Ginger has long been used in many societies as a healing medicine. The Chinese use ginger to cure many ailments and the ancient Greeks were also known to make use of its healing powers, indeed Pythagorus was known as a great supporter and user.
Today, we know that ginger has some extremely useful healing properties.
The Phytotherapy Research Laboratory in Salt Lake City conducted a study on motion sickness by spinning motion sickness-prone students, divided into two groups. The first group was given the propiety motion sickness drug Dramamine, while the other group was given ginger.
The results of the study found that the group given the ginger was able to withstand the full six minute spin with less nausea and dizziness, while the other group stopped the ride within four and a half minutes.
Japanese researchers believe the gingerols found in ginger may be the active ingredients responsible for blocking the body’s reflex to vomit. One quarter of a teaspoon taken 20 minutes before a car or boat journey you should last for about 4 hours. Alternatively, it can be cut into slices and boiling water poured over it to make a delicious ginger tea. Put some in a thermos flask and take it with you to ensure prolonged relief.
Researchers in Denmark have discovered that ginger can block the effects of prostaglandins, substances that cause inflammation of the blood vessels in the brain leading to migraines. Results are still experimental, but one third of a teaspoon of fresh or powdered ginger taken when you feel a migraine coming on can help stop pain before it starts.
Ginger has also been found to produce marked relief in arthritis pain. Using the ginger tea as above or half a teaspoon of ginger is the recommended dose by Danish researchers for arthritis relief.
It has been discovered by a researcher at Cornell University Medical College that ginger has an effect on blood clots similar to that of aspirin. Similarly it appears that high cholesterol levels are lowered using the same active ingredient: thromboxane.
Ginger is also a digestive aid so can be safely added to cooking. It also gives bland food a real zest!
Ginger tea can be taken with honey and lemon to help combat colds and flu, working as a mild decongestant and loosening catarrh. It’s natural warming action helps the body to sweat so you must remember to keep wrapped up against the cold.
Storage tip:
As fresh ginger is not always available in shops, keep a large piece of the root in the freezer and use it in cooking by simply grating it with a fine cheese grater while still frozen, then return whatever is left to the freezer for another day!
Terry Didcott
Alternative Cures
A good friend of mine just posted a comment in my last post asking if there was any way she could resist being easily influenced by other people’s strength - or hypnotic (although I’d guess more accurately suggestive) techniques.
My first thoughts were that perhaps this post might be better placed on my hypnosis blog as it would be more on-topic for that site.
But on reflection, it could just as easily fit in with the alternative lifestyle promoted by me on this site. I’ll tell you why.
There are all kinds of people as we well know - it’s what makes human beings so unique in the animal kingdom. All kinds of personalities, abilities, desires, thoughts etc. Of these, psychologists have pigeon-holed several personality types that tend to fir pretty well with most people, although it is actually quite rare for anyone to fit exactly into any one category. We tend to be predominantly one personality type or another, while exhibiting some lesser traits of other types.
If that’s all too confusing, then I’ll clarify with an example.
Take what is commonly known as an extrovert character. They are often brash, outgoing, life and soul of the party types that are always optimistic and positive and live life to the full. But most extrovert types also display other character traits some of the time, such as depressiveness (is that a word?), or lethargy, or even shyness etc.
On the other hand, the introvert type is associated with shyness, quietness, head always in a book, negativity and safe. Often, an introvert type will also “come out of their shell” from time to time and surprise their family and friends.
So there is no real absolute way of categorizing each person, as we really are all different to an extent!
So now that’s explained, I have a foundation to attempt to answer the original question.
Certain people are more susceptible to being influenced by the actions of others, just as some people have an uncommonly powerful ability to influence others. Often, if we are of one character type or other, there is not a whole lot we can do to change the way we are.
But that’s not to say we can’t take what we are and make it better.
So if you are easily influenced by certain people, the simple answer is to keep away from those people. If that’s not possible, then you can teach yourself to stand up to them without actually causing a personal confrontation. This does require some mental training to achieve, but it is very possible.
In my work as a hypnotherapist, I have often been asked by people if I can help them to stop being intimidated by a certain person, for instance a domineering boss, or mentally harassing work colleague. This I can do by using the power of suggestion to empower those people to have confidence in themselves and to see themselves as physically bigger than the other person. There are several other techniques I use alongside that, but it would be too long to go into all that here and really would be more suited for my Hypnosis site!
Suffice it to say, you can use mental visualisation techniques while in a meditative or self-hypnotic state to see yourself as strong and immune to anyone else’s influence and to see the other person as small and weak.
Another really great visualisation technique I learned about came from the old comedy show “Red Dwarf” where one of the characters was told that whenever he encountered someone who made him feel inadequate, he should imagine them sitting on the toilet with their pants round their ankles!
Works every time!
Terry Didcott
Alternative Cures
