Remember that line in Christmas Carol when Scrooge accuses Jacob Marley of being “a bit of underdone potato?” Ebenezer ate some bad food and it gave him bad dreams, very lifelike bad dreams, or so he believed. And I remember watching a scary show that examined the theory that the madness of the Salem “witches” might have been caused by some sort of rye mold. It’s fascinating to me that food sometimes has the power to make us not just physically ill, but a little bit crazy, too. I’ve noticed that when I eat very spicy food, like curry, I have strange and vivid dreams. (Or am I just imagining it?)

And on the other side of the coin we have the foods that we believe make us well. When you were little was there a food or drink you would have when you felt ill? Does it still make you feel better to eat it today? I still feel comforted by saltine crackers and ginger ale. My son believes that water makes him feel better – I wonder if he’ll feel that way when he’s grown.

Do you have a comfort food you turn to when you’re not feeling well? Have you ever eaten anything that made you feel…odd?

Here’s the Mellotones Banana Water. I’m not sure what it is, but it seems to make them feel better. It’s a tonic!

And here’s Nina Simone’s Ooh Child, my musical version of a comforting tonic.