Thursday, 18 April 2019

Health awareness days April

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During the Month of April, We have taken note of Health awareness days. Remembering those who may be effected or suffering through a specific Health Issue or Condition. Lets take a look at some of these awareness dates. 

2 April World Autism Day
7 April World Health Day
17 April World Haemophilia Day
24-30 April African Vaccination Week
25 April World Malaria Day

With all the dates mentioned, an idea is for reading up on these specific conditions and finding ways where possible to educate yourself and families on prevention of these conditions. Nutrition plays a huge role in keeping healthy. As the famous saying goes "you are what you eat". By consuming the correct foods. A lot of chronic conditions can be avoided and delayed. Prevention is better than cure. By adding natural raw ingredients to your diet, you begin to eat healthier, eat cleaner and find your health begins to improve.

Click on the below link for reading about Ginger and the benefit to the body.


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Friday, 1 February 2019

February 2019

Dear Gingerlicious Fans

During February 2019, We wish to remember the health related conditions that so many of our Gingerlicous Fans suffer from. Lets all step back in our daily lives and take the time to appreciate others during the month of Love. Its quiet easy to go beyond just knowing about a specific health complaint of a friend. But truely to learn and spread the word on how to stand by each other during this time. 

Dates of importance in February 2019.

4 Feb- World Cancer Day
12 Feb- International Epilepsy Day
12-16 Feb STI/ Condom Week
12-16 Feb Pregnancy Awareness Week
12 - 18 Feb - National Epilepsy Week
16 Feb Health Lifestyle Awareness Day

Always chat to your Doctor or treating Physician before starting any "Natural treatment".

A few Natural ingredients to improve your health.

  • Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) – Green Tea.
  • 6-Gingerol – Ginger.
  • β-Carotene – Carrot, Leafy Greens.
  • Baicalein – Chinese Skullcap.
  • Curcumin – Turmeric.

Thank you to Cancer Tutor for the below Ginger article.

"We all know about and have eaten some Ginger during our lifetimes. It’s a sweet, aromatic root with a pungent and hot taste. Some people enjoy drinking it as a tea, some eat it with sushi, and others enjoy it as candy. Ginger the rhizome (otherwise known as the underground stem of the plant Zingiber officinale) is a common food ingredient that has been used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine to treat a wide variety of conditions.
Practitioners most commonly use ginger to treat conditions related to digestion: nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, diarrhea, and motion sickness. To this day, many people grow up sipping ginger ale when sick with a stomach bug. Clinical studies have shown ginger to be helpful for nausea during pregnancy, and it is one of the safest natural therapies for this type of condition. In fact, it is the only natural product — which is actually a food — that even conventional medicine recommends and has given an “approved use” stamp for nausea in pregnancy, as all other medications have side effects that are harmful to mother and baby.
Ginger contains nutrients that have good spasmolytic properties, which is just a way to say that ginger micronutrients soothe and relax the intestines. Doctors commonly recommend ginger to patients who have undergone intestinal surgery, as it also confers great protection against infections. Ginger helps aid many anti-inflammatory problems that occur in smooth muscles or even in the skeletal muscles.
People use ginger not only for GI troubles but also for arthritis, the common cold and flu, painful menstruation symptoms, headaches, and even various cancers. As of the writing of this book, there are more than 2,400 studies on the various benefits of ginger published in the scientific literature.

Ginger: Activities and Actions

Ginger has been shown to have the following properties: [1]
  • Immunomodulatory (strengthens the immune system)
  • Antitumorigenic (prevents tumors development)
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Antiarthritic
  • Antihyperglycemic (prevents elevated blood glucose)
  • Antihyperlipidemic (prevents elevated blood lipids)
  • Antiemetic actions (prevents nausea and vomiting)
  • Chemopreventive actions (helps prevent cancer growth when consumed frequently)
Some of the most studied actions of ginger are its analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects through the inhibition of NF-kB, COX-2, and 5-LOX (the major pathways and switches of inflammation mentioned previously). Ginger also has been shown to protect against cancers and to demonstrate a chemoprotective effect, meaning it protects the body from the side effects of chemotherapy. Some characteristics of ginger’s actions include the following: [2]
  • Induction of apoptosis (programmed cell death) of cancer cells
  • Inhibits IkBa kinase activation (upregulates apoptosis)
  • Upregulation of BAX (a proapoptosis gene)
  • Downregulation of Bcl-2 proteins (cancer associated)
  • Downregulation of prosurvival genes (anti-apoptotic) Bcl-xl, Mcl-1, and Survivin
  • Downregulation of cell-cycle-regulating proteins, including cyclin D1 and cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) (cancer associated)
  • Increased expression of CDK inhibitor, p21 (anticancer associated)
  • Inhibition of c-Myc, hTERT (cancer associated)
  • Abolishes RANKL-induced NF-kB activation
  • Inhibits osteoclastogenesis (type of bone cell that breaks down bone tissue to remodel and repair)
  • Suppresses human breast-cancer-induced bone loss
If you or a loved one has been stricken with cancer, then you probably know the importance of all of these functions. Thus, it’s easy to see that ginger can play an important role in regulating not only inflammation but also various signals that affect cancer cells.
Ginger and its constituents have been shown to inhibit the following cancers: [3]
  • Breast cancer
  • Colon and rectal cancer
  • Leukemia
  • Liver cancer
  • Lung cancer
  • Melanoma
  • Pancreatic cancer
  • Prostate cancer
  • Skin cancer
  • Stomach cancer
To demonstrate just how important ginger can be to helping eliminate cancers, let’s look at one example: ovarian cancer.
In ovarian cancer, there are usually some indicators of the inflammation, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin-8, and prostaglandin E2 (PEG2). Ginger extracts have been shown to greatly decrease these inflammatory markers in ovarian cancer patients. [4] Thus not only can it be taken as a tea or food to help warm someone who may feel cold or have nausea (especially those being treated with chemotherapy), but ginger also has a beneficial effect for those with serious health conditions like ovarian cancer.
Another interesting aspect of ginger is its hypoglycemic effect against enzymes linked to type 2 diabetes. Anyone who has diabetes or even mild insulin resistance can enjoy this added benefit of ginger; it is not harmful to those who are taking diabetes medication. Instead, it may improve overall glucose control. In addition, keeping blood glucose in the lower/normal range is optimal for those with cancer, even if they do not have diabetes.
To sum up, ginger is a strong antioxidant that can help with metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, osteoporosis, and even cancers. One should try to include organic ginger in the diet as much as possible. Try adding it to foods like salsa, smoothies, or stir-fry. Ginger is a staple in most Thai and Indian curries and sauces, which are both fun and easy to make at home to liven up the flavors of any meal. You can also cut off half an inch of organic ginger root and blend it in a juicer along with other veggies and fruits to give your juice a kick of spiciness". 

Friday, 21 December 2018

Smoothie time

No time for Breakfast, No problem. 

All the goodness blended together, containing Ginger and Tumeric. Awesome combination of  Health Benefits while on the go. 

Recipe quoted from Lively Table

MANGO GINGER TURMERIC SMOOTHIE

A delicious, nutrient-packed smoothie filled with mango, oats, ginger and turmeric. It makes the perfect quick breakfast! Via livelytable.com
A delicious, nutrient-packed smoothie filled with mango, oats, ginger and turmeric. It makes the perfect quick breakfast!
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 smoothie

INGREDIENTS

  • 3/4 cup mango cubes (fresh or frozen)
  • 1/4 cup oats
  • 1/4 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt
  • 1/2-in piece of ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 3/4 cup milk of choice (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
  • 3-4 ice cubes (if using fresh mango)
  • Honey to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender.
  2. Enjoy right away.

Tuesday, 23 October 2018

Gingerlicious Recipe Summer Pear Ginger Smoothie

Christmas time is almost knocking on our Front Doors. Depending on where you live in the world. You will either be enjoying a Snowy Climate or a Warm Sunny one.    If you are fortunate to have warm Sunny Weather. Try this fantastic recipe to add a little Zing to your fabulous day.

Recipe quoted from Recipe Runner.


PEAR GINGER SMOOTHIE

Recipe Image
  
INGREDIENTS
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice
  • 1 cup spinach
  • 1 heaping cup diced frozen pears
  • 1/2 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon almond butter
  • Honey to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract            
  • INSTRUCTIONS
    1. Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Tuesday, 22 May 2018

Ginger is an important part of fighting Cancer.
We all know about and have eaten some ginger during our lifetimes. It’s a sweet, aromatic root with a pungent and hot taste. Some people enjoy drinking it as a tea, some eat it with sushi, and others enjoy it as candy. Ginger the rhizome (otherwise known as the underground stem of the plant Zingiber officinale) is a common food ingredient that has been used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine to treat a wide variety of conditions.
Practitioners most commonly use ginger to treat conditions related to digestion: nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, diarrhea, and motion sickness. To this day, many people grow up sipping ginger ale when sick with a stomach bug. Clinical studies have shown ginger to be helpful for nausea during pregnancy, and it is one of the safest natural therapies for this type of condition. In fact, it is the only natural product — which is actually a food — that even conventional medicine recommends and has given an “approved use” stamp for nausea in pregnancy, as all other medications have side effects that are harmful to mother and baby.
Ginger contains nutrients that have good spasmolytic properties, which is just a way to say that ginger micronutrients soothe and relax the intestines. Doctors commonly recommend ginger to patients who have undergone intestinal surgery, as it also confers great protection against infections. Ginger helps aid many anti-inflammatory problems that occur in smooth muscles or even in the skeletal muscles.
People use ginger not only for GI troubles but also for arthritis, the common cold and flu, painful menstruation symptoms, headaches, and even various cancers. As of the writing of this book, there are more than 2,400 studies on the various benefits of ginger published in the scientific literature.

Ginger: Activities and Actions

Ginger has been shown to have the following properties: [1]
  • Immunomodulatory (strengthens the immune system)
  • Antitumorigenic (prevents tumors development)
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Antiarthritic
  • Antihyperglycemic (prevents elevated blood glucose)
  • Antihyperlipidemic (prevents elevated blood lipids)
  • Antiemetic actions (prevents nausea and vomiting)
  • Chemopreventive actions (helps prevent cancer growth when consumed frequently)
Some of the most studied actions of ginger are its analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects through the inhibition of NF-kB, COX-2, and 5-LOX (the major pathways and switches of inflammation mentioned previously). Ginger also has been shown to protect against cancers and to demonstrate a chemoprotective effect, meaning it protects the body from the side effects of chemotherapy. Some characteristics of ginger’s actions include the following: [2]
  • Induction of apoptosis (programmed cell death) of cancer cells
  • Inhibits IkBa kinase activation (upregulates apoptosis)
  • Upregulation of BAX (a proapoptosis gene)
  • Downregulation of Bcl-2 proteins (cancer associated)
  • Downregulation of prosurvival genes (anti-apoptotic) Bcl-xl, Mcl-1, and Survivin
  • Downregulation of cell-cycle-regulating proteins, including cyclin D1 and cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) (cancer associated)
  • Increased expression of CDK inhibitor, p21 (anticancer associated)
  • Inhibition of c-Myc, hTERT (cancer associated)
  • Abolishes RANKL-induced NF-kB activation
  • Inhibits osteoclastogenesis (type of bone cell that breaks down bone tissue to remodel and repair)
  • Suppresses human breast-cancer-induced bone loss
If you or a loved one has been stricken with cancer, then you probably know the importance of all of these functions. Thus, it’s easy to see that ginger can play an important role in regulating not only inflammation but also various signals that affect cancer cells.
Ginger and its constituents have been shown to inhibit the following cancers: [3]
  • Breast cancer
  • Colon and rectal cancer
  • Leukemia
  • Liver cancer
  • Lung cancer
  • Melanoma
  • Pancreatic cancer
  • Prostate cancer
  • Skin cancer
  • Stomach cancer
To demonstrate just how important ginger can be to helping eliminate cancers, let’s look at one example: ovarian cancer.
In ovarian cancer, there are usually some indicators of the inflammation, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin-8, and prostaglandin E2 (PEG2). Ginger extracts have been shown to greatly decrease these inflammatory markers in ovarian cancer patients. [4] Thus not only can it be taken as a tea or food to help warm someone who may feel cold or have nausea (especially those being treated with chemotherapy), but ginger also has a beneficial effect for those with serious health conditions like ovarian cancer.
Another interesting aspect of ginger is its hypoglycemic effect against enzymes linked to type 2 diabetes. Anyone who has diabetes or even mild insulin resistance can enjoy this added benefit of ginger; it is not harmful to those who are taking diabetes medication. Instead, it may improve overall glucose control. In addition, keeping blood glucose in the lower/normal range is optimal for those with cancer, even if they do not have diabetes.
To sum up, ginger is a strong antioxidant that can help with metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, osteoporosis, and even cancers. 
Thanks to 

Dr. Sunil Pai

Sunil Pai, M.D., is an expert in Integrative Medicine.

Monday, 19 March 2018

Mar 19-25 National Poison Prevention Week

Treating Food Poisoning Naturally.

Author Racheal Frances

Food poisoning is caused primarily by improper and unhygienic handling of food—which can breed and spread harmful bacteria. Many thousands of cases of supposed flu are actually food poisoning cases demonstrating similar symptoms like abdominal pain and fever.
Disease-causing bacteria are most commonly found in meats, seafood and dairy products, though we have also seen outbreaks of contamination in lettuce, melons, and other fruits and vegetables, as well as a limited number of packaged and prepared foods. Experts believe that disease-causing bacteria can never be fully eradicated from the food chain, and there is widespread agreement that bacterial food contamination is on the rise—representing a major threat to public health.

When you are suffering from food poisoning, your body is likely to lose more water than normal.   Hence, consuming a good intake of fluids and avoiding solid food becomes the initial plan of action.  Rather than rushing to your doctor immediately, you can start your treatment at home with some readily ingredients that could be found in your own kitchen. Fortunately, there are fast-acting home remedies that can stop a bout of food poisoning in its tracks.

1. Ginger



For thousands of years, ginger has been used for the treatment of innumerable ailments due to its powerful therapeutic and preventive effects. Ginger improves absorption and assimilation of essential nutrients and aids in digestion. Hence, it works as a quick remedy for nausea and vomiting, thereby giving you instant relief.

To use this remedy, make some Ginger Tea by boiling one teaspoon grated ginger with a cup of water for a few minutes, add a little sugar or honey to it for sweetness.

Another option is to add a few drops of ginger juice to one teaspoon of honey and swallow it several times a day to reduce inflammation and pain.

Quick Tip: You can also eat raw ginger slices as an option.

Thursday, 8 March 2018

World Kidney Day 8 March



The Benefits of Ginger to Kidney Function




Ginger is a nutrient-rich spice widely eaten fresh and as a ground powder. It’s commonly used in herbal medicine as well. The slightly sweet, warm and citrus-like flavor adds a unique taste to everything from soups to tea, and it’s loaded with nutrients your body uses to maintain health, including kidney health. Ginger's nutritional profile makes it an excellent addition to your diet.

Diet Influences Kidney Health

Your overall diet plays a vital role in keeping you healthy and keeping your organs, including your kidneys, functioning properly. A nutritious diet reduces your risk for kidney malfunction. On the flip side, making poor food choices significantly increases the risk that you will develop kidney disease in the future, warns a study the American Journal of Kidney Disease published in 2013.
If you have kidney disease, following a nutritious diet that supports kidney function is well known to help slow, or in some cases even halt, the decline in kidney function.

Packed With Antioxidants

Most South Africans fail to eat enough fruits and vegetables, causing them to miss out on some antioxidant benefits. Incorporating ginger into your diet is a simple and convenient way to boost your antioxidant intake, but it shouldn’t replace the recommended 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables you need each day.
The antioxidants in ginger and other fruits and vegetables help neutralize unstable molecules known as free radicals. These molecules cause inflammation and damage to cells and tissues, including your kidneys, when your antioxidant intake is insufficient. Eating a diet too low in antioxidants increases oxidative stress in patients with kidney disease, reported the Journal of Renal Nutrition in 2012. The researchers concluded that it may be helpful to increase your antioxidant intake if you have kidney disease, since oxidative stress has a negative impact on kidney function.

Lowers Blood Sugar

High blood sugar levels damage your blood vessels and organs. Your kidneys are particularly at risk when blood glucose remains elevated. For this reason, kidney damage is a significant risk factor if you have diabetes.
Powdered ginger can improve blood sugar control, according to a study published in the Iran Journal of Pharmaceutical Research in 2015. Supplementing ginger significantly lowers fasting blood sugar and improves A1C -- a measurement of long-term glucose control -- in people with type 2 diabetes, according to the results. Ginger may also help reduce the risk of diabetes complications, such as kidney damage, researchers concluded.

Thank you to Janet Renee for posting the above information related to Ginger and Kidney Health. 

Image result for world kidney day pics 
Image result for ginger pics for kidney health