Ginger

Plants have a lot to offer. It is up to us to find out the hidden values.

Ginger is often referred to as the root of a plant. Whatever the part of the plant it is, the benefits of ginger is vast. The whole plant is in fact beneficial and edible, thus used for many types of cooking in Asian countries. It carries with it an aroma so special it is not available anywhere else.  

Young ginger is crunchy and nice to chew on. It is easily acceptable for people who are starting to taste ginger. Old ginger on the other hand is very fibrous and often too spicy for beginners. However, old ginger offers more benefits compared to the young ones. Thus, the Chinese proverb “The older the ginger, the more spicy”. This proverb connects nature with humans. It literally refers to older men are more experienced compared to younger men. It is to advice people to be respectful to the elders, especially in business deals.

Ginger contains gingerol, with highest concentration in the skin. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to ensure the source of ginger we are using. Organic would be a great choice when the plant food is to be consumed whole, without removing the skin. Or, an even better choice, plant our own. It is easy to grow because of its hardiness. It does not require much care in tropical countries. Just prop a few tubers in the ground and they will do their own magic. We can expect to get some good yield after about six months.

This part of the plants has been used as medicine in Asian traditional healing such as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda. We can trust the healing properties of this plant as people from totally different backgrounds and countries are using ginger commonly to cure certain ailments. TCM is from China while Ayurveda is from India. Though both countries are from the same Asia continent, if we are to measure the distance in the world map, they are miles away. Hundreds of years ago, it is quite impossible for them to communicate without the help of modern transport and technology.

The point is, if people from faraway lands that have never communicated with each other, can come up with the same conclusion to use ginger as medicine, then they must know what they are doing. We can trust their findings that ginger is a beneficial.

The heat that ginger provides is soothing to the stomach. It helps in gathering gas or wind in the stomach, to be released as burp or fart. Though this may sound disgusting, it is a natural course our body uses to remove excessive gas or wind in the whole body.

Our modern lifestyle is actually quite damaging to our body. We take cold showers after the sun is down and sleep in less than an hour after bath. Our hair is probably still damp when we go to bed. These are all bad practices that we do every single day. It can lead to bloating, inflammation, joint pains, stiff neck, and even chronic headaches. We may not feel it now but as age catches up all the problems will creep in making us miserable. This is not yet including the cold drinks that we take on a hot day, especially the carbonated ones.

Having ginger in our diet helps ease all of the above symptoms and illnesses, and prevent recurrence. Their effects may not show immediately, but they are the long term cure.

Many of us think that putting ginger into our diet is a hassle. If you are keen to keep your health in tip top condition, you will find by all means and ways to do it. There are manufacturers specializing in making ginger easily accessible even to those countries where it is impossible to cultivate ginger. Nowadays, ginger come in the form of powder. Just one scoop a day in the morning is all you need to get yourself going. You can even use ginger powder in soups or mix with other beverages and have it together during meal times.

In the end, it is the effort that matters. Learn to live and grow with ginger.

 

Carrots in winter and ginger in summer, then the doctor won’t have to write a prescription.    

Chinese Idioms, www.yoyochinese.com

Sprout

When good seeds are sown, great plants are grown.

We very often only associate sprout with tiny green leaves coming out of the dirt moving towards the sunlight. What can we learn from this tiny life?

Everything on earth comes from something. Whatever we see today originated from somewhere. The most asked question is probably “where is that somewhere?” This comes to the chicken and egg question, which came first? Some say that chicken came first, and then laid eggs to be born into chicks. Some will argue that eggs have to be present first to develop into chicken.

Some scientists may say that we are all energy mass. Each of us is made up of many little energy sources so focused into one intent that these little energy sources get magnetized together and become an energy mass. With such strong magnetic fields, we created a protective space and turn into form. Each form is different from the other. Every form is unique.

Other scientists may say that we are all created from carbon atoms that come together. With organic matter that nourishes, water that keeps hydration and sunlight that provides energy, simple microorganisms is formed. These tiny little beings have then evolved into something bigger and bigger over time and soon we are born.

We can learn the evolution of life from various sources. We probably know that everything is created from somewhere. Many would only ask “where” but may never find out. Curious people may seek the truth behind it all but everyone would have a different understanding.

Perhaps the truth is not important. Life’s lessons are not taught, they are thought.

We can learn many things through our surroundings and we are always surrounded by choices. It is best to have ourselves encircled with positive energy. Humans with the monkey minds are almost always the sources of the opposite. It really depends on who we choose to mingle with. We may be born into a family that does not support us, we will just have to find peers that do. We may be having peers that oppose our every intent, we will just have to go out there to look for the right mentor.

Have you ever realized that nature has everything to offer? Whenever we are stuck in the office working for a long period of time, we find that the outside world is interesting. Whenever we are stuck in the car while commuting home, we find that the sky is so blue we wish to just fly away. Whenever we are stuck in a memory we cannot let go, we find walking bare footed in the forest refreshing.

There are many ways to connect with this vast classroom. Many people have written books and made videos of Mother Nature. The focus is to immerse ourselves into what Mother Nature has to offer and give back to her. We share this earth with many other beings. We should guide ourselves to share; sharing space with our loved ones, sharing home with strays, sharing land with the forest.

Some may say this is a big project. Where do we start? How do we go about it? What is the cost of conservation? These are the most common questions everyone would ask. Some would even just brush off and say that these are the things that only the rich can afford to do. Perhaps we should all understand one thing; we never try, we never know.

Every little effort makes a huge difference. We have the ability to resonate the same thought to the people around us. Why not spread positivity? Why not spread love for nature? Why not spread tranquility? Each of us has our unique strength. We are all little seeds sown on this earth. With the right environment, every one of us can sprout into a beautiful flower or even a giant tree.

The universe works in such a way that we are who we believe we are. All we need to do is to surround ourselves with the right people and nurture ourselves into the person we ought to be. The ultimate goal in life is to spread the love and sprout.

 

Draw energy from the earth, Admit power from the heavens, Fertilize the seed within, Let it sprout into a flower of pure light    

Deng Ming-Dao, Chinese American author philosopher, 1954-present