Let’s talk about ginger. Raw ginger, specifically. While this common spice adds a lot of flavor to food, it’s also been used as an alternative form of medicine throughout history.

If you’re hoping for a healthier you this year, consider adding raw ginger to your diet. This is a habit that promotes lots of health benefits. You’ll experience:

• better digestion because it quickens digestion and promotes healthy enzymes that help break down what we eat.
• improved immunity because of its antimicrobial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties (due to its high concentration of gingerol).
• minimized PMS symptoms because its anti-inflammatory properties relieve the bloat so common to PMS.
• relief from nausea and upset stomach, again, because of its anti-inflammatory properties.
• help in fighting cancer because of its gingerol, which mitigates the nausea and pain associated with cancer treatment.


• pain reduction naturally—it’s an excellent substitute for over-the-counter pain medications.
• less joint pain and increased joint mobility because of its effective anti-inflammatory properties.
• healthy skin due to ginger’s concentration of antioxidants and how it increases blood circulation; antioxidants protect the skin from UV rays and slow the breakdown of collagen, making the skin look younger and tauter.
• help with weight loss because it controls insulin levels, boosts metabolism, aids in workout recovery, and creates a feeling of fullness (preventing overeating).
• prevents cardiovascular disease because it’s a natural blood thinner and helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
• improved brain function because it protects so well against chronic inflammation and the proliferation of free radicals; it improves memory function (by increasing neurotransmitters) and ginger releases dopamine and serotonin to help fight depression and anxiety.

With all this said, the important question is “How do I get more raw ginger into my diet?”

Aside from all sorts of recipes that call for grated raw ginger (fried rice, carrot-ginger soup, and various ginger-loaded dressings and hummus), one quick and easy way to get a daily dose of raw ginger is through ginger juice.

I’ll close with our family recipe for this. We take a shot of it every morning. You can add a bit of pure honey, add it to a glass of water, or just take it straight. Either way, it’s powerful and such a smart and natural way to protect your health. One shot a day keeps the doctor away!

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