Old Wives Tales and Natural Remedies from Kitchen
Having being a mother to a pre-teenager has taught me many things…one of those things is to give endless instructions telling her that doing ‘this’ and doing ‘That’ would be bad for her health!
Thinking about health, I have many years of Childhood memories that I can reflect on which can be described as Old Wives Tales with not an element of truth behind them, while others made a modicum of sense. Whether or not they are true really doesn’t matter, they are just a reminder of what our ancestors used to say! Not all the ones mentioned are to do with natural remedies, but I thought they were fun anyway and a little part of social history that has almost been forgotten!
I was always keen to learn these so called – Wives Tales and natural remedies, I decided to do my own little research in my spare time on the internet and read many books to see which ones – if any –were actually based on a fact. The deeper I delved the more memories came back! I hope you find this as interesting as I did. As I started to read more and research more and more about the things our ancestors used to say, I discovered that there is a bit of truth behind some of the old sayings! Over the years, I have written down and used numerous natural remedies which have been passed on to me by my mother and grandmother! My daughter is a great believer of natural remedies, and always asks me if I have magical remedies if she falls over and scrapes or has a tummy ache.
An Apple a Day keeps the doctor away….
This saying was frequently used as an encouragement to children to eat more fruit! There are many exotic fruits available today, but when we were children, Apples were a part of the staple diet! There is a small amount of truth behind this saying, as apples contains vitamins and minerals which are beneficial to our health, reducing chance of heart diseases, strokes, and cancer just as examples. The skin is beneficial as the flesh of the apple, so it’s good to have both. Apples help in lowering the ‘bad’ cholesterol and by eating two each day, you can reduce it to 16%. Children who suffer from Asthma can be benefitted by drinking apple juice in a regular basis, so it’s worth encouraging your children to drink fresh fruit juice, rather than sodas, many of which are loaded with artificial flavours and sugar!
Feed a cold
You might have heard this often when you fall sick…denying your body any type of food during any illness means you are not getting the proper nutrients it needs to get well ! It’s vital to drink lots of fluids if you have a cold or a flu to replace all the fluids that are lost from the body! Our bodies have sufficient reserves to last for 3 days, but longer than that is not recommended! So next time you have a cold, stuff yourself well with good food!
My Mother’s Kitchen Cupboard was a treasure cove of remedies…there were bottles of infused oils, small jars of powders like bicarbonate of soda, Vinegar, seeds and chests full of Lavender oils and bowls of lemon! I’m trying to recall the natural little miracles which came of her magic chest…as you read on !
Vinegar
The vinegar has been accidentally discovered over 10, 000 years and has been used in cooking in Asia and also a staple ingredient of the British Diet! Besides cooking, it’s a common ingredient in treating common ailments like acne, age spots, arthritis, Asthma, body odour, bruises, burns, cold, constipation, dandruff, diabetes, digestion, ear infections, eczema, heartburn, warts and even morning sickness! The flavoured Vinegar is Apple Cider Vinegar which is readily available in all the super stores and health food stores. Apple Cider Vinegar absorbs all the goodness of the fruits such as Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, Iron and phosphorus and is a powerful detoxifying and purifying agent. It helps in thinning the blood which helps in preventing high blood pressure. If you suffer of indigestion and heartburn problem, consider having a mixture of apple cider Vinegar and water just before food. If you feel too adventurous, you can also make your own Apple Cider Vinegar at home.
Garlic Infused Chest rub for colds
The natural healing power of this bulb called Garlic has been performing miracles throughout the world. Even some of the world’s oldest civilisations claim that Garlic has been beneficial to good health. Taking all these things into consideration, means you have one of the finest remedies around.
You will need:
- 10 large Garlic Cloves, skinned and chopped into tiny pieces
- 500 Ml of Mustard oil/Olive Oil ( preferably extra Virgin)
- Carom Seeds (Ajwain Seeds) : 3 Tablespoon full.
- Sterilised Jar
Method:
- Put the oil in a pan and let it heat slowly and allow it to boil.
- Add the chopped garlic pieces and the seeds and again out in back on fire to boil
- Let it boil till the garlic darkens and the seeds burn. Don’t let it fume.
- Leave to stand for 1 day and then strain through a muslin or a strainer into the sterilised jar.
This Garlic infused oil is especially useful when you are treating infants and young children for cold, cough, chest congestions , earache! Just warm the oil and rub it gently under the feet, on the forehead, chest around the nose (very gently) and palms. Make sure you slip on socks. Next morning…see the miracle yourself!
Ginger and Basil Infused Natural Cough Syrup
We all know the benefits of Ginger as a flavouring agent, but were you aware that it has been used medicinally since ancient times. Its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and also has antimicrobial properties to treat minor wounds and sores. Always be cautious while you take ginger, as it’s a stimulant and take small amounts at one time. Also, do not give ginger to young children under 2 years of age. If you have a cough at night, have few ginger pieces with salt to help you sleep well. The cough syrup is extremely beneficial if you have a chest infection, tickly or chesty cough, sore throat or cold. You will notice a difference in 2-3 hours.
You will need:
- Water: 4 cups
- Ginger: Cleaned and chopped into pieces
- Basil Leaves: a Handful
- Cinnamon: 3 sticks ( 1/2 inch long stick)
- Cloves: 5-6
- Carom Seed/Ajwain: 2 Tbsp
- Black Raisins ( Optional)
Method
- Boil all the ingredients together till the 4 cups of water reduces into 2 cups
- Strain the mixture
- Drink 5-6 sips, when its moderate lukewarm after every 30 mins
- Cover and store
- Discard unused liquid after 5-6 hours.
- Make a fresh one if you need more.
Home remedies, and natural cures for minor ailments using things found in your kitchen and house are becoming more and more popular! They are inexpensive, contain no harmful chemicals, and very rarely have any side effects! You can’t out a price on your health or that of your loved ones, so many people are now going back to traditional ways in preference to medicinal drugs. The kitchen is a great place to start as we continue to discover more and more positive properties in our everyday foods. So whether we want to get rid of a nasty sore throat, cold, cough or want to boost our immune system, why not turn to some granny’s old remedies which aren’t nearly as archaic as they might sound!
I have many things to thank my parents and Grandparents- precious memories, tenderness, family values and miraculous cures for ailments. I have attempted to pass this on to my daughter, which is already a great enthusiast and I’m proud to say that my daughter would rather try some natural remedies than rush off to the GP or chemist for a proprietary medicine. Of course common sense has to prevail…if you notice the symptoms are serious…then you must seek medical advice!
