With flu season almost in full swing, I thought I'd share a way that I like to keep myself from getting sick. It's no magic, but I believe it does a pretty good job.
Every Thursday I bring ginger shots to the rink for myself, Mervin, our coaches, and sometimes a random visitor to the rink. A ginger shot is 2 ounces of ginger root and lemon, with a dash of cayenne pepper on top. If you haven't had a ginger shot, they are SPICY! So, to chase our shots we eat slices of pineapple. Pineapple cuts the ginger spice better than any fruit and also pineapple is delicious!! If you want to know what ginger shots do for your health then keep reading below.
Lemons have a lot of great health benefits. One lemon contains about 51% of your daily vitamin C intake. One ginger shot contains about 1/4 of a lemon. Lemons help your body obtain iron from plant based foods, helping the body prevent anemia. Lemons contain a small amount of iron, but the vitamin c and citric acid that is present, may protect against anemia by making sure your body obtains iron from as much of your diet as possible.
Ginger has many benefits to your health as well. Ginger contains many anti-inflammatory compounds including antioxidants. As an athlete, anti-inflammatory is golden! Anti-inflammatories can be helpful to everyone, as inflammation is a natural body reaction to many health conditions and diseases. For example, a common drink to have when you have an upset stomach or are feeling unwell is ginger-ale. Ginger may help your digestive system by soothing nausea, decreasing bloating (inflammation), and reduce intestinal cramping.
Along with gingers anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, ginger can enhance your immune response with its antiviral and antibacterial properties that help fight off viruses and illnesses. Toxins and free radicals in our body are largely responsible for damaging the healthy cells making the body more susceptible to viruses. Ginger shots can help drain the body’s lymphatic system, which helps the body's immune system run well. By keeping a healthy, drained lymphatic system there are fewer chances for toxins to build up and make you sick. Along with helping you be more resistant to illness, ginger root can kill bacteria. Two common bacteria are Streptococcus Pyogenes and Staphylococcus Aureus; ginger root is able to kill both of these.
As an athlete, it’s important to maintain proper muscle recovery. Studies have shown that raw ginger consumption results in moderate-to-large reductions in muscle pain or worked muscles.
Unless I feel something coming on or I'm feeling a little under the weather, I take a ginger shot once a week. I feel this helps my body be ready to fight off anything I come in contact with. Looking forward to the shots gives me a pick me up that I need in the middle of the week. They give me a jolt of excitement, make me feel refreshed, and ready to go!
So Cheers to good health and strong immune systems! (The pictured banana is for one of my coaches who doesn't like pineapple)