There may be times in our lives where we or our loved ones may face health challenges. I know when my dad had cancer, my blog would have helped me and my loved ones. Road to Wellness will be a series of blogs of people that have found wellness and strategies that we can use in our everyday lives.
I will be writing about people that have inspired me and I hope will inspire you.
As I was growing up, our kitchen was filled with natural remedies. Anytime anyone of us were unwell, my mother always used herbs and spices in the kitchen as healing remedies to bring us all back to wellness and not only that, she introduced me to massage. She taught me how to massage and alleviate aching muscles. So this blog is dedicated to my Mum, who has inspired me.
Herb and Spices: All spices originate from plants: flowers, fruits, seeds, barks, leaves, and roots. They not only give food flavour but they also aid in improving heart health, inducing sweating, keeping the skin healthy, regulating the metabolism, and detoxifying the body. Herbs and spices protect the body by fighting infection, boosting the immune system, reducing inflammation. As you saw earlier, I used turmeric as a natural antibiotic. I also added spices to my cooking to create delicious food. You can even grow your own so you get the organic benefits.
Garlic is Intensely aromatic and flavourful It has great health benefits for the heart and a natural antibiotic. It can also be grown in your garden.
Ginger has a pungent taste and has anti-inflammatory properties. I use in an antibiotic drink with freshly squeezed lemon juice, honey and warm water. I also cut fresh ginger with freshly squeezed lemon juice as a refreshing drink.
Fresh chilli is the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum. It’s adds aromatic flavour to cooking and contains up to seven times the vitamin C level of an orange and has a range of health benefits, including fighting sinus congestion, aiding digestion and helping to relieve migraines and muscle, joint and nerve pain. It’s also a good source of vitamins A and E, beta-carotene, folic acid and potassium. It can also be grown in your garden.
Lal Mirchi Powder or Red Chili Powder. Besides capsaicin, chilies contain antioxidants, including vitamin C and carotenoids,
Dhaniya Powder or Coriander Powder. Coriander seeds are used as a spice, and coriander leaves for garnishing curries, salads, or soups. Coriander is known all over the world for its medicinal properties. It is a great source of potassium, iron, vitamins A, K, and C, folic acid, magnesium, and calcium that can heal many health issues. Fresh corriander can also be grown in your garden.
Garam Masala or Whole Spice Mix. This is a blend of spices and is loaded with powerful disease-fighting and health-promoting antioxidants.
Haldi | Turmeric Powder. This gives the curry a beautiful colour and I have always used it as a natural antibiotic.
Sabut Jeera or Cumin Seeds. Jeera has a bitter flavor and is full of vitamins and minerals.
Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, breakfast cereals, snack foods, tea and traditional foods. Cinnamon also contains large amounts of polyphenol antioxidants. Antioxidants can help protect the body from disease.
Clove is pungent and adds flavour to food. When I have had a toothache, I have put one clove straight onto the tooth, it helps to soothe it. Clove has antibacterial properties among other benefits.
My kitchen was and is now filled with lots of products that I could use as natural beauty and healing products.
Honey: A natural sweetener with wonderful healing properties. I like to use local honey, if I have access to it. The flowers where the bees collect the nectar to make the honey, has all the things that is in the environment and when taken internally it helps to build up an immunity. It’s great to use as a face mask.
Gram flour, turmeric and yogurt make a great face mask. It leaves the skin very smooth. I grew up using this mask once a week.
Baking soda: Mix quarter teaspoon with a teaspoon of coconut oil and wash with clean water. The skin is left clean. You can use baking soda to wash your vegetables and fruits to remove pesticides. Simply fill a bowl with cool water and add a few tablespoons of baking soda. Soak fruit or vegetables in the water for 5 to 10 minutes, occasionally scrubbing with a vegetable brush.
Coconut Oil: It high in natural saturated fats. Saturated fats not only increase the healthy cholesterol (known as HDL cholesterol) in your body, but also help convert the LDL “bad” cholesterol into good cholesterols. By increasing the HDL in the body, it helps promote heart health. This is how I use Coconut oil:
- I drink, 2 table spoons everyday.
- I mix it with essential oils and massage it into my hair and onto my skin.
- Coconut oil can be used as a mouthwash, this is called oil pulling. This is an ancient Ayurvedic dental technique that involves swishing a tablespoon of oil in your mouth on an empty stomach for around 20 minutes. This action supposedly draws out toxins in your body, primarily to improve oral health but also to improve your overall health.
Fresh Aloe Vera Gel: If you manage to access to the big leaves of Aloe, you can use the gel inside. The gel is great as a moisturiser and it’s great to soothe skin burns and insect bites. I add essential oils to mine adding tremendous healing properties. I also add fresh aloe vera gel to my morning juice, it’s a great antioxidant with antibacterial properties and improves digestion. It helps to become beautiful on the inside and outside.
Freshly Lemon Juice. This not only has a lovely zesty flavour to cooking, but it also’s acts a natural cleanser.
Natural Antibiotic Drink
What you need: hot water, turmeric, honey, freshly grated ginger and freshly squeezed Lemon juice. You can mix the ingredients to how you would like the drink to taste.
Check out what you have in your kitchen and see what you can add to your beauty , first aid box and/or to your cooking to make it flavoursome.
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