Sometimes it is the climate or sometimes it is just the depleting immunity levels of our bodies that play havoc, leaving us with running or blocked noses, snooze-sneezes ( I say ‘snooze’ because they are just like our alarm clocks, the more we hit snooze mode, the more irritating it gets when it rings again).
Colds can be great options to be at home with a hot cup of ‘masala chai’ (flavoured tea); under blankets with no intention of looking at the mirror and be gawked back by a joker with a red nose! But then, not everyone is as lucky. Some, or rather most of us don’t have the luxury to stay back indoors when the world and work beckons!
How do you cope up with the surprising weakness and tiredness associated with the common, not-so-good cold? With not much time to drop down to the hospital to get the doctor’s opinion and the prescribed medicines, it can leave you quite depleted off your sanity (Oh sure it does… I have been a recent victim).
Lucky are those who have grandparents or at least those who have some age-old tips passed on from generations about maintaining one’s well-being. Don’t have both? Worry not, for I am here to share what my grandmother considers to be the best bet against common cold and cough and the tons of other diseases it brings with it.
Stock up on it even if you don’t have a cold. Ever tried cutting a single leaf of the plant and putting it in the vessel when the tea leaves start spreading its colour and aroma? You will not only be elated but you’ll feel fresh all day long. Without drilling a hole in your pocket, you already are having herbal tea at the comfort of your home.
Lemongrass Tea
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She was giving me a surprisingly tasty medicine throughout the period I was suffering from cold. After much prodding, she revealed the recipe.
Take equal amounts of dry ginger (saunth), black pepper (kali mirch), ajwain seeds (Carum copticum/ Bishop’s weed), jeera (cumin seeds) and jaggery for taste. Slightly roast these ingredients together, except jaggery, grind it and store. Whenever needed (say before going to bed), add two tablespoons of this powder to a glass of water and boil. Add jaggery for taste and 2-3 tulsi leaves (Ocimum tenuiflorum). Drink and let this medicine do the rest!
Spices
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Panikoorka or Plectranthus amboinicus is better known in India as Indian borage or Patta Ajwain. Pluck two or three leaves of it and keep it beneath your pillow before sleeping. I teased and laughed at my cousin who was suffering from cold, when she covered her head like little Red Riding Hood and placed these leaves under her pillow before she slept. The next morning she was laughing. The cold had gone overnight!
That’s when she told me that a Panikoorka leaf, when squeezed and its juice given to one suffering from cough, cold or chest congestion, it miraculously goes a long way in curing it. This happened in Kerala where it grows widely. Luck would be on your side if you happen to lay your hands on it! Goodluck!
Paanikoorka
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Oh yes, I can already feel so many of you cringing at the mention of it but I swear by it. Just a pinch of turmeric in a warm glass of milk- drink before you go to bed and slowly you realize that it is doing its trick.
Turmeric Milk
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Grab your cuppa! Wondering how dry ginger coffee (chukku kaapi) would taste? Take my word on this; you should go on this adventure with your taste buds. Spare the milk in this one if you wish to. The black version would taste just as awesome, or maybe more!
Dry ginger tea
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Get well soon. If these tips still don’t help then probably your cold is a bit more stubborn. Then unfortunately or fortunately, it’s time you made that much needed trip to the hospital. After all, that’s what doctors are for- to take care of you when the bad forces of the world conspire to make you sick.
Story compiled with inputs from:
www.babycareforyou.com/panikoorka-the-natural-home-remedy-for-cough-cold-and-fever-in-children/
