Ten spices for health

Everyone who cooks must know the medicinal properties of the ingredients they use! Helps maintain a healthy diet and quick home remedies for your family when the need arises. Sharing some of those that I found useful and beneficial for various reasons over the years!

Basil leaves
  • Helps as a cure for asthma, sinus, bronchitis, headaches, depression and tension
  • At the onset of any of the conditions, chew a few leaves for quick relief. Not as much useful when condition has progressed over few days/weeks.
  • Can be eaten as raw leaves (have a bitter taste)
  • Can be had as a tea
  • Soak them in water and leave it for an hour, then drink it -hot or cold
  • Some use it as a food seasoning as well
  • Stimulates brain activity
  • Aids digestion
  • Used as a food seasoning
  • A pinch should suffice
  • Too much might put one to sleep
Nutmeg
Parsley leaves
  • Helpful to dissolve kidney stones, menopause, fluid retention problems, abdominal and/or pelvic inflammation, swelling and pain
  • Put it in a blender and add it to yoghurt or water and have it as a drink
  • When blended with yoghurt and consumed, helps regulate menstrual cycle
  • Helps reduce insomnia, reduces anger
  • Helpful in regulating menstrual and menopause cycles
  • Add rose water to drinks
  • Add dried rose petals to tea
  • Rose perfumes and essential oils for bath and cosmetic products
Rose

Tea tree oil
  • It is a first aid kit that needs to be in every mother’s handbag
  • Helpful in treating insect bites, stings, acne, poison ivy rashes, fungus, yeast and bacterial infections
  • Can be topically applied (immediately after an insect bite/rash appears), used as an essential oil for inhalation, and added to baths
  • One of the most medicinal items in the ktichen
  • Helps build immunity, good for digestion, cough, arthritis, wounds, bruises, and anxiety
  • A pinch of turmeric added to a dish distinctly brings out the flavor
  • Mixed with water and make a paste, apply this paste to the wounds/bruises helps reduce infections and is equivalent to first-aid

Turmeric
Ginger root
  • Helps aid digestion, relief from cough, cold & congestion
  • Helps migraine relief
  • Consumed as a seasoning added to foods, soups
  • Ginger tea is quite famous across cultures to help relieve chest congestion and cough
  • Fennel seeds are best form of mouth freshener and helps aid digestion
  • It has antiseptic properties and can be used as a laxative as well
  • Helps decongest liver
  • Lightly roasted in oil and added as a seasoning to dishes (aroma fills the kitchen)
  • Eaten plain at the end of the meal as a mouth freshener and digestant
Fennel seeds
Bay leaves
  • Helpful in reducing respiratory problems, infections and indigestion
  • Used in food seasoning
  • Light roasted in oil and added to the dish
  • Helpful to reduce scalp dryness
  • Helps lower blood sugar
  • Reduces menstrual cramps when eaten with yoghurt
  • Balances blood cholesterol
  • Helps maintain liver and kidney health
  • Soothes muscle pain
  • Added as a seasoning to foods, either boiled with the dish or slightly roasted in oil and then added to the dish
Fenugreek seeds

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