In the wake of the Covid outbreak, the entire human race worldwide is suffering. Enhancing the body’s natural defence system (immunity) plays an essential role in maintaining optimum health.
We all know that prevention is better than cure. While there is no medicine for COVID, it is advisable to take preventive measures that will boost our immunity in these times.
Viruses cause the common cold and seasonal flu. Symptoms include sore throat, runny nose, congestion, cough, fever, headache, and muscle soreness. While cold symptoms can make you feel bad for a few days, flu symptoms can make you feel quite ill for a few days to weeks.
Ayurveda’s classical scriptures outlined the self-care, awareness, and harmony each individual can achieve. Ayurveda home remedies recommend lifestyle changes, a balanced diet, yoga asanas, and herbal remedies to prevent seasonal infection and treat flu, cold, and mild covid infection. These will ease the discomfort, reduce stress anxiety, nurture health, restore balance, and boost immunity.
These home remedies can also be followed at home to prevent lifestyle diseases. Below are some of the age-old Ayurveda home remedies for cough, cold, and seasonal flu passed down across generations.
Kashayam / Herbal Concoction
Kashayam refers to a water decoction or extract of edible herbs and spices, including turmeric, black pepper, basil leaves, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, molasses, and lemon juice. It is made by adding all the ingredients to water and boiling to extract the nutrients. It is also called Kwath or Kadha in other places in India. It is an Ayurveda medicine that our ancestors have passed down to us as part of their traditional knowledge of natural healing.
Since ancient times, people in India have been drinking Kashayam as a home remedy against cough, cold, fever, sore throat, and indigestion. Some experts suggest that it can also help fight Covid by boosting your immunity. Drinking a cup of Kashayam combined with healthy lifestyle habits, a balanced diet, exercise, and sleep can be highly beneficial and do wonders for your health. You can drink this decoction every day to prevent infections and keep your immunity strong with the help of Kashayam.
How to make Kashayam / Herbal Concoction
Ingredients:
> 5-6 basil leaves
> I inch raw ginger
> 1/2 inch raw turmeric root (kacha holud)
> 1 tsp molasses (jaggery / gur)
> 5-6 whole black peppers
> 2-3 cloves
> 1 inch cinnamon stick
a piece of lemon
> 1/2 tsp honey
> 2 cups of water.
Method:
> Crush the fresh ginger and raw turmeric root (Kacha Holud)
> Then mix all other ingredients in 2 cups of water
> Boil the water for 10-12 minutes on low fire until it reduces to 1 cup.
> Add honey and squeeze a piece of fresh lemon
> Drink warm, sip by sip like tea 2-3 times a day.
Note: You must make a fresh batch of Kashayam every day with fresh herbs and spices to get the best results. Don’t add sugar to sweeten Kashayam. Use molasses or honey instead. You can also drink this Kashayam regularly to keep your immunity strong.
Also Read: 10 Proven Health Benefits of Turmeric and Curcumin
Turmeric Milk (Haldi Doodh)
Turmeric Milk is, also known as Haldi Doodh, is excellent when there are seasonal changes in the weather, when you or your children are suffering from cough and cold or even congestion. This helps build the immune system, at the same time, staves off colds and flu.
Turmeric Milk Recipe
Ingredients:
> A cup of fresh cow milk with a cup of water
> A teaspoon of turmeric powder or Kacha Holud (an inch-long crushed fresh Turmeric root)
> A pinch of freshly ground black pepper
> 1/2 inch sliced ginger root (peeled and grated)
> A pinch of ground cardamom
> A pinch of cinnamon powder
> A tablespoon of raw honey added off the heat (optional)
Methods:
> Blend all ingredients, then warm on the stove.
> Simmer (do not boil) for 12-15 minutes. By this time, the milk will reduce to a cup.
> Remove from the stove, filter, add a spoonful of honey or palm sugar.
> If you are taking this to relieve a sore throat, add 1/2 teaspoon of ghee (clarified butter) to the hot turmeric milk before drinking it. The ghee will melt and coat your throat, relieving you of cough as well.
> Enjoy drinking warm turmeric milk at night before a good night’s sleep.
A Vegan substitute for cow’s milk would be coconut or almond milk.
Clove Powder
Clove powder mixed with molasses or honey can be taken twice a day in cough or throat irritation.
Talisadi Powder
Talisadi Powder is a traditional Ayurveda medicine that supports the immune system and is an excellent herbal medicine for cough, bronchitis, fever, loose stools, bloating spleen ailments, and chest pain. It enhances Agni (digestive fire) for digestion. Dosage: 2 to 3 grams, twice a day with warm water and honey or clarified butter after meals.
Trikatu Churna
Trikatu Churna will help strengthen Jatharagni (digestive fire) for boosting your immunity.
Trikatu combines three (tri) herbs that are pungent (Katu). It is a blend of equal parts long pepper (Pippali), black pepper (Kali Mirch), and dry ginger (Shunthi Churna). According to Ayurveda, all three herbs work together to stimulate “Jatharagni Agni,” or digestive fire, which is responsible for proper digestion of food and metabolic processes. It’s key to boosting immunity to fight against any infection.
Ingredients:
> 1 part Long Pepper (Pippali)
> 1 part Black pepper (Kali Mirch)
> 1 part Dry Ginger (Shunthi Churna)
Method:
1. Dry all the herbal ingredients separately until no moisture remains.
2. Put them together in a blender and make a powder of it.
3. Keep the powder under direct sunlight to remove moisture.
4. Pass the entire powder through a sieve to remove any impurities or hard particles
5. Store it in air-tight containers for future use.
Trikatu doses:
A dose of 1/2 tsp of Trikatu Churna can be taken along with or after a meal. As Trikatu has a spicy taste, it is better taken mixed with honey in a thick paste.
Steam Inhalation
Steam inhalation with fresh mint leaves, fresh basil leaves, or caraway seeds (ajwain) 3-4 times a day
Saltwater Gargle
A saltwater gargle is a simple, safe, and effective home remedy for sore throats. Add a quarter to a half teaspoon of salt to a cup of warm water and gargle three times a day.
Oil Pulling Therapy
Take one tablespoon of sesame or coconut oil in your mouth. Do not drink. Swish in the mouth for 2 to 3 minutes before spitting it out. Rinse the palate with warm water afterwards.
Other Ayurveda Health Protocols
1) Wearing mask, social distancing, sanitation, maintaining good personal hygiene, greetings with namaste, and quarantine.
2) Abhyanga (self-massage) is a tremendous daily self-massage practice to nourish and strengthen your tissues. You can practice this abhyanga self-massage with warm oils every day before taking your shower. It is also a part of Ayurveda panchakarma treatment.
3) Nasya (nasal application) – Apply sesame oil/coconut oil or Ghee (clarified butter) in both the nostrils in the morning and evening. Nasya oil helps cure sinus, improves the quality of voice, strengthens vision, and promotes mental clarity
4) Stay well hydrated by drinking water, coconut water, fruit juice, warm herbal tea, warm soups, warm milk, etc.
5) Avoid cold foods and drinks, sour foods, fast foods, processed foods, fried foods, red meat, alcohol, white sugar, too much salt, protein supplements, smoking, drinking, and aircon.
Disclaimer: The above advisory does not claim to be a treatment for COVID 19.
