Home Remedy a la Agave

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“A shot of tequila is the answer…” to just about anything that ails me, according to my husband. Leaning over the railing about to lose my dinner to the stingrays swirling below in the marina, the last thing I could think about, on the first night of that diving trip to Cabo, was alcohol.

 Wasn’t that what usually put anyone leaning over a railing?

 “Seriously, it’ll kill anything brewing in your gut.”

 I rolled my eyes at him and back down at the hungry stingrays.

 “It works every time,” he said.  “The Mexicans swear by it. They’ve got good practice.”

Dismal images of Central American cisterns and waterways from our travels crept into memory. And, knowing my husband’s less than tolerant stomach, I decided there might be some merit to it.

“Fine. Just about anything’s better than feeding the sting rays this way,” I said, rubbing beads of sweat off my neck and brow.

In a few minutes he returned with the shots.

“That’s a fifty dollar shot.  And it’s gotta be a shot. No lollygagging. No sniftering. Shoot it like an American college kid. The high quality tequila’s supposed to be the best. ”

“Fifty bucks? That’s copay,” I said, slugging the shot.  Not a die-hard fan of hard liquor, I braced myself against the railing for the impending war in my gut. As the tequila-inspired burn descended into the boil in my stomach, I closed my eyes impervious to the beautiful sunset.

“You still with me, there?” my husband asked in a minute or so.

I opened my eyes just as the sky erupted in brilliant oranges and plums. Stepping back from the railing, I said, “I can’t believe it!”

“Works every time,” he repeated.

“Yes, my stomach ache’s gone. Really gone!  Thanks!”

Cabo San Lucas

Cabo San Lucas

So, on most trips where water and street food may put our gringo guts in question, we’re sure to swig it down with a bit of tequila. I’m wondering if it doesn’t work as well for the flu or if you’ve gotta drink the shot at just the right time to intercept the flu bacillus?  Lord knows I tried to figure that one out this week.

As fate has designated this week as flu week in my household, I’m fighting it with all I’ve got, including with what we affectionately call “drug-runner” tequila in our household (another story…).  But battling the flu has reminded me of all the things we do to stay or get healthy. What methods have you used to stay healthy while traveling or during flu season? What family traditions form your get-well arsenal?

14 thoughts on “Home Remedy a la Agave”

  1. I eat well, plenty of apples (to keep the dr away) and oranges (for vitamin C) included. I move my body here and there.
    I’m a fan of tequila, but not for the flu.
    My mother always bought the traditional yellow-green Gatorade, ginger ale, and saltines for sickness, so I do, too. I try to always keep some homemade chicken noodle soup.in the freezer. It’s actually been a long time since any of us were sick….*knocks wood* — well over a year….*knocks wood* We’ve been blessed!

    Hope you’re feeling better soon!

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  2. You are a trusting wife and a brave soul, Renee!
    Thankfully, I have not encountered any illness or accidents that caused more havoc to my body than the night I buddied up with some tequila in Acapulco with a group of 19 year old peers. Until my minister and my doctor are standing at my bedside telling me in unison that drinking a shot of tequila is my only hope for survival, I’ll stick with the B.R.A.T diet as the cure for fighting those silent invaders.

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    • Christy, i am chuckling at the full circle of life you paint… I could have used the BRAT foods for those hangovers in my twenties! Oh, what we learn in our twenties vs what we learn later!

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  3. Pingback: The Cure | joeyfullystated

  4. At least he bought great tasting tequila! LOL.
    For the flu, I like homemade chicken noodle soup, hot tea, and plenty of rest. Saltines are good, too.
    For a sore throat/cough, a hot toddy is the way to go.
    Hope you are feeling better!

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    • Thanks. Me too. Teaching and going to meetings on 2 hours of sleep is no fun… but it’s a good reminder of what many people go through regularly with care taking elders, babies and working much, much more than I do. I’m very lucky. A couple days of brain fry won’t kill me. My student rating might though!

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