Ginger - Not Just for Cats

What's with the cat, you ask? As I prepared to do a post on ginger root as a nice natural remedy, I scoped my usual haunts for freebie photos. Turns out lots of photographers have cats named Ginger, but do not take pictures of ugly herbal roots. So be it. Ginger stays. She's kinda cute, anyway, don't you think?

Onto the ginger that does not have to be let out nights -

I love using ginger root as a home remedy because it's so safe, and it fixes so many problems. If you're nursing or pregnant, or if you have a young one who's feeling not so good, ginger may be the cure. For pregnant women, ginger can be used for morning sickness. I discovered this quite by accident when feeling rather queasy in my first trimester. A coworker had some ginger candy that no one else would touch because it's funny looking and tastes pretty strong. But I've always loved ginger, so I ate a piece. In about 5 minutes, my queasiness was gone! I used it off and on through the rest of that first three months of pregnancy, and every time it worked. (You don't have to use ginger candy - tea or even a small piece of fresh ginger, chewed for a minute or two, can do the trick as well.)

If you are nursing or pregnant, you know your choices of cold and flu medications are limited. Have a cough, a fever, a headache? Nausea, vomiting, body aches? Making up a batch of ginger tea is safe and effective for all these symptoms. You can purchase ginger tea at the health food store. (Make sure it's ginger tea without other herbs, unless you are 100% certain the other herbs are completely safe for pregnant and nursing moms.) Or if you really want to be natural, you can buy ginger root at your grocery store or an Asian food store. Peel the ginger, chop it very fine or grate it, and boil it in water. I usually use about an inch of ginger per three to four cups of water. Boil the ginger for about 20 minutes, or until it's about half the water you started with. Strain it and drink. If it tastes too strong for you, add a little water.

So there you have it - a few ways to use one of my favorite remedies. And unlike our feline friend, this Ginger doesn't get hairballs.