DADI MAAN KE NUSKHE

Simple home remedies for common ailments

Priya Khanna, Seemaa Tarneja | September 22, 2005

You love pottering about in your kitchen.

And now, you have one more reason -- the very ingredients you need for cooking can be used to whip up home remedies to combat common ailments like constipation, sore throat and more.

These simple home remedies tap the chemicals naturally present in herbs, spices, fruits, vegetables, etc, to tackle the pain and infection in your body.

Why home remedies?

~ They are less expensive than other alternative forms of medicine.

~ They do not cause any reactions or side effects.

The following remedies can be used to relieve common discomforts and life's 'little' health problems...

Sore throat

This could be accompanied with cough due to an infection of the lungs, causing a secretion of mucous. Some home remedies that can be used are:

i. Boil water. Add a dash of cinnamon, a little piece of ginger, 1 tsp honey and drink.

ii. Heat water with 2 tsp of lemon juice and 2 tsp of honey and sip.

iii. Heat one glass of water, add a tsp of salt and gargle. Be careful not to swallow the water as it may make you feel like throwing up.

iv. Take 1 tsp fresh ginger juice, ½ tsp honey and a pinch of turmeric. Swallow this mixture at least three times a day.

v. Heat ½ glass milk, add less than ¼ tsp of turmeric and sugar. Drink while warm.

vi. Pour one cup of boiling water over a piece of ginger, ½ tsp ground cloves and ½ tsp cinnamon. Filter it, sweeten with honey and have it sip by sip. This helps when there is mucus in the cough.

vii. Add ½ a raw onion, 2 cloves, 4-5 mint leaves, 2-3 black peppercorns and a small stick of cinnamon to a glass of water. Boil it thoroughly, strain and have while it is still warm. To reduce the spicy taste, you could add 1 tsp of honey.

viii. Avoid milk and milk products if you have excess mucous secretion for one month.

Common cold

i. Blow your nose often, rather than sniffing back the mucous.

ii. Put 2-3 drops of salt water in your nose in the morning and before going to bed. Salt keeps the nasal passage moist; the saline solution also helps thin the mucous so you can get rid of it at regular intervals.

iii. Make hot chicken soup with lots of garlic. Have when hot. It will help unclog your nasal passage.

iv. Have lots of liquids like tea, soups, etc, daily. This will replace important fluids lost during the cold and help flush out impurities.

v. Soak your feet in warm water, it will help relieve any headaches or nasal congestion you get during your cold.

vi. Warm ¼ katori mustard oil to which you have added 4-5 cloves of chopped garlic. Apply this on your nose, chest and back just as you would a bottle of Vicks. Cover up and sleep.

vii. Boil half a bowl of water, add few drops of eucalyptus oil and inhale the steam.

Acidity

i. Chew 8-10 pudina leaves (fresh mint leaves) early in the morning on an empty stomach for one month. Having raw onions along with your meals will also keep acidity at bay.

ii. Drink a glass of lemon juice before each meal, it will help relieve acidity.

iii. Avoid too much tea, coffee, fried and fermented food as they stimulate acid production.

iv. Take a glass of water, add a pinch of baking soda and drink it at one go. It gives immediate relief.

v. Take a glass of warm water, add a pinch of hing (asafoetida) and have it every morning.

vi. Drink coconut water 3-4 times in a day.

vii. Eat a serving of cucumber or watermelon 4-5 times in a day.

viii. Chew 7-8 basil (tulsi leaves) leaves to get relief from acidity and gas.

ix. A glass of kokum sherbet with little jeera (cumin seeds) added to it helps relieve acidity.

Next: Banish hiccups, stomachache, constipation and more.