AYURVEDIC REMEDIES FOR WHEN YOU’RE UNDER THE WEATHER

Ayurveda is all about first taking care of yourself in line with nature as a preventative daily lifestyle, but also about healing yourself with mother nature's medicine cabinet if you fall ill. There are two levels to this art: food remedies, re: Hippocrates, “let food be thy medicine,” which we can get cooking in our kitchens, then the next level up is herbal and spice preparations created by Vaidyas and given very specifically, taking into consideration the individual and any Doshic imbalances.

Read on for some of the incredíble food remedies that I have included in my diet over the years when I felt symptoms coming on. You will find most of these in my Ayurvedic cookbook East by West, and I’m including a new one here as well, the Immune Boom, which is on this website.

Using spices, page 262, and Cooking with spices, page 264 in East by West

Spices (as well as herbs) are nature’s medicine cabinet, and tapping into their power can help you ward off illness. In the book, I go into detail about what spice does what, and what to do with each.

Potassium broth, page 249 in East by West

This easy-peasy vegan broth helps to flush out toxins and replace electrolytes in the body. If you’re ill, this is a great one to have instead of supper.

Respiratory remedy, page 253 in East by West

For that pesky congestion, this spicy, sticky, sweet mixture is just the thing. You have to like your pungent spices, though.

Honey and onion cough syrup, page 248 in East by West

This remedy comes to you courtesy of my lovely Polish friend, whose family sweared by this traditional cough syrup when she was growing up. Made by marinating onion slices in honey, both ingredients have many healing properties — together, they work wonders.

Rasam, page 251 in East by West

The South Indian answer to chicken soup, this vegetarian (vegan if you sub coconut oil for the ghee) recipe is a wonderful remedy for colds, thanks to its healing cocktail of herbs and spices.

Brown apple, page 253 in East by West

Brown apple is an Ayurvedic remedy for diarrhoea. If you’re unwell and looking for the simplest recipe ever, here it is: grate one apple, then leave it for 20 minutes to an hour to go brown. Eat it slowly, chewing well.

Support your immune system with this Ayurvedic remedy - the Immune Boom!

This one came from the WhatsApp group from my Panchakarma in Hyderabad and it’s proving super popular!!! Padmaji of the Raju family sent over this recipe for anyone wanting to help boost their immune system or even experiencing symptoms of coronavirus.