Ginger Ale

Happy Independence Day to all my American readers. To the rest of the world, Hello and I hope you have a wonderful week end.

Holidays mean feasts, and too often feasts mean indigestion. Penny Khalad, an herbalist friend of mine, makes home made ginger ale and mixes it with other drinks because ginger is a wonderful digestive aid as well as having many other beneficial properties.

Making ginger ale is simple:

chop 1 cup full of organic ginger root.
place 1 quart cold spring water or distilled water in a stainless steal or heat resistant glass pot.
Add the ginger and bring to a boil over a medium heat.
Turn heat down and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.
Add honey or stevia to sweeten if desired.
Strain, cap and refrigerate.
You can add this to sparkling mineral water for ginger ale, or add it to fruit drinks or tea to drink with your meals. It's very strong so dilute it with other drinks at least 50%. I like to mix 1/3 ginger tea, 1/3 sparkling water and 1/3 cranberry juice for a light sparkling fruit drink that is delicious and so much better for you than soda.

Ginger is a very effective analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, carminative, and has a host of other benefits.

Ginger has been found to be more effective than Dramamine for combating motion sickness. Chewing a piece of the fresh root soothes sore throat.

Ginger root is a circulatory stimulant and reduces blood platelet aggregation and inflammation. It's anti-inflammatory action may be the reason it's so effective in combating the pain of arthritis.