How I Cured My Food Poisoning After My Trip to Cuba
A few weeks ago I went on a cultural trip to Havana, Cuba.
The experience was incredible... I learned so much about the city, the nation, the history, and how hopefully soon Cuba and the U.S. will open their borders and share a little more love between the neighboring nations.
Unfortunately I got the worst case of food poisoning while in Cuba. Little did I know, you are not supposed to drink tap water in Havana. The locals might be used to it but not the tourist... Well, whether it was the water or spoiled food , it was not pleasant to say the least.
Here is what helped me tremendously...
1. You have to remember to hydrate yourself, ideally with coconut water. Coconut water contains all of the FIVE electrolytes found in human blood, naturally!! Unlike Gatorade, which I believe has three of them, it doesn’t come with artificial coloring, sugar, or any other unhealthy additives.
2. Knowing the power of clove in fighting germs and bacteria, I made clove tea. Just add half a teaspoon of ground clove per cup of hot water , mix it well, and add some honey for sweetness. It is definitely on the spicy side, but if you can get over that , it is a great home remedy to ease pain and help get rid of bad stomach germs.
3. As I was talking about my food poisoning with my Haitian friend Ms. Eveline, who is the beautiful mother of my friend Natalie, she mentioned that while her kids were growing up in Haiti and had any stomach problems she made a “special tea”- and within 20 minutes they were all better ... (We made a Haitian soup together , video recipe coming soon) This recipe has been used in Haiti for generations and now it's coming to your kitchen. I tried it and it was one of the most soothing teas I have ever had:
Take an orange peel from a whole orange , a few garlic cloves with the skin, a spoon of whole cloves, and put them in a small pot. Add 2-3 cups of water and simmer on medium to low heat for 20 minutes. Drink a full cup. (If you like add a little honey after it's done but that is not part of the original recipe)
4. One last thing I did was making sure I was taking probiotic drinks and pills. One of my favorites is the green Kambucha. Probiotics are your first line of defense, and you should make it a habit to take probiotics on a regular basis.
Please feel free to share other ways/recipes your family has used to help with food poisoning ... Would love to share with the rest of the community.
Thank you and stay well,
The Spice Detective.
edited by Renee Sayegh.
