Prescription kitchen: Simple home remedies to bid goodbye to that pesky cough, cold

Let’s learn about a few simple tips for sore throat, stomach pain, and headache, etc., which are tested, age-old, chemical-free home remedies.

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Of late, due to weather changes and fluctuating temperatures, many of us are facing common cold, cough, fever, body ache, headaches, etc. While there is definitely something in the air that’s affecting one and all but at the same time, we also have to work on building immunity to make sure that the immune system takes care of such small changes in the body and helps us overcome common symptoms naturally. I can understand that many of us want to work and be more productive, which is why we end up having medicines as a quick fix.

But it’s always better to allow the body to rest and recover naturally without any side effects of the medicine. Let’s learn about a few simple tips for sore throat, stomach pain, and headache, etc., which are tested, age-old, chemical-free home remedies. It depends on you on how you want to heal your body. If it suits you, try it for sure without jumping on medications immediately. 

Sore throat/cold/cough

• Salt water gargling: Mix 1 tbsp of thick rock salt and 1 tsp of organic turmeric powder in a warm mug of water. Make sure it is not too hot. Gargle with it two to three times a day without swallowing. Turmeric and salt both have anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial properties, which help in soothing the throat.
   
• Steam inhalation: When you have throat irritation and sinuses clogged with mucous, your body tries to cough or sneeze it out to feel better and remove the toxins. If the mucous is thin, it can come out easily but if it is too thick, then we need to start with steam inhalation, once a day, for loosening the mucous. Steam inhalation is hands down the best remedy to overcome phlegm and mucous production because it gives you a runny nose, which is a good sign because the toxins come out of your system. You can add a few drops of eucalyptus or peppermint oil or 1 tsp of turmeric powder to your water before taking the steam.

Stomach ache/cramps/nausea:

• Ginger tea: Take a piece of ginger, which is about an inch in size, then mash and boil it in 200ml water, strain and drink. Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and gingerol—the compound found in ginger—helps in calming an upset stomach as well as improves nausea and stomach cramps. Take this tea twice a day to feel better.
   
• Peppermint: Dip good quality tea bags in hot water and drink once a day. Peppermint tea has flavonoids, which act as an antioxidant and has healing properties. It soothes the stomach and helps control bloating, nausea, and stomach aches. 

Headache

•  Eucalyptus or lavender oil: Massaging the oil on the temples or adding it to a diffuser helps when you’re having a headache. After doing this, focus on deep breathing. This helps in calming the mind and alleviating the headache.
   
• Almonds: Chew on 10 soaked almonds slowly. Almonds are high in magnesium, and other minerals and help get rid of a dreaded headache or migraine. They also contain salicin, which gets converted to salicylic acid in the body; the primary by-product of aspirin. So there you have a safe and natural pain reliever. This is not an exact replacement for medication but can work for mild complaints for sure. 

Fever

•  Fenugreek: Soak 1 tbsp of fenugreek (methi) seeds in a cup of water for two to three hours; then boil in the same water. Strain and take this water twice a day to keep your temperature in control. Fenugreek seeds have compounds such as diosgenin, saponins, and alkaloids that naturally help in balancing body temperature. You can use this concoction three times a day.

Deepika Rathod
Chief Nutrition Officer, Luke Coutinho Holistic 
Healing Systems. The writer is a clinical nutritionist with a focus on healthy lifestyle choices.