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January/February 2004 Alternative Health
Gypsy Cures and the Wise Woman Way:
The Two Gs – Ginger & Garlic

by Catherine Warner

As it continues to get colder and wetter outside, it is good to have some warming roots available. Known world wide as a digestive aid, Ginger is one of the finest treatments available. Its roots are readily available in all stores this time of year and it is not expensive. A mild ginger tea can be used as an overall nerve tonic and digestive aid. In case you haven't noticed, usually when you are nervous or stressed, your stomach does not work properly. Ginger is the treatment of choice. For a persistent cough, cut about an inch of ginger root, and chop, steep for four hours in four cups of off boil water with a little lemon and honey to taste. Drink a half cup of this tea three times a day, particularly before going to bed. Ginger tea is known to stimulate digestive juices, expel worms, and cure colds, sore throats, diarrhea, and nausea.

At this time of year, a lot of people tend to get a bit run down, partly caused by over extending yourself during the Holidays, and partly due to being in and out of bad weather. This is a good time to start building yourself up with...Garlic. Vampires and colds beware, the silver bullet has arrived. Garlic is one of the few herbs found useful for ALL disorders of the human body and there is no other Herb with Garlic's' powerful antiseptic properties. It protects against all infectious ailments, expels all toxic elements, and kills harmful bacteria. Of course by now we have all heard how helpful it is in lowering blood pressure. What’s the catch you might think, can something really be this good? Well yes garlic is really this good, the catch is that it is most effective eaten raw. It is good for you in soups and sauces, on breads, and in salad dressings. But eaten raw, it provides a total healing, detoxifying, purification. It slightly burns the mouth, but it is certainly not repulsive. Go ahead, give it a try one weekend when you don’t have a lot of plans. Eating fresh parsley and mint afterwards will help, but it does tend to seep out in your perspiration.
However, even knowing the scented side effects, if you ate raw garlic at the onset of any illness, you would save yourself a multitude of money, suffering, and misery, by way of doctor visits, prescription drugs, and missed work. For good healing roots, remember the two Gs!

All My Relations, Catherine Warner