Volume III · Part II · Chapter 24
The Kitchen Pharmacy — Traditional Home Remedies
The Ayurvedic Kitchen
About 2 min read
Indian households have long used kitchen ingredients for small everyday complaints. The table lists traditional culinary practices that are generally safe in food amounts. They are comfort measures, not treatments: each row lists when to stop and see a doctor.
| Complaint | Traditional kitchen practice | How | See a doctor if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low appetite, heaviness | Ginger–rock salt–lemon slice | A thin slice of fresh ginger with a pinch of rock salt and a few drops of lemon, 15 min before lunch | Weight loss, persistent nausea, pain |
| Gas, bloating | Ajwain or saunf water | ½ tsp ajwain or 1 tsp fennel boiled in 1 cup water 5 min; sip warm | Severe or persistent pain, vomiting, no stool or gas |
| Acidity, heartburn | Fennel–coriander water; cool (not cold) milk | Soak 1 tsp each overnight, strain, sip; or ½ cup cool boiled milk | Chest pain (emergency), black stools, difficulty swallowing |
| Constipation | Warm water on waking; 1 tsp ghee in warm milk at bedtime; soaked figs or raisins | Daily; plus fluids, fibre, walking | Blood in stool, sudden change in habit, pain, weight loss |
| Loose motions | Rice kanji, thin buttermilk with roasted cumin, ripe banana, bael | Small frequent servings; ORS for fluids | Blood, high fever, signs of dehydration, more than 2 days |
| Nausea | Laja peya; cardamom chewed; ginger tea | Small sips | Persistent vomiting, cannot keep fluids |
| Common cold, cough | Tulsi–ginger kadha; honey with ginger juice (unheated); steam inhalation | 2–3 times a day | Fever over 3 days, breathlessness, chest pain |
| Sore throat | Warm salt–turmeric gargle | ¼ tsp each in a cup of warm water | Difficulty swallowing or breathing, high fever |
| Poor sleep | Nutmeg-pinch golden milk; warm oil foot massage | At bedtime | Snoring with pauses in breathing, persistent insomnia |
| Joint stiffness in cold | Warm sesame oil massage; warm foods; dry ginger in milk | Daily in winter | Hot, swollen, red joint; fever |
| Dry skin | Abhyanga before bath; ghee in diet | Daily or 3 times a week | Itching with rash, non-healing sores |
| Mouth ulcer | Coconut oil or ghee applied; avoid spicy and sour | 2–3 times a day | Ulcer lasting over 2 weeks |
| Hiccups | Sip warm water slowly; a little honey (unheated) | — | Lasting more than 48 h |
| Mild headache from heat | Coriander water; rest in shade; rose water compress | — | Sudden severe headache, confusion, weakness (emergency) |
| Bad breath | Tongue scraping; chewing fennel; gargling | Daily | Persistent with dental pain or gum bleeding |
Remedies at a glance
Low appetite, heaviness
Ginger–rock salt–lemon slice
A thin slice of fresh ginger with a pinch of rock salt and a few drops of lemon, 15 min before lunch
See a doctor if: Weight loss, persistent nausea, pain
Gas, bloating
Ajwain or saunf water
½ tsp ajwain or 1 tsp fennel boiled in 1 cup water 5 min; sip warm
See a doctor if: Severe or persistent pain, vomiting, no stool or gas
Acidity, heartburn
Fennel–coriander water; cool (not cold) milk
Soak 1 tsp each overnight, strain, sip; or ½ cup cool boiled milk
See a doctor if: Chest pain (emergency), black stools, difficulty swallowing
Constipation
Warm water on waking; 1 tsp ghee in warm milk at bedtime; soaked figs or raisins
Daily; plus fluids, fibre, walking
See a doctor if: Blood in stool, sudden change in habit, pain, weight loss
Loose motions
Rice kanji, thin buttermilk with roasted cumin, ripe banana, bael
Small frequent servings; ORS for fluids
See a doctor if: Blood, high fever, signs of dehydration, more than 2 days
Nausea
Laja peya; cardamom chewed; ginger tea
Small sips
See a doctor if: Persistent vomiting, cannot keep fluids
Common cold, cough
Tulsi–ginger kadha; honey with ginger juice (unheated); steam inhalation
2–3 times a day
See a doctor if: Fever over 3 days, breathlessness, chest pain
Sore throat
Warm salt–turmeric gargle
¼ tsp each in a cup of warm water
See a doctor if: Difficulty swallowing or breathing, high fever
Poor sleep
Nutmeg-pinch golden milk; warm oil foot massage
At bedtime
See a doctor if: Snoring with pauses in breathing, persistent insomnia
Joint stiffness in cold
Warm sesame oil massage; warm foods; dry ginger in milk
Daily in winter
See a doctor if: Hot, swollen, red joint; fever
Dry skin
Abhyanga before bath; ghee in diet
Daily or 3 times a week
See a doctor if: Itching with rash, non-healing sores
Mouth ulcer
Coconut oil or ghee applied; avoid spicy and sour
2–3 times a day
See a doctor if: Ulcer lasting over 2 weeks
Hiccups
Sip warm water slowly; a little honey (unheated)
—
See a doctor if: Lasting more than 48 h
Mild headache from heat
Coriander water; rest in shade; rose water compress
—
See a doctor if: Sudden severe headache, confusion, weakness (emergency)
Bad breath
Tongue scraping; chewing fennel; gargling
Daily
See a doctor if: Persistent with dental pain or gum bleeding