As its rainy season, I was thinking about many of the people around me who are falling sick because of the water or weather.. and was thinking of some of the natural herbs that heal..

Some of the common spices or herbs that we use could actually help us if we know what they are for..

Asafoetida (hing) : It is a digestive agent and a sedative. It helps in treating respiratory disorders, hysteria and nervous disorders in children. If pestled in lemon juice, cotton soaked in the juice and placed in the cavity of teeth can relieve pain quickly..

Bamboo : Leaves of the bamboo tree act as an aphrodisiac.. The leaves also help in strengthening the stomach and kills intestinal worms specially thread worms. Decoction of the tender bamboo shoots mixed with palm jaggery can be given once or twice a week in the last month of pregnancy to induce labor. In the first month of pregnancy it can be used to cause abortion.

Bishop’s Weed ( Ajwain) : Helps gastro intestinal disorders. A teaspoon of these seeds with little rock salt is a household remedy for indigestion. It also helps relieve common cold. A tbsp of Ajwain can be crushed and tied up in a cloth to be used for inhalation. A similar pouch placed near the pillow can also alleviate nasal conjestion.  A teaspoon of seeds placed in boiling water and inhalation of the same can help. Helps relieve migrane too.

Cardamom : Also known as queen of spices.. has many remedial powers. It strengthens digestion, bad breath, depression. Having powdered seeds of cardamom boiled in water with tea helps in the treatment of depression.

Cinnamon : Headache produced by exposure to cold air can be readily cured by applying a paste of finely ground cinnamon mixed in water over temples and forehead. Cinnamon can also be used as a natural birth control. It checks the early release of ova after childbirth. Intake of a piece of cinnamon every night for a month after child birth prevents early conception and also helps in breast milk. Cinnamon also checks nasuea, vomitting and diarrhoea. Its regular use in the rainy season prevents attacks of influenza.

There is so much that we can get from the very things that we eat that if we consciously use them, we would never need to depend on the pills and the meds that we turn to at every sniff or ache..

Its time we got back to nature as its abundant in what we need. We just need to look for it for common ailments.