Most people think of ginger as the spice that is used in baked goods or Asian soups for it’s wonderful almost woodsy flavor. But, people in other countries have not only used ginger as a spice in their food for centuries, but for its medicinal benefits as well. While some of the health benefits of ginger are well known throughout the world new benefits of this incredible spice is being discovered all of the time. Here are some of the health benefits and uses of ginger.

Ginger Tea For A Variety Of Ills

Ginger is a wonderful digestive aid and tea made with ginger is used to help digestion, ease menstrual cramps, and soothe stomach upset. Drinking a cup of ginger tea before going on a car trip can help prevent or ease motion sickness. Because ginger tea aids digestion scientists now think that it may actually aid in weight loss which makes sense since ginger is what is known as warm spice and may increase metabolism which aids in weight loss.

Inflammation And Pain Relief

Ginger also contains properties that make it helpful in reducing both inflammation and pain. People suffering from arthritis who eat food seasoned with ginger and drink ginger tea report a reduction in both joint pain and inflammation. This is important because it decreases their dependence on subscription and Over the counter drugs which often have negative side effects.

Studies also suggest that ginger can help prevent kidney damage for people who diabetes. This is extremely good news because this means that diabetics may well live longer healthier lives.

Ginger Fights Cancer

In studies done at the University of Michigan and the University of Minnesota it has been proven that ginger may well prevent or slow certain types of cancer. The University of Michigan study showed that when ginger powder was applied to ovarian cancer cells they induced the cells to die. While more studies need to be done this is good news for cancer researches and may help to reduce the incidents of ovarian cancer in our lifetime.

The study at the University of Minnesota was just as promising. This study showed that ginger could actually slow the growth of colon cancer. Again more studies need to be undertaken in this area, but further studies may find that the right amount ginger may well kill colon cancer cells as well. In addition, earlier studies suggest that colon cancer may have it’s start in poor digestion and since ginger aids digestion it just may help not only treat colon cancer, but prevent it as well.

Who could have guessed that that simple spice sitting in your kitchen cabinet could be so good for your health or have so many benefits. Maybe it’s time you took a new look at what ginger can do for you.

Suggested Reading: Ginger: Common Spice and Wonder Drug

Neem is a tree in the Mahogany family and all parts of this tree, oil, bark, leaves and fruit, have long been used for medicinal purposes in India. The health benefit claims of Neem range from helping dry skin to treatment of diabetes and certain kinds of cancers. Unfortunately, there have been few scientific studies done on the various components of this tree so there is little scientific evidence to support the health benefit claims of Neem.

However, when you look at the fact that Neem is anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-septic and anti-fungal common sense will tell you that Neem would have certain health benefits as an anti-septic spray helping to fight and prevent infection. The anti-viral and anti-fungus properties make it a good choice to clear up nail fungus. And when used as a skin cream/oil it can ease itchiness, redness and dryness. A good product for itchiness is the Neem based Anti-itch Formula from Daniel’s Promise. We got to use some at the tail end of summer and it seemed to work well for my oldest boy, who is like a bug beacon. I have also been using it with success on dry and itchy winter skin with success.

But, perhaps one of the best health benefits of Neem is it’s use as an insecticide. Unlike most insecticides on the market today that use harmful chemicals Neem uses no harmful chemicals and is perfectly safe to ingest yet it has been proven to be an effective insecticide which means that eating produce treated with neem can be made safer and healthier than ever before. In addition, because Neem is not harmful to animals or to the environment using it as an insecticide protects our ground water and the rest of our environment as well as reducing the chemicals in the soil and the water. The result is not only healthier food to eat, but, healthier water to drink as well.

While it has not yet been proven it is also believed that Neem can modify imbalances that cause diabetes, digest ailments, and some nervous disorders as well as it may be a natural contraceptive. It also works as a natural insect repellent for both adults and children and may help prevent a number of skin disorders. Neem may also prevent plaque.

While most of the evidence supporting the health benefits of Neem is based on centuries of anecdotal evidence it should be understood that this is often the case with any kind of herbal medicine. The fact is, most of the medicinal qualities of Neem were discovered long before modern medicine and for many years modern medicine focused it’s studies on developing synthetic medications that mimicked the characteristics of healing plants rather than study the plants themselves. It has only been in recent year with so many synthetic prescription medications coming under fire for their dangerous side effects that scientists have begun studying the healing plant themselves to determine their benefits.

While Neem may not have all the health benefits that anecdotal evidence proclaims but, there is little doubt that this plant and all it’s parts have many health benefits both for us and for the environment.

For many families antibacterial cleaners are a fixture in the home, whether they are in the form of hand soap or cleaners for your kitchen and bathroom. We are bombarded by marketing hype about the need for these products in sterilizing our homes and protecting them from harmful germs. But are these cleaners actually doing more harm than good?

Why Do We Need to Kill Bacteria?

No one likes the idea of bacteria and germs laying in wait around our homes. We’ve been conditioned to think they are bad and that we must get rid of them to maintain health. It is true that some bacteria can cause disease, illness and food poisoning. And with that in mind it is easy to see why we gravitate towards a product, like antibacterial cleaners, that promise to kill around 99% of bacteria. After all, we all want to protect ourselves and our family from getting sick.

So Why Are Antibacterial Cleaners Bad for Our Health?

Many bad things happen when we try to get around nature’s design. Just look at how whole foods become unhealthy when we process and fragment them. Look at how a natural substance found in the earth can wreak havoc on the planet when processed as fuels and used to the extreme by the population. Antibacterial cleaners are not as good for us as they may initially seem. In the short term, their ingredients are known to irritate or even damage the skin (this is more of a problem with those that have been developed for cleaning purposes).

The FDA is currently looking into one of the major ingredients of antibacterial soaps: triclosan. Although the evidence isn’t cut and dry yet, it suggests it may have a harmful effect on humans  and especially children. In the past, the FDA has also stated that there are no extra health benefits to using antibacterial soaps over regular soap and water. If there is no added benefit and the ingredients are even slightly suspect then why the use them?

A long term result of using antibacterial products is that they make bacteria more resistant. This means that, over time, these antibacterial products will no longer be able to kill the germs they set out to kill in the first place. We are essentially taking normal strains of bacteria and and giving the the means to get more powerful and potentially more harmful.

You simply don’t need to make your home sterile to protect yourself and your family. Bacteria is all around us, and being exposed to small amounts of it is what our body needs in order to build up its defenses against stronger bacteria. Studies have shown that sterile environments in childhood can actually lead to more allergies and other problems later in life.

The American Medical Associated (AMA) has warned against extensive use of such antibacterial cleaners for these reasons. When it comes to killing germs, simple measures like washing your hands often with traditional soap, is the best way to protect against germs… and the safest.

Instead of having a bottle of antibacterial soap next to the sink try a bar of Dr. Bronner’s Castile soap. For cleaning household surfaces the liquid version is amazingly effective. Combine that with a homemade disinfectant with vinegar, water, and tea tree oil mix in a spray bottle and you will be set. If you need a quirt bottle for meeting the demands of school supplies lists try Clean Well All Natural Antibacterial soaps. They have no triclosan.

Easy, safe, and green.

Canning and preserving food is no longer the necessity that it used to be before the age of grocery stores and pre-packaged convenience foods. In fact, there are plenty of people who look down on the art of canning and preserving as being unnecessary, time consuming and pointless. However, for those families who understand the cost and health benefits of preparing your own foods; learning to can and preserve can go a long ways towards cutting costs and keeping your family eating healthy, even during the winter when fresh foods aren’t available. Food preservation is especially important for families that like to keep it green by eating local.

What Exactly IS Canning?

The concept of canning food is simple enough; you put food in jars and then subject the filled jars to very high temperatures for a long period of time. This process kills all sorts of nasty microorganisms and puts a halt on a whole host of enzymes that can cause your food to spoil. During the heating of the jars also drives the air out of the jar causing a vacuum seal as the food in the jars cools, keeping the food inside as fresh as when it was processed.

There are dozens of websites and books that provide excellent directions and recipes for canning different kinds of foods, but there are a few things to keep in mind before starting any sort of canning or preserving project. For further reference I happen to like The Art of Preserving and Preserving Nature’s Bounty.

Canning and Preserving Tips

Choose Your Foods. Just about any kind of food can be subjected to canning or preserving, but your best bet for both cost effectiveness as well as health benefits is to preserve the foods fresh (both fruits and vegetables) when they are in season, so that you can benefit from having 100% natural foods year round.

Know Your Process. Be aware of what sort of method you are going to want to use when canning or preserving your produce. Do you want to preserve the produce in its uncooked or raw state? There are preserving processes specifically designed for ‘raw packing’ your foods. If you want to hot pack your foods (heat your food before it is put into jars) then you will find that there is a whole different set of steps you will need to follow.

Make Sure You Have the Right Equipment. Canning requires some specialized equipment. First off, you will need a canner (The kind of canner you need will depend on what foods you will be canning so be sure to check which sort of canner is recommended for which kind of food), canning jars, new lids and rings, a jar lifter, a funnel (preferably stainless steel).

Start Small. If you are just starting out with canning and preserving, don’t get over-ambitious to start with. Begin small; simple vegetable or fruit canning can be an excellent (and easy) way to start and will give you much needed practice. As you become more comfortable you can move on to more complicated methods. Make as much as you can your first year without feeling overwhelmed and keep track of how long it took you to eat those items. Then the next year if you went through all 10 jars of jam by October then you know that you need to double the amount you preserve the following year.

Other Preservation Methods

Ice is Nice. If you have a large freezer or even a dedicated stand alone freezer then you have the perfect opportunity to freeze your seasonal fruits and veggies as you buy them for later use. Look for tips online specific to eat type of produce. That way you will know how to freeze strawberries and blueberries for instance, without having them stick to each other in one frozen lump. Once again make a checklist so that you know you started the year with 3 bags of green beans and see how long they lasted so you know how many you will need next year. Freezing is probably the easiest preservation method but sadly it relies quite a bit on plastic bags. I have frozen food in glass ball jars though with much success.

Vacuum Pack. I have never tried this myself but I know many moms who swear by their FoodSavers. I imagine though that most of what they seal still ends up in the freezer, as above.

Salt Preservation – I have a copy of the book Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning and it highlights ways to preserve meats with salt in lieu of nitrates and nitrites. I love this book but have never tried that particular method. My husband, however, would love to try preserving fish with salt.

Cold Storage – Some produce can be preserved simply by keeping it in your root cellar or another suitable place for cold storage. Some things that do well with this method are potatoes, carrots, turnips, beets, apples, and onions. Some need to be stored in specific ways though. I know some put carrots in barrels full of sand and apples are often individually wrapped in newspaper.

Dry Your Foods. Using a dehydrator to preserve food is actually pretty simple if you have a good dehydrator. I recommend the Excalibur with its is nifty trays and temperature controls. It allows me to dehydrate foods at low temperatures so that technically they are still living, raw foods. You can dry lots of fresh fruits and veggies and put them in jars for snacking all year long. Healthy school lunches are MUCH easier to pack when you have dehydrated goodies on hand. You can also dehydrate goodies for camping and backbacking trips. Whole meals can be made for this purpose so that you only need to add water at the camp site.

What is YOUR favorite thing to preserve?

One of the first “alternative” healing methods that ever interested me was aromatherapy. I loved the idea that so many plants were actually a powerhouse of amazing properties and that you could use their very essence to tap into healing. The idea that one woman may decide to take a variety of drugs to help with headaches and another may look to flowers and leaves and get better results is kind of intoxicating. Unlike eating a plant or a flower aromatherapy revolves around inhaling the plant essence.

Aromatherapy oils are actually essential oils sourced from plants. You can get them highly concentrated or inside carrier oils where they are diluted. They range from lavender to lemon and everything in between and they offer a number of therapeutic benefits, cleaning help and even health benefits.

Ten Ways  to Add a Little Aromatherapy Magic to Your Home

1. A Homemade Water Diffuser and Room Freshener. Add six to eight drops of your favorite essential oil to a bowl of very hot water. You can then place the bowl on any table or counter where you need it. Another trick is to add the drops to a pan of boiling water or even to your shower. Choose your essential oils based on your mood or need. For example, if you want relaxation, lavender or neroli scents are ideal. If you’re looking to get rid of germs, try the antiseptic qualities of tea tree or juniper berry.

2. Room Deodorizer. Add a few drops of essential oils to water in a spray bottle and keep it handy in rooms that often need freshening, like the bathroom or kitchen. You can also spray freshen linens with lavender spray to help you relax or spray them with ylang ylang to make the mood more sensual.

3. A Closet Freshener. Add a few drops of essential oils to some pieces of cotton or wool cloth and place in drawers or on closet shelves, a little goes a long way. A cloth hankie is perfect for this. Lavender, cedar or sandalwood are nice choices.

4. Heat Diffuser. You can make use of your heating vent by placing a few drops of essential oils on a cotton ball or wool ball and place inside a heating vent or just in front of it. When your furnace kicks on the blower will help spread the scent throughout your home. You can get the same results putting a saucer of water and oils on top of your radiator. This is an easy way to use heat for disbursement without investing in aromatherapy gadgets or special diffusers.

5. Sinus Remedy. If you’re ill or struggling with congestion you can make your own steam inhalation remedy. Place eucalyptus oil, ginger oil, or tea tree oil in hot water. Put a towel over your head and lean over the water to trap the steam and breathe deeply.

6. Refrigerator Deodorizer. Place several drops of orange, mint or lemon oil in a bucket of warm water. With a clean sponge, use the water to clean out your refrigerator.

7. Counter Cleaner. Add lemon, thyme, or eucalyptus oil to equal parts distilled white vinegar and water. Use it to clean your kitchen and bathroom surfaces as you normally would.

8. Light bulb room freshener. Place a drop of your favorite oil on your light bulbs but make sure to do this when the bulbs are cold. When the bulb heats up after you turn it on, it will heat the oil and fill the room with scent. For increased energy and invigoration use grapefruit, peppermint, lemon, or black pepper.

9. Furniture polish. Add four to six drops of lemon essential oil to half a cup of olive oil. With a clean dry rag, use the oil to polish wood furniture.

10. Make aromatherapy compresses. A ginger infused compress can help with sore muscles or the onset of a cold. A chamomile compress works well on sunburns, rashes, sprains, and menstrual cramps.

Essential oils fill your home with fresh and natural scents and the healing powers of the plants they are sourced from. You can be sure you’re providing your loved ones with a safe environment free from harmful chemicals when you use aromatherapy oils to clean and deodorize your home, freshen it up, or comfort life’s bumps and bruises.

Recommended: The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy