Ginger - full of freshness *Plus lettuce wrap recipe

I love going to PF Changs and ordering their lettuce wraps but I know they are loaded with salt and oil.  so I decided to try my own little version of lettuce wraps with fresh ginger.  Ginger is a great anti-inflammatory food that can be used in so many different recipes.  I have a ginger root in my freezer that I get out and grade when I want fresh ginger.  I LOVE the taste that ginger gives to food - especially fresh ginger. 

Health benefits - Ginger is a good source of potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese and vitamin B6. Ginger has been known for years to helf soothe an upset stomach and is even used for chemotherapy induced nausea.  Ginger contains very potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols. These substances are believed to explain why so many people with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis experience reductions in their pain levels and improvements in their mobility when they consume ginger regularly.   The University of Minnesota had a study that suggested how ginger compounds may be effective chemopreventive and/or chemotherapeutic agents for colorectal carcinomas and the university are already using gingerols in their treatment protocol. 

Ginger tea can not only be warming on a cold day, but can help promote healthy sweating, which is often helpful during colds and flus. A good sweat may do a lot more than simply assist detoxification. German researchers have recently found that sweat contains a potent germ-fighting agent that may help fight off infections. Investigators have isolated the gene responsible for the compound and the protein it produces, which they have named dermicidin. Dermicidin is manufactured in the body's sweat glands, secreted into the sweat, and transported to the skin's surface where it provides protection against invading microorganisms, including bacteria such as E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus (a common cause of skin infections), and fungi, including Candida albicans.

So start adding ginger into your recipes or even drink ginger tea.  Add grated ginger into bakes apples or cobbler or baked sweet potatoes. 

Here is the recipe for lettuce wraps -  http://cucumbersandcocoa.blogspot.com/2012/04/lettuce-wraps-mock-pf-changs.htmlYummo!