Natural Healing: Ginger
As a child I fondly remember my grandmother telling me to eat ginger because it was “good for my tummy.” I have carried that piece of advice with me through adulthood and am thankful for it! When pregnant with my oldest, I had terrible morning sickness and eating candied ginger always helped. I even give it to my husband before he goes scuba diving to help with his motion sickness.When my son was born, he had colic as a result of a dairy allergy. I gave him gripe water, which is contains ginger and fennel. It was a lifesaver for his little tummy until I was able to rid my body of all milk proteins.
Along with the candied ginger, I also drink ginger tea. I make this most often during during cold season as it effectively wards off colds and also helps with recovery if you already have a cold or cough.
Ginger has also been known to help with the following:
- nausea
- upset stomach
- motion or morning sickness
- digestive aid
- circulation booster
- colic relief
- indigestion relief
- common cold prevention and symptoms
- reduces tendency to blood clots
- soothes menstrual pain
- expectorant to relieve sinusitis and/or congestion
NOTE: As with any digestive aid, it is not recommended to consume large quantities. Also, I have read that ginger is not recommended for those who take anticoagulants or have gallstones.
Here is a recipe I enjoy for ginger tea. You can adjust the recipe to your taste, add more or less ginger. It can also be drank as a cold tea, if you prefer.
Ingredients:
- 2 inch piece of raw ginger root
- 4 cups water
- honey & lemon, to taste (optional)
Directions:
Peel the ginger and cut into thin slices, to optimize flavor. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan and then add the ginger. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Strain the tea removing the bits of ginger. Add honey and lemon to taste.
NOTE: If you want to make just one cup of tea you can add 3 tsp of grated ginger to 1 c boiling water. Let it steep for 5-10 minutes before straining/drinking.
What do you use to soothe an upset stomach? I’d love to hear your home remedies!
Ginger is so versatile. I really enjoy drinking strong ginger tea. It’s also great as an aromatic in food.