Dr. Oz and TheDoctorsTV: Ginger, Mustard, and Cayenne to Warm the Body and Burn Those Calories!
Both episodes of Dr. Oz and TheDoctorsTV were repeats today, but what was funny was that all the physicians talked about GINGER! We’ve talked about Ginger before, but did you know that it is warming at the bio-energetic level? What will that do for you?
Warming foods and herbs will gently promote improved function of your vital organs and systems. There are several systems that do well when you consume warming herbs and foods like Ginger and Mustard. You do need to remember that you want a variety of whole foods that are warming, neutral, and cooling in order to maintain a relative Balance in your entire body. If you only eat cooling foods, then you will throw yourself out of balance just as much as when you eat hot or spicy foods all the time. If you eat only spicy hot foods, you can become dehydrated while throwing yourself out of balance, too. Balance is the key to Wellness!
If I were on the Oz staff, I would have made the salmon with both Lemon and Ginger…it’s salmon after all! The mustard and the cayenne in the other two dishes that the audience members had to identify were almost lost on their infantile palates. There’s something that Dr. Oz said that I feel really needs to be clarified for your benefit. Dr. Oz seemed to suggest that darker mustards are better than the lighter ones. Duh…doctor! Those yellow mustards are not REALLY mustard that is healthy for you. They are over-processed and often contain other ingredients that you don’t want in your body. The healthiest mustard and the only one you want to eat is the whole grain mustard which does tend to be darker and more brownish gold. This is mustard seed that has been ground. This is what you want to warm your body’s organs and systems. Organic mustard is the best…naturally!
Cayenne is moving over into the ‘hot’ category as far as ‘energy’ is concerned and it is seldom used alone. There’s truly an art to the use of herbs and spices, especially in combination for our culinary delight. Don’t be a single spice cook…learn to combine spices, herbs, and seasoning blends when you are in the kitchen.
Groupings of spices are ideal. For example, curry powders combine numerous spices to enhance the flavor and the nutritive value of food. Most curries are warming and many are hot. Yet in most of the cultures who have had thousands of years of using spices, you will find a balance of dishes served at the same meal that includes warm, hot, neutral, and cooling foods and beverages. You would be wise to follow suit.
Warming and hot spices DO tend to stimulate metabolism and this is most likely why Dr. Oz tried to sell his audience with the approach of burning calories for weight management. While spices do rev up the function of some of the body’s systems, they are not ever going to be the primary method of burning calories to keep the pounds from being piled on. This is an erroneous assumption, so try to avoid going in THAT direction with spices. The true value of spices is found in their bio-energetic signatures, although they contain nutrients that are definitely worthy of your attention. Most foods are far too bland without spices and herbs to season them. The other warming herbs and spices that you will want to cook with regularly include thyme, oregano, cumin, paprika, and turmeric at the very least. The important thing is that you must ensure that your spices and herbs are organic and as fresh as possible to be healthy.
The doctors also discussed Ginger today and added a slice of fresh Ginger Root to their drinking water. We already know that Ginger Root is useful for digestion, but the physicians are hoping that they can cut the gas with this approach. Let’s say it’s better than the booze that Dr. Drew readily poured into his glass… LOL
If you have a lot of gas, fart a lot, get cramps frequently; then you really need to include more whole foods that contain live enzymes in your daily diet. It needs to be more than yogurt. Eat more fresh organic fruit like pineapple and papaya. You might also consider eating more raw foods and keeping the temp beneath the threshold for maintaining enzymes active. It is also going to help if you CHEW your food, instead of inhaling each bite and shoveling it into your mouth as if you are running a timed marathon! Take your time, chew completely, and enjoy your meal.
One thing that people forget with beans and cruciferous vegetables is to combine them with kombu in the cooking process. If you also rinse your beans after you soak them, that will also reduce the amount of gas you experience. You can always eat some sauerkraut, pickled root vegetables, and even pickled Ginger Root that you find in Asian cuisine.
We want to remind you about Reed’s Ginger Brew and Ginger Ale. These fizzy drinks are going to settle your digestive distress or help you digest those greasy foods. But the Ginger Ale needs to be from REAL Ginger Root, not an extract nor an artificial flavoring. Get REAL!
