In a world full of food that is premade, processed, frozen and put in a box that we purchase at grocery stores with our hard-earned money, it’s challenging to get the nutritional benefits we require. Even at stores promoting healthier food choices, such as Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s, the majority of the aisles contain packaged foods such as cereals, chips or frozen foods that dwarf the produce sections. Living in the Napa Valley, it’s obvious that the terrific food from the restaurants around us utilize fresh and wholesome ingredients to make their food world-class quality. There is a gap in the utilization of fresh ingredients in the American diet and it is significantly affecting the overall quality of our Life Time Fitness journey.
Japan’s population has one of the longest average life expectancies. One reason the Japanese population live for such a long time has to do with their connection to natural and wholesome food ingredients. A staple in Japanese cooking is the addition of ginger to their food dishes, teas and natural remedies. Research reveals that ginger has potent anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and anti-nausea properties. Ginger has also been shown in studies to reduce osteoarthritis and delayed onset muscle soreness following exercise. We see a correlation between other Eastern cultures and ginger used holistically as an aide in their culture to live healthy and promote disease-free lives. The elite group of Sherpas who assist climbers attempting to hike up Mount Everest have a tradition in which they drink a highly concentrated ginger soup to help them endure the extreme conditions of living near Mount Everest. The utilization of ginger is not as prevalent in the American culture as much as it is in foreign cultures. Not only is ginger packed with healthy benefits, but it is an inexpensive root that can be found in the produce section. It can be easily shredded and utilized in salad dressings, soups, marinades, sauces and sprinkled over roasted vegetables. Simply grating ginger over some of the items that we cook will help us derive the benefits of avoiding sickness and embracing the longevity of life.
Spain, France, and Italy are one of the largest pasta and bread consuming cultures in the world. Just like Japan, they also have one of the longest average life spans in the world. In addition, drinking red wine and smoking cigarettes are popular traditions in European culture. Yet they still have an average life span of over 80 years.. One ingredient that is increasingly prevalent in European cultures is the utilization of raw garlic. Just like ginger, garlic is incredibly high in antioxidant, antibacterial, and immune system enhancement properties. Many studies show that garlic has beneficial properties for the skin, hair, and improves the regulation of blood pressure. Garlic even has cancer fighting and preventive properties. In most tomato-based pasta sauces there is usually a lot chopped raw garlic that gets simmered down into the sauce. One such traditional Italian food that we all know is spaghetti. One of the main ingredients in spaghetti sauce are tomatoes, pasta and garlic. Once again, we can see a correlation that the use of this powerful superfood that offers delicious qualities to food can be utilized to promote health and wellness. Perhaps there is a correlation between the European culture and their healthy bodies to their utilization of garlic in their food. Just like it’s healthy root friend ginger, garlic is a very inexpensive food product to get from your local produce section. Having four or five whole bulbs of garlic in your produce drawer at home should only cost you around $2 per week. Adding garlic to dinner dishes on a regular occurrence will offer similar health benefits that we see in our European friends across the sea. If we were to utilize garlic in our dishes more frequently, we could reap the health and disease prevention benefits that garlic offers.
In addition to the anti-fungal and anti-bacterial effects that fend off viruses and sickness ginger and garlic offer, noticing that both ginger and garlic have great anti-inflammatory properties is critically important for functions of the human body such as regulating blood pressure, blood sugar, and the inflammatory effects from physical and emotional stress that are imposed upon the body. It’s important to know that having healthy blood pressure (120/80 mmHg or lower) indicates the efficient distribution of nutrients and oxygen throughout the body’s vital organs and muscles. From an exercise physiology standpoint, the anti-inflammatory effects that garlic and ginger offer are productive to individuals who participate in regular amounts of exercise to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness after workouts. Ginger has also been shown to fight symptoms of nausea and counteract the effects of morning sickness in pregnant women. It’s no wonder that ginger ale is usually recommended to people who have stomach aches to help ease their stomach pain.
If we use our intuition, we could probably conclude that consuming foods that are processed, shoved in a box, or frozen won’t give as many health benefits as preparing foods from their raw state. Ginger and garlic are found as extracts in holistic supplements that benefit our health in the form of pills. But why not use them in our everyday foods regularly to help positively influence our health and wellness? Becoming more aware of the naturally enhancing resources that positively influence our Life Time Fitness will not only get us back to becoming a healthier culture overall but will also bring us back to nature. By becoming more attuned with foods that are easily available around us that support our health and wellness, we can extend the longevity of our lives while also living happier, healthier, and stronger.
Sean McCawley, the founder and owner of Napa Tenacious Fitness in Napa, CA, welcomes questions and comments. Reach him at 707-287-2727, napatenacious@gmail.com or visit the website napatenaciousfitness.com.
