Ginger is a root that has a crisp, pleasantly spicy flavor and also
boasts many health benefits. One of these benefits is the ability of
ginger to have a positive impact on maintaining a healthy
weight—specifically, with losing weight and losing belly fat.
GINGER FOR WEIGHT LOSS – THE STUDIES
According to the ancient practice of Ayurveda, eating and drinking
ginger root can help keep your weight under control and research has
confirmed this as well.
In a study published in the Journal of the Science and Food of
Agriculture in 2014, researchers found that overweight rats who were
given gingerol (a compound found in ginger) were able to lose weight
after a 30-day supplementation period. The rats also showed improvements
to blood sugar levels and leptin levels.
Leptin is a compound that plays a role in feeling full and satisfied
after a meal and I’ve already covered in great detail the importance of
leptin for weight loss.
The researchers concluded that that ginger supplementation suppresses
obesity induced by a high fat diet and it might be a promising adjuvant
therapy for the treatment of obesity and its complications.
Another study published the prior year in the European Review for
Medical and Pharmacological Sciences showed that ginger supplementation
had an equal impact on rat weight loss as a popular weight-loss
medication, Orlistat. Additionally, the ginger caused noteworthy
improvements to blood cholesterol level, with “good” cholesterol levels
(HDL) up from their baseline level.
With ginger’s power to help you feel full and help you properly digest
your food, it’s no wonder that it shows such a strong impact on weight
loss.
HOW GINGER HELPS BATTLE BELLY FAT
Not only can ginger help with weight maintenance in general, it can also
keep that pesky belly fat at bay. Ginger can target the main reasons
that belly fat accumulates, such as overeating, hormonal changes and low
energy leading to lack of exercise.
Ginger helps you to feel full, so eating ginger or drinking ginger water can help curb the urge to overeat.
Hormonal changes and chronic stress can cause spikes in levels of blood
cortisol, which throws the immune system and metabolism out of balance.
According to an article in the Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin of
2004, ginger suppresses cortisol production.
Elevated levels of cortisol may contribute to weight gain, especially
making it hard to lose belly fat and I’ve mentioned it in my post on how
to reset your hormones to lose weight and in my posts on how to lose
belly fat without exercise.
Consuming ginger can help bring the internal balance back in tune and
promote well-being and weight loss. Ginger’s sharp, distinctive flavor
can also help naturally boost your energy levels, both physically and
mentally.
HOW TO USE GINGER FOR WEIGHT LOSS
If you want to use the healing powers of ginger to lose weight, here’s what to do.
Before eating, chew on a thin slice of ginger root. This will help in
regulating metabolism, stimulating digestion, reducing cortisol
production and increasing energy.
You can also grate a small piece of ginger and add a squeeze of lemon
juice and a dash of salt, then mix the ingredients. Eating a couple of
small pinches of this mixture before you eat each of your meals helps to
control appetite and aid digestion.
Alternatively you can make this ginger lemon tea as lemon can also aid
weight loss and I’ve mentioned it in my post on how to use lemons to
lose weight.
Don’t limit your ginger intake to before meals—use ginger as a spice in
your cooking whenever you can to increase your ginger intake. Cooking
ginger for a short period of up to 6 minutes actually enhances its
health benefits. Luckily, ginger has a tasty flavor that doesn’t need to
be “masked” in order to reap the rewards the plant has to offer.
GINGER TEA FOR WEIGHT LOSS
Another great way to get more ginger into your life is by making a
delicious and energizing tea from ginger root. Drink this tea two or
three times per day to get the most out of it. It’s yummy and not at all
hard to make.
Put 1 inch of grated fresh ginger root (or 1 tsp. of powdered ginger) into a heat-tolerant glass with a 2-cup capacity.
Boil water and pour over the ginger.
Allow the grated root to steep in the water for at least 10 minutes.
Strain the root from the tea. Add a teaspoon or two of raw honey and a
squeeze of lemon juice if desired. Honey and lemon have their own health
benefits that can increase the potency of this wonderful tea.
Alternatively you can mix or replace the water with Matcha tea which can help you burn fat four times faster.
OTHER HEALTH BENEFITS OF GINGER
Not only does ginger aid in weight loss, it can also reduce
inflammation, reduce nausea and quell vomiting, and even kill cancer
cells. You can also use ginger to make a special healing drink to detox
your body and fight numerous diseases.
Dry, powdered ginger can keep for many months when stored in an airtight
glass container in a cool, dark place. A fresh ginger root can be kept
potent by storing it in the refrigerator and will keep for up to three
weeks. You can even freeze the root to lengthen its lifespan—it will
keep for up to half a year in the freezer.