Banish that cold
October 2010
Readers send in effective remedies to eliminate that seasonal misery – the common cold and cough
Home remedies I use for the common cold and cough are ginger tea, and milk with haldi and pepper. Ginger tea is to be had during the daytime and haldi milk at bedtime. For tea: Boil one cup water with a few tulsi leaves and half a teaspoon of grated ginger. Add half a teaspoon tea leaves and let it simmer for a couple of minutes and then strain. Heat milk separately and add to tea. For haldi milk: Boil one cup of milk with half a teaspoon of haldi and coarsely crushed peppercorns each. Add sugar if required, strain and sip while still hot.
MEENA EASHWER, HYDERABAD
My home remedy for the sniffles and barks is a concoction of ginger and lime. Boil one cup of water preferably in a copper vessel. Add one teaspoon dry ginger powder, half a teaspoon pepper powder and allow to simmer for a few minutes. Keep covered for one minute. Strain, add a pinch of salt and three drops of fresh lime juice (lime should be in room temperature). Pour in a porcelain cup, sip slowly allowing it to enter the throat region. Have this at least twice a day.
CHITRALEKHA M, VIA EMAIL
Here’s my homemade remedy for cough and cold:
Ingredients: 1 heaped tbsp of bran(chokar), 3 white/black pepper corns, 2 black cardamoms, 1/4 tsp aniseeds(whole), 1/4tsp coriander seeds, 5 holy basil/tulsi leaves and 250 ml water
Method: Bring all the above mentioned ingredients to boil till the quantity is reduced to half. Strain and add 1 tsp honey or jaggery (gur)
Sip the concoction slowly just before going to bed. Avoid drinking water after this. This not only helps for reducing cough and cold, it also clears the phlegm from the digestive system.
CHITRA VASHISHT, CHANDIMANDIR
Try this remedy for chest congestion: Roast ajwain till it is hot, put it in a cloth bag, knead the bag with your fingers, and sniff at it until your eyes are watering and the phlegm is flowing. Mandatory at bed-time and twice during the day.
SHOBHA GURAV, MUMBAI
Whenever I have a blocked nose, I put a few drops of ghee just below my nostrils when I go to sleep at night. I wake up with a clear head and zero cold!
SUSAN VARUGHESE, MUMBAI