Naturalhomeremedies.co April 2011 Issue #1

Aarogya for life is but life when blessed with health

In this Issue:

All about garlic

Kashmiri Garlic/Snow Mountain garlic

Eating healthy (a few recipes)

Make it at home

News you can use

ALL ABOUT GARLIC

Our forefathers lived an active and healthy life,

depending wholly on nature to sustain them.

With the advance of medicine, we somehow have

lost out on our herbal heritage that passes down

by word of mouth by our ancestors. Its only now

that people are going back to nature to look for

solutions to various ailments.

Garlic is one herb that has been used since

ancient times to cure people of various illness.

Garlic (Allium Sativum) belongs to the onion

family. It is believed to have originated in Central

Asia. Folk Lore has it that ancient Egyptians and

Greeks regarded garlic as having supernatural

powers. Garlic was one of the things reputed to

scare vampires away. The Romans believed that

garlic gave them strength and stamina. It has a

mention in both Christian and Hindu philosophy.

It is believed that garlic grew out of the foot of

Satan when he was banished from paradise.

According to Hindu mythology, Garlic grew, where

the blood of the demon Rahu, fell after he was

beheaded by Lord Vishnu.

GARLIC

The stories may differ but they all agree on the

outstanding medical properties of Garlic. Clinical

experiments in recent times have confirmed

several ancient ideas about the healing value of

this herb. The odour in garlic is due to its sulphur

content. Crushing or chopping garlic releases an

enzyme called allinase that catalyzes the formation

of Allicin. The compounds that give raw garlic

itspungent smell are responsible for the many

health benefits of garlic.

Naturalhomeremedies.co April 2011 Issue #1

HOW TO EAT GARLIC

The benefits of garlic are best obtained when eaten

raw. When cooked, garlic loses most of its health

and medicinal properties. Crushing garlic before

cooking can reduce the loss of garlic's healthy

properties. Researchers suggest allowing crushed

garlic to stand for 10 minutes before cooking which

may allow the allinase to work before cooking

inactivates the enzyme. People all over the world

eat garlic, but mostly cooked.

Eating raw garlic is the best way to maximise its

health benefits. You can do so by:

➢ Adding garlic right at the end of the cooking

process.

➢ Adding crushed garlic to soup, stir fry or

curries and gravies, just before serving.

➢ Adding crushed garlic to butter sandwiches

and toasts.

GET RID OF GARLIC BREATH

If you are worried about garlic breath, it is said that

eating fresh parsley, coriander, cardamom or mint

will mask the breath. Sucking a lemon wedge

sprinkled with salt also helps.

KASHMIRI GARLIC

KASHMIRI GARLIC OR SNOW MOUNTAIN GARLIC

This grows on the Himalayan mountain ranges.

It comes in hard shelled bulbs. Break the shell

and crush it before intake. In ancient days

mountaineers have been said to take it to raise

their energy levels, increasing oxygenation and

detoxifying the body. Break the shell of the buds

and crush them before intake. It is said that in

ancient days, mountaineers took these to keep

their energy levels up.

Naturalhomeremedies.co April 2011 Issue #1

REMEDIES FOR SOME PROBLEMS

Rubbing raw garlic heals heal persistent acne,

spots, pimples and boils.

Three cloves of garlic boiled in milk can be used

every night in the case of asthma.

Crushed cloves of garlic can be infused in water or

milk and taken for digestive disorders.

Garlic is an excellent worm expeller:

➢ Soak 3-4 crushed garlic cloves in ¼ cup of

milk at night. Next morning, press the

cloves, remove them and drink the filtrate.

➢ Soak 8-10 crushed garlic cloves in a cup of

water overnight. Next morning drink the

water. It acts as a enema and flushes out

the worms.

A decoction of garlic boiled in milk is also very

good for tuberculosis.

Garlic juice mixed with distilled water can be used

for cleaning wounds and ulcers.

Taking 2-3 cloves of crushed garlic on an empty

stomach is very effective in controlling high blood

pressure and cholesterol.

HOW TO GROW GARLIC

Garlic can be grown quite easily. Each clove of

garlic should be planted separately. Plant it about 2

inches deep in the soil and at least 6 inches apart.

It grows in a sunny spot but requires moist sandy

soil. If you sow it in March, you should be

harvesting around August.

MEDICINAL USES OF GARLIC

In herbal medicine, garlic has been used in the

treatment of asthma, deafness, leprosy and

worms. It is good for the heart. It stimulates

appetite helps to remove toxins and revitalizes the

blood. Garlic juice is most beneficial as it helps in

penetrating and dissolving the accumulation of

mucus in the sinus cavities, in the bronchial tubes

and in the lungs. It is most beneficial for the

digestive system. It has the ability to destroy

harmful bacteria in the intestines without affecting

the beneficial organisms which aid digestion.

CANCER PREVENTION

Studies in Russia have found garlic preparations to

retard tumour growth not only in animals but also

in human beings. Diets rich in garlic and other

foods from the allium family may cut the risk of

developing prostrate cancer by half. Being a natural

antioxidant, it helps the cells from degenerative

changes.

GOOD FOR THE HEART

Garlic has no sodium or potassium. It has a dilatory

effect on blood vessels, thereby reducing pressure.

It is regarded as one of the most effective remedies

to lower BP. It helps to breaks up cholesterol in the

blood vessels and helps prevent the hardening of

arteries which lead to high BP and heart attack.

People who are prone to acidity, heartburn or

peptic ulcer should avoid garlic.

Naturalhomeremedies.co April 2011 Issue #1

MAKE IT AT HOME

MOUTHWASH FOR SORE GUMS

Boil 10-15 fresh Eucalyptus leaves in a litre of

water. Simmer for 5 mins. Switch off.

Add 2-3 drops of clove oil or powder 6-7 cloves,

add to the mixture and bring to a boil.

Filter, cool and refrigerate. Use as mouthwash after

meals.

CHAPPED LIPS

Glycerine and fresh lime juice can be mixed in

equal proportions and kept in a bottle. This can be

applied on the face and lips in winter after a hot

water bath.

EATING HEALTHY

Here are two recipes with raw garlic that are truly

tasty and healthy.

FRESH GREEN GARLIC CHUTNEY

Grind together ½ a cup of fresh green garlic finely

chopped, 1 cup of chopped corriander leaves, 1 tsp

of roasted begal gram and a little tamrind with salt

to taste.

GARLIC POWDER

Roast ½ cup dry red chillies, in a pan without oil.

Mix the roasted chillies, 1 cup peeled garlic and

salt and grind in a mixer. This powder can be used

with hot idlis and dosas. It can also be mixed in

cooked rice.

NEWS YOU CAN USE

Tea therapy: To lose weight, don’t add milk to

your cuppa

It’s a known fact that tea contains antioxidants

such as theaflavins and thearubigins which help

reduce the amount of fat and cholerterol that help

you lose weight, but a new research led by an

Indian scientist found that this fat-fighting ability is

neutralised if milk is added to it. “When tea is

taken with milk, theaflavins and thearubigins form

complexes with the milk protein, which causes

them to precipitate,” Devajit Borthakur, a scientist

at the Tea Research Association, said. “Therefore, it

is always advised to take tea without milk,” he said.

Eating handful of walnuts key to good health

A new study has suggested that walnuts have a

combination of more healthful antioxidants and

higher quality antioxidants than any other nut.

“Walnuts contains twice as much antioxidants as

an equivalent amount of any other commonly

consumed nut. Unfortunately, people don’t eat a

lot of them,” said Joe Vinson, who did the analysis.

(from The Times of India)

Naturalhomeremedies.co April 2011 Issue #1

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