In this trying time, it is critical to build our bodies so they are strong enough to ward off illness and disease. The essence of Coronavirus is cold. Therefore, we need to take preventative steps to avoid cold from entering our bodies.
Ginger is one of the best foods to prevent illness and disease, particularly to help metabolic function disorders. Ginger is beneficial for function disorders like IBS, acid reflux and excess weight. It is also used to treat arthritis and even common colds. And during the pandemic, ginger is a great way to warm the body from the inside out.
Here are some great everyday tips to help strengthen your body.
1. Warm Food
Raw vegetables and dairy products carry a cold essence. Be sure to cook your vegetables, even lightly, before consuming. Add warming spices to your foods, such as ginger, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and black or white pepper. These foods help you sweat, which helps your body to stimulate its immune system to fight against the virus.
2. Warm Drinks
Iced drinks are cold in both temperature and essence. But ice water is the first thing served in most American restaurants. When you drink iced beverages, your body needs to work harder to keep itself warm. As mentioned above, ginger is one of the best warming foods. Here’s a spin off on the hot ginger tea recipe noted in the video below:
Add 2 ginger tea bags, 1 peppermint tea bag, 2-3 slices of fresh ginger and brown sugar (to taste) to a pot of boiling water. Drink this tea 2-3 times per day.
So what’s the reason for two types of ginger? Dried ginger and fresh ginger each carry a different essence. Adding brown sugar brings another level of warmth to the tea.
3. Warm Body
Taking a hot bath or shower will warm and relax the body. Be sure to also cover your skin when it is cold or windy outside. When skin is exposed in cold weather, the body sends extra Qi to those areas to keep the body warm. Conserve your Qi for healing instead!
Want to learn more about the beneficial properties of ginger? Click here.
Before this Pandemic, I taught all of my coworkers in my Department, Interventional Radiology, about how not to have cold drinks with food and WHY!! We always sat at a large circular lunch table, about 9 of us, and others would come up to talk or say hi and many would say, “none of you drink anything with your meal?” and one nurse would say” Dr Walt teaches us proper eating and many of us are feeling the effect of no cold drinks with eating, but hot tea is good with Ginger for the body.” I cherish my Medicine and one of my favorites Branches is Nutrition. All my patients go through a 5 Element consultation. I am looking forward to the Dragon’s Way Qigong!!!
Thanks,
Dr Walter Young AP DIPL NCCAOM, RN BSN, BSMT, MHt.