We Babes love to travel and we mean to just about anywhere. On the top of our list, however, is making sure we keep as far away as possible from maladies like belly aches and runs in foreign lands (and not the kind from the police or border patrol). Our list grows: jet lag, insomnia, altitude sickness, and the possibility of developing a blood clot from the long plane ride. It's enough to keep us Babes at home, safe and sound, watching good 'ol TV. Boring!
An awesome husband/wife/nomad duo, Ethne and Philippe de Vienne who call themselves the Spice Trekkers, saved the day and our travel plans. This creative couple have honed in on a real niche: spices to cure whatever may ail you along your travel adventures. They have combed the world in search of good quality spices to use for medicinal purposes. So, no worries about having to find a pharmacy in some exotic locale -- just tuck a few of these goodies in your bag and off you go.
Ethne and Philippe always pack three spices: ginger, anise, and turmeric.
Ginger is great for all sorts of stomach ailments -- the major complaint of travelers. They pack dried ginger, but also buy ginger root along the way as they find it. Have some unwanted grumblings or just not feeling up to par? Chew a piece of the root or make a tea out of the powdered ginger. Relief is on its way.
Anise, that licorice tasting herb, is the big kahuna in their travel bag! It's the ultimate herbal medication for the dreaded traveler's diarrhea. Chew the anise seeds or make a tea, which should relieve the symptoms for an hour or so. Once the diarrhea has passed, drink ginger tea to calm the belly.
Next is turmeric--"the wonder drug of the spice world," according to the Spice Trekkers. Turmeric has tremendous healing qualities as it serves as an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. Ethne had the harrowing experience of having an emergency root canal while on travel. Can you imagine?! In lieu of popping a pain pill, she placed ground turmeric on her wound which brought immediate relief. Her own doctor was amazed at the results this herbal remedy brought to his patient.
There's one final essential that Ethne and Phillipe always bring along which they claim relieves psychological and medical trauma -- Scotch. We wondered if they ever spice it up with herbs for a special homemade remedy. However, these spice gurus say, "We don't want to waste either one on the other."
Best yet -- if you're lucky enough not to have used the spices for medicinal purposes, you're all set to make a tasty dish when you return home. Food for thought.