How many of you had moms that gave you ginger ale when you had the tummy bug? I remember fondly the days as a child lying on the family room couch with a bucket by my side, a glass of warm ginger ale, and a package of Saltine Crackers. To this day, when my kids are not feeling well, the first offering is a glass of ginger ale.
Surprisingly, moms know what they are doing as ginger has long been used in many ways with one of its attributes as a tummy soother.
Ginger is a flowering plant whose root has been used for centuries now in a wide variety of cultures in cuisine. It can be used fresh or dried. It’s often associated mostly with Asian and Indian cuisines. Of course, some of our sweet favorites such as gingerbread, cookies, and cakes showcase this plant as well. For medicinal purposes, it is used to treat nausea caused from sea sickness or motion sickness.
On a recent trip to Australia, we discovered just how great this root can be for nausea.
One of the travelers with me was very much into herbal medicinal relief for her aliments and had ginger chews with her. Myself and others in our group found her sharing of these little chewy gems to be of great relief. One of the travel agents used a chew to combat her sea sickness while we were aboard a catamaran headed out to Whitehaven Beach. For myself, the chew came in quite handy when too much champagne left me wanting to “toss my cookies”. One chew had me going from green in the face to my happy party self within hours.
And while I’m flying, one of my favorite Australian air treats is to ask for a ginger beer.
It is similar to our ginger ale but with much more fresh ginger taste and not quite as bubbly. It works great when flying and helps when I still feel a bit sour in the stomach after cocktail and food indulgences during my travels. I highly recommend the use of ginger the next time your vacation leaves your tummy in a tumble.
Lisa Rossmeissl is the owner of Boomerang Escapes, a home-based agency located in Old Bridge, New Jersey with agents in TN, MS, and WI.
She has been a professional travel consultant since 2008 and specializes in Australia and the South Pacific. Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, and Cook Islands are among the specialist certificates she holds. Her agency’s focus is on creating custom itineraries with their client’s wants, desires, and budgets in mind. She and her planners believe in getting to know the traveler to ensure they have a vacation to remember. With each planner specializing in a different market area, Boomerang Escapes can offer a wide variety of leisure vacation planning.
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