Home Remedies

Born and growing up in India clearly has given me an advantage where holistic approach to life is concerned. During the early 70s when I was a kid I was lucky to grow up in an extended family where there were elders (grandparents) who were involved in raising the kids. There was always plenty of support and wisdom to go around. You see, those days we did not immediately run to see a doctor or turn to a medicine cabinet to pop some pills. Instead we waited out and tried household remedy and more often than not, it worked.

These days, personally feel medicine are over prescribed by doctors so that they can protect themselves  and to avoid secondary infections. There are more and more complications and disorders popping up everyday which was never heard of 30 years ago. Has anyone realized maybe its all the side effects and complications from the vaccines and immunizations. Then we had only a couple of required vaccines, now many.

I agree we do not see the deadly diseases like polio, whooping cough thanks to the immunizations but also we see more and more newer syndromes like Autism and Celiac disease (Wheat intolerance) Wheat is a staple food in large parts of the world but Celiac and Crohn's is more common in USA. Food for thought.....

I'm not trying to talk people against medicines or going to a doctor as they are life saving but just want to share a few simple holistic household cures for those pesky everyday common ailments. It is a fine line so everyone has to make the informed decisions for their families. Again this is just my opinion!

Plants, fruits and vegetables; their powerful healing properties have been used for centuries. The nutrition behind them not only can be used to prevent common diseases, but they are also proven to reduce the risk of hundreds serious illnesses. There are abundance of natural ingredients like fruits, vegetables, plant extracts which has medicinal values and they are so rich in antioxidants. Some of the superfoods are avocados, ginger, clove, lemon, honey, Soy just to name a few....

Acne-
Avocado paste, made with water and ground Avocado, consists of a natural remedy for getting rid of acne. Use it like a face wash making sure to gently rub it on your face for 5 minutes. Then wash it off with water.

Burns-
The most popular and effective way to cure burns is to apply honey on the affected area and cover it with a bandage. Applying Yogurt over the affected area for 15 minutes and washing it off with cold water also very effective.

Cold/ Runny Nose-
Fill your wash basin with hot water and put the stopper or boil a big pot of water. Drop 1/2 tsp of Vicks rub into the hot water and cover your head with a heavy terry towel your face inside, inhale the vapors.The most effective remedy for common cold would be to have Vitamin C AKA Lime Juice. Take a glass of lukewarm water and dilute the lime juice in it. Add a tsp of honey to enhance its efficacy.

Cough-
Pour some honey in a small container ( I used an 8 ounce mason jar) and mix in some cinnamon to taste. Take one spoonful as needed to quiet cough. Honey soothes and coats the throat. For a dry cough try I suggest combining 1 cup of warm milk with two tablespoons sweet butter and drink up.

Diarrhea-
The most effective immediate relief for Diarrhea is would be to take banana along with curd. In my home the magical remedy is swallowing a tbsp fenugreek seeds with a cup of yogurt. Note- Fenugreek is very bitter so must be swallowed with yogurt.

Dandruff-
Combine two tablespoons of vinegar and six tablespoons of hot water. Take a cotton ball and apply it on the scalp. Keep this overnight and wash off your hair next morning.

Fever-
The simplest and the most effective home remedy for common fever is to have a concoction of basil leaves. Take about 12 grams of basil leaves and boil them in half gallon water. Drink this once a day to get relief from common fever. Another effective remedy is add a few strands of spanish Saffron into warm milk, stir and drink 3 times a day.

Hangover-
The best remedy to cure hangover at home would be to increase the intake of vitamin C in the body. Drinking Tomato Juice in large amounts in the morning helps to cure a hangover.

To avoid hangover in the first place, Eat 2 tbsp of butter before you start drinking. This will coat the stomach lining so alcohol absorbtion will be slow.

Hairloss-
Take uncooked egg yolk and massage it on the scalp. Keep it for an hour and then wash off.

Indigestion-
Take equal parts of baking soda and water in a glass mix well and drink this mixture. It would provide instant relief from indigestion. Also another remedy is rub some ice cubes over the stomach after your meal.

Muscle Ache-
Massage, The good old body rub with Lavender oil Clove oil always does the trick. Also wrapping a warm towel over the affected muscle gives relief.

Sore Throat-
The most effective way to cure sore throat would be to mix 4 cloves of garlic, 1 tbsp of honey and 1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper. Have 1 tsp of this mixture, everyday during sore throat. Make sure to chew it well before swallowing. My personal favorite which I use at home is to gargle with lukewarm water with salt. This will surely provide relief.

Sunburn-
An effective remedy for treating sunburn would be to apply a soft towel dipped in milk on the affected area. This would provide relief from the burn. Another household remedy is Apply sliced cucumber or potato on the sun-burnt area. They would provide a soothing effect to the area.

Toothache-
Place a clove of garlic, dipped in rock salt, under the affected tooth. Also chew a clove of garlic every morning. Another common sure relief for toothache is... To a 1/4 tsp of common salt, add a pinch of pepper powder. Apply this mixture over the affected tooth.

Queasiness/ Nausea- Drink Gingerale. Scientific research shows that ginger may help control nausea related to pregnancy, surgical anesthesia and, yes, even for Sea sickness.

Urinary Tract Infections-
Drinking Cranberry juice can help prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs), according to several studies. Cranberries contain compounds called proanthocyanidins that appear to keep harmful bacteria from sticking to the bladder. Eating dried cranberries is even better. Also drink plenty of water.

Yeast Infections-
Eat plain Greek yogurt. A few studies suggest that eating yogurt which contains "good" bacteria may keep yeast under control. One study found that women who regularly ate yogurt had a healthier balance of bacteria and fewer infections.

Jyothi is a long time New City resident, more can be found on her blog at http://livingforsoul.com