Home Remedy: Say no to cold and sore throat

Heya,

It's winter and with snow, wind and rains, its getting even more cold. For some it may be the best time of the year but people like me freeze even in a warm house. ;-) And I catch cold just like that! Trust me I hate to get sick especially with cough & cold. Also with a baby at home, I can't really afford to get sick. I have to be constantly moving and be healthy to enjoy every moment (special) with my dearest family. 

For those of you who are on the same platform as me, here's a quick home remedy to prevent & cure common symptoms of cold. This home remedy is a concoction largely based on the Ayurveda and ingredients can be easily found in any indian kitchen/ asian stores.

Ingredients:

Ginger (1/2 inch)

Black peppercorns (12-15)

Honey (1 tsp)

Water ( 1Tsp)

A Mortar-Pestle or a similar equipment

Preparation:

Crush the black peppercorns in a Mortar-pestle to a fine powder. 

Add the ginger piece in the same pestle and crush and grind the two together. The juices will now start separating

Add a tablespoon of water and again grind for a minute.

Filter the syrup in a clean jar/bottle.

Add a teaspoon of honey and your concoction is ready.

How to use it:

Take a teaspoon of this concoction and let it sit for a few seconds on throat before gulping it down.

If you have a heavy cold or flu like symptoms, drink a teaspoon of concoction 4-5 times a day. 

If you have a mild cold, take it 2-3 times a day.

If you are just suspecting cold or just at the onset of cold, take a teaspoon and observe the symptoms in the next 2-3 hours. If the symptoms still persist, treat it as for the mild cold.

Also, don't forget to drink a lot of water throughout the day to prevent dehydration that might occur due to ginger.

Seriously guys, this remedy provides instant relief. Last year I had a very bad flu and took this 5 times a day for straight 3 days and I cured my flu within a span of a week. Since then, I take it at the slight onset of cold symptoms like frequent sneezing, coughing, running nose or body pain.

This remedy works better than most of prescribed medicines. My entire family swear by this remedy.

Definitely try this out! I guarantee you an instant relief. :-)  

Homemade Natural Scrub with Orange Peels

Hey beauties,

I hope you all are in best shape and gearing up for the weekend. Finally, a time to say bye to the busy week and to welcome the chilled out days of the week. I love to pamper myself on weekends with relaxing warm bath and exfoliating my skin. And since the weekend is approaching, I thought of sharing one of my favourite face scrub using orange peel which can be made very easily at home.

This orange peel scrub is nothing new to me and I have been using since my childhood. After eating oranges we used to rub the peels (the orange side) on the entire skin (face, hands, legs etc.). I was introduced to this beauty treatment by my mother but at that time it was more of a play with orange peels rather than focusing on the beauty aspect. And years later, I swear by it and it really does wonders. 

But do you know, why orange peels?

Firstly, they are the powerhouse of vitamin C which protects skin from free radical damage. It reduces acne and provides healthy glow. Yes my dear, orange peels contains more vitamin C than the fleshy part.

Secondly, the citric acid in the peels is a great exfoliator and helps brighten skin. And lastly, it contains minerals like calcium, potassium and magnesium which aids in healing of dry, itchy and flaky skin, preserving moisture thereby providing healthy glowing skin.

So my dearies, you may choose to buy readymade orange peel powders or you may start collecting those peels after eating the flesh to get the double benefit.

Here's what you need to do:

To Prepare the Powder

1) Collect the orange peels from at least 2 oranges and dry them. Don't sun dry the peels to prevent loss of essential nutrients from the peels. Depending on the climate of the place you live, it might take from a couple days to a week.

2) Make sure the peels are completely dried. The peels at this point will appear crisp and hard.
3) Grind the peels to a fine powder and store them in an air tight container for further use.

Preparation of Scrub

1) Mix a tablespoon of freshly prepared orange peel powder, honey and yoghurt and make a thick paste. 

2) Apply it on your face or body and leave it for 5 minutes or till the scrub dries a little. Avoid contact with eyes! 

3) Now start scrubbing your face gently in circular motions for a couple of minutes and then let it sit on for a another 2-3 minutes. 

4) Rinse thoroughly with normal water and pat dry. 

5) Follow up with your regular moisturiser and enjoy the healthy luminous glow.

For oily skin, you may use it 2-3 times a week. However, reduce it's use to 1-2 times a month for dry and itchy skin. 

So, next time you eat oranges don't throw away the peels!