Part 1
Monsoons bring in the much awaited and much wanted waters from the skies down to earth. The sudden dip in the mercury on the thermometer, the gushing waters washing down the filth and dirt from all over water forming puddles everywhere and the proliferating germs cumulatively reduce the immunity of the body and increase the germ count in the environment.
In such a scenario common cold is the first foe that attacks you. The condition is self-limiting though it affects the daily routine with a running nose, heavy head, splitting headache and fever. A good rest, warm clothes and a few home remedies are enough to pull you out safely and healthily out of the monsoon cold. Unnecessary and indiscriminate usage of antibiotics and other medicines are to be judiciously restricted to extreme conditions and must always be prescribed by a qualified doctor.
A few home remedies
Heat a lemon on fire till it bursts open. Squeeze the juice out, add two pinches of pepper powder and a spoon of honey and take it to get relief from heaviness of the head and running nose.
Lemon juice with honey and barley water on empty stomach for 41 days during summer prepares you to resist the monsoon cold.
Tulasi juice, juice of shallots and wild honey in equal proportions helps to reduce sore throat and itchy throat.
2 grams each of powdered pepper, cloves and cardamom in a spoon of honey is good for sore throat and cough.
Boil 150 ml of milk with 3 g of pepper, 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder and water at night reduces chest congestion.
Apply warm Karpooradi Thailam on the chest, forehead and nose and take steam with water boiled with cabbage shreds and betel leaves to reduce cold.
Prepare herbal tea with turmeric, Tulasi leaves, liquorice and jaggery. Drink it hot five to six times daily.
Prepare a spicy soup with moongdal stock, roasted and ground mustard, fenugreek, asafoetida, jeera and pepper. Garnish with diced curry leaves, mint leaves and coriander leaves. Drink hot.
Prepare a paste of turmeric in water and smear it on a muslin cloth. Dry the cloth and roll it into a wick. Light up the end of the wick and inhale the smoke emanated.
Boil 2 litres of water for 30 minutes on low flame with Trikatu (Pepper, long pepper and dry ginger) and store it in a thermos flask. Use this water as drinking water.
Your first pharmacy is your kitchen. Let your kitchen keep you warm, nourished and healthy this monsoon………
