OCTOBER 2, 2010 CHOOSE WISELY

"The secret is to be able to want one thing, to seek one thing, to organize the resources of one's life around a single end; and slowly, surely, the life becomes one with that end." - Howard Thurman



The problem is who just wants one thing? We all want many things. What do you want? Is the thing you want material or is it spiritual? I see many people who want to be healthy. Health. Who doesn't want good health. But if you were able to want only one thing-what would you want? Health, happiness, wealth, physical good looks, to be the best in everything, serenity, spirituality, or success? Would you want to go back in time and correct any wrong doings? You must choose your wish wisely! I do not judge myself by others' external manifestations of success. I do not do that because I might be tempted to make my wishes or wants unwisely. I feel life gives us many opportunities to develop spirituality. I know I have missed some opportunities, but as I grew from within--the opportunity did knock again. And I have had many more opportunities. I know at this juncture in my life what I would ask for. I would ask first for an inner life rich with the courage of goodness. Try not to judge yourself.


So if you were stranded on an island what one herb would you want to have with you? I honestly do not know the answer to that question. But I have narrowed it down to three choices--garlic, green tea and ginger.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a tuber that is consumed whole as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family (Zingiberaceae). Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal. I have never used galangal.

You cannot mistake the characteristic odor and flavor of ginger.It is caused by a mixture of zingerone, shogaols and gingerols; volatile oils that compose one to three percent of the weight of fresh ginger. The pungent taste of ginger is due to nonvolatile phenylpropanoid-derived compounds, particularly gingerols and shogaols.


Ginger has a sialagogue action, stimulating the production of saliva, which makes swallowing easier. The young ginger rhizomes are juicy and fleshy with a very mild taste. They are often pickled in vinegar or sherry as a snack or cooked as an ingredient in many dishes. They can also be steeped in boiling water to make ginger tea, to which honey is often added. Ginger can also be made into candy. I prefer ginger in gingerbread. Fresh ginger used as spice in a cup of tea in the winter is quite nice.


I have leaned that ginger has very different names around the world.

Initially ginger was classified as a stimulant and carminative and used frequently for dyspepsia, gastroparesis, slow motility symptoms, constipation, and colic. It was also frequently employed to disguise the taste of medicines. Ginger is on the FDA's "generally recognized as safe" list, though it does interact with some medications, including warfarin (a blood thinner).

Ginger has been found to be effective in multiple studies for treating nausea caused by seasickness, morning sickness and chemotherapy; though ginger was not found superior over a placebo for preemptively treating post-operative nausea. Ginger is a safe remedy for nausea relief during pregnancy. Ginger as a remedy for motion sickness is still a debated issue. I have used it for motion sickness with a favorable response.

Until tomorrow...