This past weekend was filled with plenty family, love, inspiration, and ... food poisoning. Sadness! Even with having the worst case of food poisoning that my husband and I have had to date, the love & insight that we experienced & gleaned far outweighed the temporary gastrointestinal discomfort.
We were intentional about utilizing herbal medicine to heal our bodies, and in turn we received so much wisdom from our elders. Having Jamaican, Haitian, Trinidadian, and Guyanese ancestral heritage, there is much to pull from in regards to ethnobotany or African diasporic folk medicine. Several family members had herbal medicine remedies to share and they are chronicled below:
Aunt Nez
High Fever: If you are experiencing fever, you take some soursop leaves, boil them into a tea, strain it, and drink it without any additional sweetener.
Soursop Leaves (Guanabana): In addition to reducing the body's internal temperature, soursop leaves most notably are anti-carcinogenic, can regulate blood pressure, can decrease blood sugar, can settle an upset stomach, and increase stamina. [1]
Cousin Elizabeth (Beezy)
Digestive Upset: If you are experiencing digestive upset, take a spoonful of grated bissy, boil it into a tea, strain it, and drink it with honey.
Bissy Tea (Grated Kola Nut): "One of the properties of bissy is its ability to stimulate the intestinal tract to secrete gastric acid required for digestion. It also relieves constipation and an upset stomach. Its antioxidant, antiviral, and antimicrobial properties assist in strengthening the immune system from which the body’s immune response is centered." [2] In addition to addressing intestinal problems. bissy tea can enhance metabolism, male impotence, osteoarthritis, respiratory disorders, migraines, and improving your mental well-being.
Cousin Stephan
Skin Burns: If you experience a skin burn, make a paste with baking soda and water, apply the paste to the burn, and allow it to dry & harden.
Baking Soda: "As with all burns it is important to cool the burn first. Hold the burn in cool water to remove the heat. Next mix equal parts of water and baking soda in a bowl. Spread the baking soda paste onto the burn. As the paste dries out the pain will probably return. When this happens, rinse the baking soda off of the burn and reapply fresh paste." [3]
Cousin Ransford
Digestive Upset: If you experience digestive upset, dissolve a spoonful of baking soda into warm water and drink it without any additional sweetener.
Baking Soda: "Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is the main ingredient in many over-the-counter antacids. You can consume it mixed into a glass of water to achieve the same stomach-soothing effect. About half a teaspoon in four ounces of warm water is all you need." [4]
Cousin Angela
Loss of Fluids: If you are experiencing dehydration or fluid loss through diarrhea, mix some rehydration salts into a cup of water, and drink it without any additional sweetener.
Rehydration Salts: "Oral rehydration therapy is required treatment for severe diarrhea or other illnesses where dehydration is a problem. These oral rehydration salts (ORS), made from the standard World Health Organization formula, should be a part of every travel kit, particularly for those traveling with children or in developing countries." [5]
There is so much insight into our respective familial and ancestral healing practices. Make the time to slow down, ask, and listen. #AskandYeShallReceive
Key Words: Food Poisoning, Ancestral Healing, Ethnobotany, African Diasporic Folk Medicine, Herbal Medicine, Food is Medicine, and Family Heritage.
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