If you ask us, no recipe is complete without a bit of spice. As it turns out, spices and seasonings aren’t only great when it comes to flavor—some of them even have anti-inflammatory and metabolism-boosting properties that can help you slim down! And while some of the most well-known seasonings for increasing your metabolic rate include spicier options that really help you feel the burn, such as cayenne, there’s one you may not have considered yet: ginger.
To learn all about ginger and why it makes such a great addition to any weight loss diet, we spoke to health experts Lisa Richards, nutritionist and creator of The Candida Diet, and Victoria Glass, M.D. of Farr Institute. Read on for more info on this amazing spice!
Ginger
If you're looking for a tasty spice that can add some incredible flavor to your food and aid your weight loss goals, Richards and Dr. Glass say you should look no further than anti-inflammatory, metabolism-boosting ginger. This spice offers a ton of health benefits, but it can be especially helpful to those looking to shed a few pounds.
"Ginger is naturally anti-inflammatory, which can decrease the numbers on the scale, while also improving joint pain that may normally keep you from being active," Richards explains. Dr. Glass concurs, noting that the weight loss-friendly qualities of ginger are largely thanks to a chemical called gingerol which she says "helps prevent the buildup of fatty tissue and may help raise your body’s metabolic rate." Nice!
The benefits don't stop there, though. As it turns out, Dr. Glass says that ginger "appears to have properties that can lower blood sugar levels and blood pressure," making it a fantastic ingredient for your overall health.
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If you're looking for a great way to fit this amazing spice into your diet on the daily, Richards recommends sipping on ginger tea each morning. "Drinking ginger tea or even adding some whole ginger to other food or beverage options may increase your metabolism and boost your weight loss efforts," she says. "This benefit is so intriguing that several studies have been conducted to show ginger's weight loss impact." Incredible!
But if tea isn't your thing, don't fret. Ginger tastes great in a range of recipes, from stews and curries to stir fries. In fact, you can even add this ingredient to a bowl of oats for a super-charged, metabolism-boosting breakfast. No matter how you eat it, though, there's no denying that this is one spice you'll definitely want to up your intake of. We know we will!
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