Home Remedy Tips #1

Article by Prewit P

Home Remedies

The transition period from summer to monsoon is a proliferation time for the bacteria & viruses that cause’s common illness like cold and flu. Nature has taken its toll and caught me unguarded. As I stood with my dripping nose , preparing black coffee with ginger and crushed black pepper, mind raced back to my childhood days. My Grandmother used to prepare some concoctions, we call it kashaayam”, from simple ingredients available from the kitchen shelf itself. It was simple, tasty and very effective too. In fact, she had home remedy for almost all the every day ailment.

My family still prefers natural home remedies over modern medicines, at least, for common ailments, as it is cost effective with no side effects (if taken under guidance) and most of all for the satisfaction of self curing.

Some home remedies for common ailments

The idea of home based remedy is to improve the immune system and kill the offending micro-organisms. The naturally present elements in herbs, vegetables, fruits etc.  helps our body with a process of self healing. Here, I am going to suggest few home remedy tips for common every-day ailments.

Common Cold & Cough

Have black tea with a table spoon of honey, ginger juice and half a lemon juice. Both ginger and lemon has antioxidant properties and mixed together acts as excellent expectorant. Lemon juice is rich in Vitamin C and it boosts the immune system.

My personal preference is black coffee sweetened with jaggery (un-processed sugar/ raw sugar) laced with ginger juice and crushed black pepper corns.

For dry cough, have shallots (small onions) with jaggery. But, remember to use at least one year old jaggery; fresh jaggery will give increase the phlegm and cough. Jaggery can be replaced with honey.

Honey mixed with crushed Holy basil leaves (tulsi) is also very effective for cold and cough. Holy basil has phytochemicals, a compound which is an antioxidant, antibacterial and immune booster.

Try this time tested remedy! Add a teaspoon of turmeric powder in a cup of milk and boil for few minutes. Have this brew hot, twice a day. The antioxidant and anti-infective property of turmeric will boost the immune system.

Fever

One of the most effective remedy is to have herbal tea made of holy basil. Just boil a hand full of basil leaves in 750 ml of water, reduce it to half and consume approximately 50 ml, twice a day.

Soak 10-15 grams of raisin in a glass of water, crush it along with the water, strain and add little lemon juice.

For malaria fever, have a slice of raw salted papaya every day in the morning.

Take peel of an orange and boil it in 150 ml of water until it is reduced to one fourth and drink this concoction hot.

Boil dry ginger and coriander seeds in 1:2 ratio until the water reduced to ¼ of its quantity and drink hot.

Stomach Ache

A mixture of lemon juice, ginger juice, mint juice and a pinch of black salt is very effective for stomach ache.

Strong black tea with half a lemon squeezed into it will ease the stomach ache.

In a glass of soda water add half a lemon juice, a pinch of crushed pepper and a pinch of black salt. This is very effective for stomach ache.

Did you know that many of synthetic drugs are made to target only one molecule & their affect on other molecules are unknown. On the contrary, herbs act on multiple targets & has been tested by generations of people. Its amazing that a little bit of awareness & understanding can work wonders on your body.

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