ginger

Hi Ivonush - I mainly drink ginger as an ingredient in a couple of my favorite teas. I do find it good for digestion, though I probably don't take enough of it to really make a big difference. Tastes nice though! - Surviving

Hi Ivonush
I was recommended ginger tea (slices of fresh ginger steeped in boiling water for a few minutes) last winter when I had a really horrible cough, found it very effective. I've since read a bit about it and it apparently it is anti inflammatory, anti viral and generally very good for all sorts of conditions, apart from digestive problems. It's a very comforting drink too. - Tintagel

I use Ginger Root capsules for air, car, and sea sickness. My husband uses it for altitude sickness.

There is a reason why ginger is called "sailor's secret"! I am a sailor and have tried all kinds of motion sickness aids. Most of them make you drowsy. The only medicine I use nowadays is ginger. It definitely helps with nausea + gives you energy. I use organic ginger with skin. I slice it like french fries and pour boiling water on it. If you put too much ginger in your tea, it will be too sour to enjoy, so you have to experiment a bit. When the water cools down, I add some honey and lemon. Enjoy!

I am very fortunate that our weather for several years has been quite wet. It means that ginger will grow here quite well. The wet may ruin a lot of other things but ginger likes it. We have heaps of ginger in all kinds of recipes. Right now is the time to dig it up and store it away. It is winter here in Australia. The frost has killed the plants. I probably have about 15 kilos. Some gets left in the ground to let it grow next season.
My favorite use is to gather a heaps of different herbs and plants from around our property and make a tea. Common ones are lemon grass, lemon myrtle, lemon balm, lemon, bergamont mint, aniseed myrtle, tarragon, cinnamon myrtle, cardamon leaf, violet flowers,olive leaves, red clover flowers, chamomile, green tea, rosehips, stevia. There are quite a few other herbs and plants I may add as the mood strikes or the season is right eg rosellas. Always add large quantity of ginger. I make a strong brew, strain and bottle it, keep in the fridge, dilute with soda water. Many people have commented on how pleasant it is except my daughter. Darn, sadly, she does not share my obsessions

Hi Gardengirl

It is great to hear that your ginger can get frosted, then come back the following year. I might try chucking a root in the ground when the worst of our dismal, rainy, cold weather is over, and see what I can do between now and next winter. I guess I will have to watch it in early October, when the soil has warmed, but we can still get some vicious frosts, when the rain tails off. I have always wanted to try growing ginger but thought there was little point!

Louise (in the frosty south west corner of Australia)

Dear Ivonush

Can I ask did you try the Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) that mom30 talked about in relation to IBS last November? Lately, I have come across a few people recommending it for heart conditions, pulmonary problems as well as IBS. It seems Vit D3 is becoming of greater interest as more and more people have been found with low levels and some specialists are suggesting a correlation with its low levels and the above illnesses.

Our bodies manufacture Vitamin D3 from sunlight on our skin and is really a hormone. The concern is that people are getting out into the sun less, and when they do they cover up in hats and UV creams. It is also suggested that as we get older that perhaps we lose some of our ability to manufacture it, and of course so many of us spend much of our working life indoors. With IBS the acceleration of food through the gut is also thought to lead to low levels.

I believe it takes time for the body to take it up and store it. Some people suggest very high dosages and blood tests, while mom30 spoke about a more reasonable dosage (i.e. acceptable to most doctors) of 2000 IU.

Would appreciate any feedback.

Cheers Fab