How to Use Pantry Staples to Fight Common Illnesses

The kitchen is your best friend when it comes to natural, homemade remedies. Many people are often surprised when they find out lots of the ingredients needed to make herbal remedies used to fight common illnesses have likely been sitting in their kitchen all along!

Preparing your own herbal remedies is usually very simple, time efficient and can be super rewarding. You know that feeling of pride when you bake a cake, it turns out perfectly and everyone tells you how delicious it was to eat … well, that’s the feeling I get after making herbal remedies and seeing myself, or my family, begin to feel healthier. These simple and easy to make herbal remedies will change your world!

Headaches

Feeling run-down, tired and suffering from a headache? Head to your kitchen, grab a cloth and a bottle of Apple Cider Vinegar. Now all you need to do is soak the cloth in a bowl of the vinegar, squeeze out excess liquid and apply the cloth to your forehead while you lay down, close your eyes and relax. You may also wish to add a few drops of lavender essential oil for an extra calming effect. Make sure you drink plenty of water to stay hydrated too!

Sore Throat

Having a sore throat can be one of the most pesky, annoying illnesses to get! What makes it even more pesky is sucking on commercially made throat lozenges that give little relief and add further to your frustration. To make your own natural throat lozenges all you need from your kitchen is fresh ginger, water and sugar! These bad-boys are like the ninjas of throat lozenges – the ginger properties get in there and fight off all the germs hiding in your throat and making you sick!

1. Use a grater to grate about 50 grams of ginger.

2. Simmer the grated ginger in 16 ounces of water, until you have a concentrated liquid.

3. Strain and measure the volume of liquid obtained.

4. Add double quantity of sugar, for example, 2 cups  of liquid needs 4 cups of sugar.

5. Dissolve sugar in liquid over low heat while stirring. Bring to the boil for 10 minutes.

6. Pour into lightly oiled ice cube trays – only fill each mould about 1/3 of the way, remember these are lozenges, so we don’t want them to be too big!

7. Leave in the refrigerator to set. 

Acid Reflux

If you suffer from acid reflux or indigestion, you may very well have the key ingredient for an effective herbal remedy sitting right on your kitchen bench! Basil leaves have very soothing effects on the stomach which means they can provide lots of relief for ailments of the digestive system. This is another very easy remedy to make, simply steep three or four basil leaves in boiling water for a few minutes to create a basil tea, then drink.

As you have hopefully discovered, kitchens are wonderful healing spaces filled with lots of herbs that double as both culinary and medicinal herbs! Most of us have all the tools we need to make our own natural, homemade remedies to fight off common illnesses and ailments – you just have to think outside the box sometimes!

Have you got a great homemade remedy that you love to use? Share your wisdom with us in the comments below!

Lead image source: Benson Kau/Flickr