Feeling Good with Food: Ginger

As a teen, I suffered terribly from migraines. Sometimes, the pain was so bad I’d fall down on the floor. Now, of course, since I was experiencing so much pain, I could care what I looked like! After it was all over with, I went to school, late, of course, and looking a mess.

Since I have glaucoma, I couldn’t use just any pain medication. I used something that took the edge off.

I never knew until recently about the use of ginger. It was my father who shared information about his preference for using ginger as a remedy for his cluster headaches and perhaps ginger could help with migraines, too.

My father had to something about his excruciating head pain by making an analgesic tea by adding 1 teaspoon each of dried feverfew, lemon balm, and ginger to a cup of hot water. Steep for 10 minutes, strain out the herbs, and sip.

As for someone, as myself, who suffers from migraines, sprinkling small amounts of powdered ginger to stews, rice dishes, soups, and even fresh salad greens helps to keep blood vessels from dilating and pressing against sensitive nerves.

Since ginger is a powerful anti-inflammatory herb it can take the edge off of arthritis pain. One can make a healing tea using only ginger. To make this tea, grate about an inch of fresh ginger and steep it in hot water for 10 minutes, then strain. Drink it once or twice a day.

This tangy root is also used for lightening menstrual flow, since it can dampen production of troublemaking prostaglandin E2. For it to be effective, one needs to stir ¼ to ½ teaspoon of powered ginger into a cup of hot water and drink it daily.