Kitchen Wisdom: Alternative Treatments for Common Ailments

From garlic to honey, to lemonade and chicken soup, there are time-honored treatments from grandma’s remedy chest to heal yourself and speed your recovery from common ailments. Just head to the kitchen next time you are feeling ill, and whip up a remedy for what ails you. Below are some of the most common and easily prepared remedies for everything from stomachache to cold and congestion to household burns.

One of the best known is CHICKEN SOUP. Use of chicken soup was reported as early as the 12th century, or possibly even as far back as the ancient Greeks. The Jewish physician and philosopher Moshe Ben Maimon, known as Maimonides, recommended chicken soup to treat colds and flu.

For lung congestion, the “old-timers” used a CASTOR OIL PACK or a MUSTARD PACK. Castor oil packs placed on the chest can open the airwaves and bring circulation to the lungs. Massage Castor Oil or dry mustard (mixed with water to make a paste) on the chest, cover with muslin or flannel, and place a warm hot water bottle over the chest.

For fevers, PEPPERMINT TEA helps break a sweat. Make a tea and go quickly to bed where you will sweat out the fever. It is also a great digestive tonic.

To boost your immune system, try CUMIN AND GINGER TEA. Add a teaspoon of cumin seeds and a small amount of dry or fresh ginger to one glass of boiling water.

CHAMOMILE TEA can be used to soothe a stomachache. It is a very mild herb and good for children.

GINGER is also good for an upset stomach. You can grate fresh ginger into hot water to make tea, or drink ginger ale. ((Make sure your ginger ale has actual ginger and not just ginger flavoring! Health food stores carry brands that contain actual ginger.) Ginger is also an antiviral, which means that it can help kill viruses and help you recover from viral infections.

DILL SEED has long been used for gas, and especially for colic in children. It also helps induce a sweat if you have a fever.

If you have a toothache, CLOVES and CLOVE OIL will numb a tooth while you’re waiting for the dentist to call you back. They may also be used to numb the pain after dental surgery.

TURMERIC is a natural anti-inflammatory. Gargle with turmeric in warm water if you have a sore throat or other types of inflammation.

A small cutting from the ALOE VERA plant will quickly relieve household burns, sunburns, and small cuts. This tropical plant can easily be grown indoors in a small pot and adapts to a variety of outside environments as well.

ELDERBERRIES are another great herb to help break a fever. Elderberries have been used in medicine since the Stone Age.  Recent research University of Jerusalem confirmed that taking elderberries sped healing time.

Researchers in England found that GARLIC can speed up recovery from the flu and increase resistance. Raw GARLIC has anti-fungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. Use as a tea, or you can use the liquid from garlic on a cotton ball to relieve an earache.

HONEY has tremendous healing properties. Honey can be used on burns to speed healing and dull the pain. It must have some kind of healing power as honey from the time of the Egyptians has been found buried in Egyptian tombs. Honey can also be used as a cough syrup. A spoon of honey and lemon, anyone?

Old Fashioned LICORICE can reduce stress. Really! It has an action on the cortisol/cortisone conversion in the adrenals in our bodies. That’s the fight-or-flight mechanism in our bodies.

For the cold or flu, you can use LEMONADE to soothe sore throats, cleanse the blood, and loosen mucous. Add the juice of half a lemon and one teaspoon of maple syrup or honey to a cup of warm water.

Research has shown that VITAMIN C found in orange juice, taken daily, can shorten the duration of the flu.  A recent study showed that 1,000 mg of Vitamin C every six hours can effectively relieve, or even prevent, flu symptoms.

The ACIDOPHILUS culture in yogurt is known to restore the intestinal flora. It is found in yogurt and other cultured foods.

Your home is stocked with many ingredients that can be used to help relieve symptoms of common diseases. You can heal yourself, increase immunity, and speed recovery, with these home remedies.

(Note: Seek medical help if symptoms persist or worsen. At signs of sudden weakness, or high fever, seek emergency care.)