• Find lean cuts of beef by looking for the words "round", "loin", "extra lean" or "the leanest" in the name. Cuts like top round, tenderloin or sirloin will be lean and healthy. 
• Trim all visible fat before you cook, this can lower fat by as much as 50%. 
• To further reduce the fat, put the cooked ground beef it in a strainer and rinse briefly with hot water. Drain well and continue with your recipe. 
• To further reduce the fat in ground beef patties and meatloaf, pat the cooked burgers and meatloaf with a dry paper towel. This can lower fat by as much as 50%.
• Roast, bake, grill, braise, broil or stir-fry more often. Fry less often. 
• Cook beef in nonstick pans. If needed, use cooking sprays instead of oil or butter. 
• Try basting or searing beef with stock or broth instead of oil. 
• Skimming fat from homemade soups and stews is easy. Chill and simply remove the fat layer that rises to the surface. 
• Use a fat separating cup for making low-fat beef gravy or lean au jus. 
• It's easy to create tasty sauces for beef roasts. Simply add stock or broth into pan juices and thicken by boiling rapidly for a few minutes. Season with herbs and a touch of wine. 
• When cooking beef, put a rack in the pan to allow fat to drip away from the meat. 
• Use marinades and rubs to add an ethnic flair, tenderize or to enhance the flavor of beef. (See link to Rubs & Marinades) 
• Choose beef recipes with flavorful ingredients such as fresh garlic, hot and sweet peppers or fresh ginger. They add tons of flavor and no extra fat. 
• When a recipe calls for oil, use a smaller amount of a more flavorful oil, such as olive, sesame or chili oil. Use a combination of flavored oils, herbs or beef stock to season beef, vegetables, sauces, stir-fried and sauteed dishes. 
• Use lean ground beef such as ground round (known as extra lean) or ground sirloin (known as lean) for casseroles, chili, tacos, spaghetti sauces and skillet dishes. 
• Try making your favorite cheeseburger macaroni casserole with low-fat or reduced-fat cheese. Top with a sprinkling of sharp cheese, fresh grated Romano or a bit of zesty Parmesan for more flavor. 
• The food guide pyramid shows that you can have 2-3 servings of meat (3 ounces per serving) daily. You can eat it all in one meal or spread the servings over a couple of meals throughout the day. Remember that one serving of beef is about the size of a deck of cards. 
• Add color to your beef entrees by choosing side dishes with fresh vegetables like orange carrots, yellow corn, red peppers and green pea pods. 

Ginger

Ginger has so many wonderful uses that it is hard to know where to start. Used medicinally for thousands of years throughout the world, ginger is a very useful herb to be acquainted with. In Asian medicine ginger is so significant that it is found in half of all the herbal combinations. It is also a very common ingredient in Asian cuisine.

Digestion

Ginger aids in digestion from beginning to end. It is known as a sialagogue which promotes the secretion of saliva and, thus, stimulates appetite. Ginger has traditionally been used for upset stomach and general stomach complaints, including nausea (see below). John Gerard, in the sixteenth century, said ginger was "… profitable for the stomach." It aids in the digestion of proteins due to its high content of protease, an enzyme that helps break down proteins.

The aromatic and carminative qualities of ginger also assist the digestive process. Ginger is fragrant and has an agreeable, although pungent taste. It stimulates the gastrointestinal mucous membranes, expels gas from the stomach and bowels, increases the tone of the musculature and stimulates peristalsis. It is often added to laxative formulas to prevent gripping.

Stomach and Nausea

Ginger is wonderful for most nausea conditions. It is a great relief for motion sickness, as recent studies have confirmed. Other studies have demonstrated ginger to be very helpful with morning sickness. A hot compress of ginger tea applied to the stomach will alleviate cramps. Both the compress and drinking the tea are beneficial for stomach flu.

Colds and Flu

For cold and flu season ginger can be quite helpful for many of winter’s effects on our health. Ginger is a diaphoretic in that it brings heat into the body, increases perspiration and stimulates the circulatory system. Hence, it is good for chills and colds. It also has cough suppressant qualities, soothes sore throats and relieves congestion and sinusitis. It has been used to help with bronchitis.

That’s Not All

Ginger has a multitude of traditional uses and research studies are attempting to understand more of what this herb can offer. It is a general stimulant, naturally supporting the body’s performance and energy. Ginger stimulates the circulatory system and affects vasoconstrictors and vasodilators. Studies have found ginger to lower cholesterol levels.

Arthritis and rheumatism have been traditionally helped by ginger.

Clinical usage in China has confirmed its benefits in treating rheumatic pain and lumbago.

Ginger tea can incite delayed menstruation and relieve menstrual cramps. It is great for muscular aches and makes a wonderful foot bath.

Further health benefits from ginger include it’s diuretic properties which help increase the flow of urine. It protects the liver and is beneficial for hemorrhoids.

Use

Being both a medicinal and culinary herb, there are many ways to use ginger and make it a regular part of our lives. Ginger tea tastes great and is easy to make. Steep 1 to 2 teaspoons of granulated Jamaican ginger or grated fresh ginger in 2 cups of hot or boiling water. Try adding a few cloves or a dash of nutmeg. For relief of an upset stomach add _ teaspoon of ginger to 6 ounces of hot water.

Ginger tincture and encapsulated ginger are both convenient methods of ingestion and may be found in most health food stores.

The great culinary uses for ginger can be easily identified with Asian dishes, yet it is also found in many traditional western dishes. The digestive qualities of ginger help with heavier meals and, as mentioned, aid with protein breakdown.