Gray hair and wrinkles can be a testimony of wisdom. But in a stressful world we often get caught up in equating our worth with productivity that could weigh on us post-retirement. Everyone, at every stage of life is a gift to the world. That said, aging does bring preventable and costly health challenges that we need to face squarely, from heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, obesity, arthritis, dry skin, falling hair, cognitive decline, stroke and cancer. There is also the possibility of depletion, loneliness and ageism. So, how can we look after ourselves better to ensure we are physically and mentally stronger as we age? Ayurveda is a holistic mind-body science which supports people through a comprehensive approach to live a healthier life right into their sunset years. It emphasizes that aging ( Jara ) is a natural process just like the seasons. It does acknowledge natural degenerative changes but recommends prevention, building resilience and an anti-aging regimen through its br
Indian
kitchens and kitchen gardens come stocked with plenty of herbs and
spices that we use to flavor our food and dishes with alacrity – and
sometimes with quite a heavy hand as many a tourist who has tasted
Indian food has paid testament to with watery eyes, a runny nose and a
tongue that seems to be on fire!
That said, many of these herbs
and spices find mention in ancient Ayurvedic texts, for as Hippocrates
so rightly said, food is medicine. And we’ll reach for those herbal teas
when in need – to alleviate coughs and colds, calm down the monthly PMS rage and even help that unstable stomach.
Sometimes
though, you do get bogged down with a dry cough that simply refuses to
quit and leaves you with a sore throat, an irritated audience and a
voice that rivals Kermit’s – and not in a good way. Most Indians, at
this stage, rely on kadha, or karha, a tea or
concoction where herbs and spices are boiled, usually in water, to
extract all their benefits – which is then cooled a bit, but served warm
and can also be stored in the fridge and then reheated and sipped on
3-4 times in a day.
So here’s a kadha that really works on dry, persistent cough and a sore throat that simply refuses to get better, medicines be darned.
Ayurvedic Cough Concoction or Kadha
- 4-5 bay leaves (tej patta) (in a pinch, you can also use the leaves of the cinnamon tree or even allspice)
- 2-inch piece ginger (adrak), peeled and crushed for maximum efficacy
- A 4-inch stick of licorice (mulethi)
- 10-12 peppercorns, crushed (kali mirch)
- 4 green cardamoms (elaichi), crushed
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
- 5-6 crushed holy basil leaves (tulsi)
- Honey (shahad) to taste
Boil
3 cups water and add in everything but the honey. Simmer for 10-15
minutes, till the water level has halved and is dark green/brown in
color. Strain the water and discard the herbs and spices. Measure about
50-100ml of this concoction, and sip it warm. In case you find this too
hot (read: spicy) for your taste, add in 1 teaspoon honey to sweeten
before you sip. You can have this twice a day in summers or four times a
day in winters – all the herbs and spices used in this herbal “tea” are
pitta inducing. In summers they may unnecessarily cause too much heat
in the digestive system and have an adverse effect. In winters, this
becomes an advantage.
We hope this helps soothe your cough, alleviate that sore throat and also help in curing away that flu
faster as its spiciness will help in dissolving and expelling any and
all congestion. Happy healing to you, and do let us have your thoughts
about this kadha recipe in the comments section below.
Namaste.
Article by Rima J. Pundir
https://basmati.com/2017/05/17/sip-kadha-colds-ayurvedic-herbal-tea 
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