Something spicy for a sick stomach
If you're planning on doing any flying, extensive driving or headed out for a Caribbean cruise over the Christmas holiday, I suggest you carry along some ginger.
Long revered as a natural remedy for preventing an upset stomach, you might not think to use it as a preventive measure before your long trip. But for anyone who has suffered through a bout of nausea while traveling, you don't need me to convince you of just how miserable it can be.
Ginger is a potent antioxidant. It combats the chemicals that are produced when you're nauseated, and also stops the creation of free radicals that will also leave your stomach feeling twisted.
For best results when it comes to a queasy belly, take about 500 to 1,000 mg of ginger in capsule form about half an hour before you head out for your trip. I would recommend you set your watch and repeat this regimen every four hours, but don't exceed more than four grams total per day. This usually works like a charm. Nature's Way Ginger is a high quality, widely available choice that I recommend to my patients.
Studies have found that 500 mg of ginger to be just as effective as the common over-the-counter drugs, like Dramamine, that are sold to fend of motion sickness. And they also found that the closer the dose was to the 1,000 mg, the better ginger outperformed the OTC medications.
In addition to capsule form, there are several other ways to take ginger. Many stores now sell the gnarled roots. You can cut off a piece, peel off the tough brown covering, and use it in cooking or make a tea with it. You can also find ginger tea bags at the grocery store.
For a sweeter—and potent-tasting—treat, you could pick up a small bag of candied ginger. This way, you can nibble as needed when you feel your belly start to do a roll or two on you. These are also handy to take onto the plane with you.
I'll just warn you ahead of time: Try one of these candied pieces before you get on the plane if you've never had one before. Otherwise, you might cause alarm when you gasp due to the surprisingly spicy blast the candy delivers to your taste buds. You may find it to be an acquired taste, if not actually a little addictive. Plenty of my patients find either the tea or candy works great, even as well as the capsules.
