower blood sugar levels and improve various risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Helps fight infections. May lower cholesterol levels, especially LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol. Helpful for reducing menstrual cramps.

A useful aid for indigestion.

Great for many types of nausea, including morning sickness. Improves brain function.