Try This Ayurvedic Drink to Boost Your Immune Health

The importance of working on and improving our immunity has perhaps never been as important as it is today. This is because focusing on improving our  immune system  is one of the best ways to safeguard our body against the attack of the novel coronavirus. While we are trying different medicines and foods to build our immune system, there are many homemade food items from around the world that, while overlooked, can work wonders for your immune health.

One such item is 'Kadha' – a traditional homemade medicinal drink used for fighting the cough and the cold and building your immunity. The drink originated in India and is an Ayurvedic concoction made with a number of herbs and spices that are boiled in water to extract their benefits.

Interestingly, the practice of preparing kadha is almost five hundred years old. The spice and herbs mixture is considered one of the oldest forms of medicine invented in Ayurveda. When all of these herbs are mixed together they don’t just help you fight the cough and the cold, they will also help strengthen your immune system. 

What are the ingredients required for preparing kadha?

So, how do we make a kadha drink and what are the ingredients required for it?

The most essential herbs and spices that you would need to prepare a kadha drink are - raw turmeric, basil leaves, cinnamon, black peppercorns, cloves, cardamom, and ginger. All these herbs and spices are natural immunity boosters and are packed with various beneficial nutrients.

• Cinnamon has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
• Cardamom has several impressive medicinal properties and is known to relieve a sore throat while also having a cooling effect for the body.
• Turmeric has curcumin and is helpful at fighting off a variety of viruses, including herpes and the flu. It is also packed with anti-inflammatory properties. It is particularly useful in boosting your digestion.
• Cloves are loaded with strong antioxidants and are also a good source of a compound called eugenol. Consuming them regularly helps boost your immunity.
• Ginger is one of the healthiest roots on the planet. It has certain chemical compounds that help your body ward off germs and also in halting the growth of certain bacteria.
• Black peppercorns are also high in antioxidants and can combat some respiratory conditions and rejuvenating the lungs. They also contain piperine, which is an alkaloid like capsaicin and can help relieve nausea, headaches, and poor digestion.
• Basil leaf is a healing herb that helps in treating the cold, nasal congestion, cough, and the flu. These leaves are also great for improving digestion and contain a range of natural antioxidants that can strengthen the immune system.

You can even add gooseberry to this drink if it is available in your area. Gooseberry is rich in Vitamin C, which boosts your immunity. Additionally, it also lowers blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels.

What are the steps involved in preparing kadha?

Now, to prepare the kadha drink you will first need to fill a pot with  2 cups of filtered water. Then, follow the instructions below.

1. Allow the water in the pot (or pan) to boil for a few minutes.
2. Take 2 tablespoons of cardamom, 1 tablespoon of cloves, 2 tablespoons of black peppercorn, 1 tablespoon of raw turmeric powder, 3-5 cinnamon sticks, 5-6 fresh basil leaves, and 3/4 cup of dry ginger powder (or 1 inch of peeled ginger) on a large plate.
3. Crush all ingredients (except honey and basil leaves) properly.
4. Alternatively, you can also take half a tablespoon of each of these ingredients and mix it in boiling water. 
5. All the ingredients, including the basil leaves, should then be cooked on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes or until the decoction is reduced to half.
6. Let the drink simmer down well and once done, cool it.
7. Lastly, strain the mixture into a glass or a cup and drink it while it is warm.

That’s it! Your kadha drink is ready.

To improve or sweeten the taste of the drink, you can even add lemon, jaggery, and honey to the kadha. The best thing about this traditional drink is that you can warm it again and have it multiple times a day. Ideally, twice a day – once in the morning and once at night – should be good for you. Having kadha throughout the season is known to aid digestion, boost your immunity, and fight symptoms of the flu. 

Do note, however, that avoid adding too much black pepper and ginger in the kadha. It can cause heartburn and a burning sensation in the throat.

Note: While there are various known benefits of kadha as mentioned above, it shouldn’t be a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist if you have any recurring health issues.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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Home-made Immune Boosting Powder

Ingredients

Cloves  ½ tsp

Peppercorn  1 tsp

Carom seeds / ajwain  1 tsp

Flax seeds  1 tso

Coriander seeds  2 tsp

Jeera  2 tsp

Organic turmeric pdr.  4 tsp

Dry ginger pdr  2 tsp

Cinnamon pdr  ½ tsp

Method

In a kadai/ pan dry roast all the spices on medium heat till brown, not the powders.

Once cool, powder the spices, add the powder spices, mix well, store in an airtight, dry container.

Boil 1 glass water, add ¼ tsp of the pdr., let it reduce, drink it warm adding some honey if you find it too spicy.

Note- in case you find the powder too spicy, slightly reduce the amount of cloves and peppercorns. 

 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
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Dry Ginger Coffee

Adults can have a cup of coffee and whereas kids can have from 2 tbsp to 1/4 cup of coffee. This coffee is purely natural and doesn’t have any side effects. There are so many health benefits in taking dry ginger(sukku). Some of them are:

    This cures indigestion and bloating.
    This is the best home remedy for cold and cough.
    It also helps in reducing excess fat from the body.
    Reduces body heat when taken with a lime.
    This relieves headaches due to sinus and the common cold.

Ingredients
To make Sukku Powder

    1/4cup Dry Ginger/Sukku
    1/3cup Coriander seeds/Vara Kothamalli
    1tbsp Pepper Corns/milagu
    8 Cardamom/Elachi

To make Coffee

    1cup Water
    1/4tsp Sukku( dry ginger pdr) Powder heaped
    1.5tsp Jaggery/Vellam

Instructions
To prepare Sukku Powder

    Dry Ginger cannot be directly ground in the mixer. Using a mortar and pestle crush it thoroughly.
    Now heat a pan and add the crushed dry ginger in the pan. Saute it on low flame for 2-3 mins until a nice aroma comes. Then transfer it to a plate to cool.
    Add coriander seeds and saute for 2-3 min until it changes its color to a golden brown and a nice aroma comes. Then transfer it to a plate to cool.
    Similarly, add pepper and cardamom and saute for a min and transfer to the plate.
    Once all the ingredients cool down, transfer it to a mixer and grind it slightly to a coarse powder. You will need only a tsp of prepared powder to make the coffee. The remaining powder you can store it in an airtight container for later use.

To prepare Coffee

    Take a bowl and add a cup of water to it. Bring it to boil. Once the water starts to boil add a tsp full(heaped) prepared sukku powder. Boil until the water is reduced to 3/4th.
    Now add jaggery and boil for another min until the jaggery is dissolved completely.
    Once done remove it and filter it in another glass. Serve hot. We don't add any milk to this. If you like you can add half a cup of milk while boiling sukku powder.

Recipe Notes

    Use only the specified amount of ingredients. Coriander seeds must be more than dry ginger to get the nice flavor of the coffee.
    Roast all the ingredients separately, as each ingredient takes different time to saute.
    Use any good sweetener like jaggery, palm jaggery or palm sugar for the best result.
    Always try to avoid white sugar.
    Remaining sukku powder can be kept in an airtight container for a month and used.

this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement