Ginger Greatness: Can It Curb Your Appetite?

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It’s a beautiful thought, but does eating ginger lead to your most wanted figure?  You know, that drop dead gorgeous body that you’ve been pining after?  A skinny you with ginger might be stretching the truth a bit too far, but cooking with ginger is still very pleasurable.  So are you cooking with ginger?  If not, then here are a few reasons to ginger up.

The word ginger immediately makes one think of herbal remedies based on this aromatic root for reducing symptoms of nausea.  Of great interest is the recent study published in Metabolism this year.  In this small study of 10 overweight men, a hot beverage consisting of 2g of ginger powder resulted in greater fullness and reduced feelings of hunger when consumed at breakfast.

It’s not earth shattering evidence but it’s not completely unattractive information either.  If you need to be enticed further, there is some chit chat in Malaysia as published in the British Journal of Nutrition that ginger may be useful in diabetes via its anti hyperglycaemic effect.

In the world of research involving rats, a study in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research in 2011 found that after 6 weeks of a diet consisting of ginger resulted in decreased adiposity or ‘fatness’.  The authors also concluded that ginger may have favourable effects on cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism but this work is excluded to mice only.

If you have found your new love for ginger then jump on board with these fabulous recipes that incorporate this spice.  See Chicken Curry Recipe and Sushila's Paneer Explosion. Ginger may seem spicy, but it actually creates lovely sweet & spicy aromas in dishes when cooked.  You can just as easily enjoy this in a cup of hot tea with breakfast.

Ginger Tea

¼ thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into small pieces

½ teaspoon honey or brown sugar

1 tea bag

Directions

In a cup add ginger pieces, honey and tea bag.  Add boiling water and allow to brew for a minute.  Enjoy.

Purple Tip: You may wish to peel and chop your ginger in thumb sized pieces and freeze in re-sealable bags on the day of purchase.  This limits wastage and reduces prep time when you are ready to get your meal going in the evenings!  What a time saver!

Lovely readers what is your favourite way to cook with ginger?  Do comment below, I love hearing from you!

Superfood Cinnamon’s Power – A Spicy Story

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Image from Google

Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices around.  Is there no end to its spicy story?  Its health benefits range from alleviating colds to symptoms of arthritis.  Mother Nature is truly wonderful for inventing this amazing spice.  It’s rich, sweet and pungent aroma is alluring in a morning mug of coffee or sprinkled over sticky buns freshly baked out of an oven.

It doesn’t just taste good either.  A recent article in Diabetic Medicine this month investigated the efficacy and safety of ‘true’ cinnamon or ‘Cinnamomum zeylancium’ in Diabetes. 

Cinnamon has been shown to inhibit gluconeogenesis; a process whereby your body makes glucose from non carbohydrate sources such as proteins and fats.  In diabetes, cinnamon may stimulate insulin release and enhance insulin receptor activity.  Animal studies have also reported increased HDL cholesterol (protective cholesterol) and higher circulating insulin levels.

A review in Clinical Nutrition in May this year confirmed that the positive effects of cinnamon in relation to glycaemic control in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus ‘looked promising’.

More interesting facts on cinnamon

True cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka but is also grown in India and other parts of South East Asia. 

If you get your hands on cinnamon from the Cinnamomum zeylanicum tree this is considered gold and is easier to grind into a powder.  It also has a light sweet flavour.

The supermarket brand versions of cinnamon are a darker bark and thick instead of being ‘layered’.  This is sourced from the Cinnamomum cassia tree. 

Interestingly, cinnamon may play a positive role in cancer.  Eugenol is a compound that has antioxidant properties.  It is found in cinnamon and in other aromatic plants like basil, nutmeg and bay leaves. 

Eugenol has been documented to induce ‘apoptosis’ or programmed cell death in cancerous cells such as melanoma, skin tumours, osteosarcoma, leukemia, gastric and mast cells. 

How to get your daily dose of cinnamon

Try grinding cinnamon sticks and then sprinkle this cinnamon powder instead of chocolate into your morning mug of coffee.


A cup of cinnamon tea perhaps for a spicy change?

Try ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon alongside dried fruit in your breakfast cereal for stable blood sugars (we hope anyway).

Add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon into banana bread or other baking.  It does go wonderful with an apple pie.

What about adding ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon on rice pudding or an alternative sweet dessert?

Have you ever tried adding cinnamon sugar to a delicious bowl of fruit salad?

Cinnamon is wonderful in a curry, see my Chicken Curry Recipe.

It is also great in a breakfast smoothie when mixed in with honey.


Cinnamon toast is another spicy yet tasty start to your day, delicious.

Why not make your own anti-aging face mask by blending yoghurt, honey and cinnamon for a soothing and luxurious spa experience in your own home?

 Does any one have other ideas for sneaking in cinnamon?  Do share, I love hearing from you!