Ah natural

I remember the cold, blustery days of childhood winters in New Delhi when piping hot radish parathas were the best lunch eaten sitting out on charpoys under a toasty sun. But even as we ate these delicious parathas, we know later that day, (by dinner definitely) we would also have to eat a simple dish of steamed and lightly spice-fried radish leaves (cooking it apparently destroys its nutritional benefits). Making faces and pushing the green mash to the furthest edge of the plate pushed grandma to the edge as well as she launched into a long lecture on the medicinal benefits of eating radish leaves.

"It's a mineral wealthouse," she would say. "What would you silly children know of how nature has packed every edible stem, root and leaf with nutritional benefits?"

As an adult, some of the admonishment has obviously embedded itself in my mind because today I find myself looking for radish in supermarkets with their leaves intact. Grandmothers, I guess, are always right.

Dr Asha Rani can understand perfectly well why I feel this way about age-old home remedies. As I talk to her about natural help for the body for minor aches and pains, she indulges in a bit of nostalgia about her childhood too. She grew up watching her father practise traditional and herbal medicine.

After completing a Bachelor of Science degree, Dr Rani graduated with a Bachelor of Ayurveda and completed her Panchakarma studies from the Taranath Ayurveda College from Gulbarga University. She has been a general practitioner in Ayurveda for the past 12 years. She also practices colon hydrotherapy and teaches Ashtanga yoga.

Today, Dr Rani is the general physician and Ayurveda doctor at the Dubai Herbal Treatment Centre. She provides a list of safe, effective home remedies* for common ailments that not only allow the body to ingest natural ingredients but also reimprint on our minds the simple ways we can keep our health in check.

Coughing

Mix 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder with honey and consume five to six times a day.
Boil 25g of fennel and fenugreek seeds in half a litre of water for 20 minutes. Drink this concoction three times day and add honey to taste.
Mix 1 teaspoon of fresh white radish juice with honey and drink three times a day.

Cold

Boil 1/2 tsp of cumin, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp coriander and 1/2 tsp ginger in four glasses of water until reduced to about one cup. Drink it warm with honey twice a day. Add two cloves if you have a cough.
Mix 1 tsp of elderflower, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp peppermint and 1 tsp yarrow in warm water.

Sore throat

Chew fresh ginger cut into small pieces with sugar candy and swallow the juice. Make sure you chew very slowly. Gargle with aniseed decoction (a decoction involves a method of extraction by boiling herbs). This aniseed-infused water is made by boiling aniseed in water.

Hair loss

Apply 1 tsp of lemon juice with sesame oil, olive oil or almond oil to your scalp at night. Wash with cool water and shampoo (egg yolk is the best shampoo) in the morning. Wrap your hair up in a hot towel to steam. This will open up your scalp's pores. Doing this regularly will minimise hair loss.
Eat foods that are rich in iron and vitamin B complex (found in green vegetables, fruits, and salads, fish, nuts and cottage cheese). Ensure you get good and regular sleep; eat regular meals and do yoga regularly. Doing the surya namaskar or sun salutation regularly is proven to be most beneficial.

Dandruff

Apply 1 egg yolk mixed with henna powder to your scalp. Leave for 30 minutes and wash off with cool water. Do the last rinse with 3 tsps diluted in a mug of water. Do it twice weekly and you will notice a difference after three months.
Cut down on fried foods, sugar, fizzy drinks and white flour.
Increase your intake of alkaline foods.

To control pre-menopausal symptoms

Cut down on red meat, fried and processed foods as well as sweets.
Reduce stress by practicing yoga.
Start a basic cleansing therapy with cumin (helps to absorb nutrients), coriander (eliminates toxic chemicals) and fennel (reduces bloating and regulates digestion).Add ¼ tsp of each of these to one and half quarts of warm water. Do not boil. Make fresh every day.
Drink fresh carrot juice every day. Add cucumber, beetroot and apple for greater effect; these will also add to the taste. Adding 30ml of aloe juice to a glass helps to detox the uterus.
Eat a clove of garlic every day.
Do the following yoga postures: Cat (bidaalasana), Bow (dhanurasana), Bridge (setubandasana), Upward facing dog (urdwamukha svanasana)
Eat light, fresh, whole foods and eliminate processed foods completely.

Toothache

n Gargle with a clove and fennel decoction to reduce inflammation and infection.
Make a small poultice with a piece of gauze using clove powder paste in lime juice. Insert into the painful gum. It is best to leave it on overnight.

Earache

Add 1 tsp of table salt to warm water. Add drops into your ears as this will reduce the pain. If the pain becomes too severe, seek medical advice.

Insect bites and stings

For bee stings, cut a large onion in half and rub on the bite or sting area until the pain subsides.
Apply table salt and rub onto your skin. This will relieve itching.

Joint pains

Prepare a healing oil by mixing castor oil with crushed garlic, ginger and asafoetida. Apply the oil to painful joints and rub in slowly.
Reduce your intake of dry, spicy, salty and cold heavy foods.
Eat fresh fruits such as pears and plums, which are especially good.
Cook with moderate amounts of ginger, turmeric, and black pepper.
Avoid eating bananas, eggplant, bell peppers and yoghurt at night.
Walk and swim for exercise.

Memory loss

Drink a glass of black grape juice every day as this improves memory.
Eat foods in their natural forms; avoid processed, canned and refined foods.n Include healthy proteins such as legumes, beans, and grains in your diet on a regular basis.
Keep your brain active by remaining stimulated: learn a new language or play the board game 30 Seconds with your friends and family. Memory can improve through this kind of mental training. (And it's fun too!)n Abyanga (a mild, oily massage) enhances mental alertness.
Taking short periods of rest in between a busy schedule as this will help you retain your concentration when you get back to work.

Headaches

Headaches are most commonly as a result of anxiety and tension, nasal congestion from colds or sinusitis, muscle spasms or digestive upsets such as biliousness or constipation. High blood pressure can also be a cause, but this requires medical treatment. To counter minor headaches, these treatments are quite helpful:

Gently rub a few drops of lavender oil into your temples. This will help relieve tension headaches.
Apply fresh ginger juice to your forehead and rest.
Make a paste of cinnamon powder and lemon juice and apply to your forehead. Rest in a dark room.
Peppermint is good for headaches related to indigestion.

Digestive problems

Add 1 tsp crushed coriander seeds and 1 small piece of ginger to 2 glasses of water. Boil for 15 minutes and drink warm with honey to taste.

Stomach upset

A decoction made from cloves will offer relief.
Add black pepper and ginger to food to settle an upset tummy.

Vomiting

A decoction made from cardamom seeds in about four glasses of water stops vomiting.
Cardamom seed powder mixed with honey and coconut water three times a day eases nausea.

Acid reflux

Boil 2 tsps of coriander powder for 10 minutes in a glass of water. Drink everyday in the morning for 21 days.
Avoid dry, spicy and salty foods.
Drink plenty of water and rest properly. Eat promptly when hungry.
Do not skip meals.

Eczema

Drink a glass of tomato juice about four times a day.

Anaemia

Crush six dates, five almonds and five raisins. Soak in water overnight. In the morning, grind them with a bit of water and add the fresh juice of 1 apple. Add a pinch of pepper and a pinch of table salt.