Natural Remedies for Common Ailments (Part 1)

The saying that our food should be our medicine and our medicine our food apparently has its root in Scripture. The creation story in Genesis chapters one and two did not accommodate ill-health. We are told that each time God completed a milestone in creation, He acknowledged that He had done a good job. The concluding statement of God’s report card is verse 31 of Chapter 1. It says, “God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good”.

            If the story had ended there, we would not be having this discourse. Something terrible happened in Chapter three when man received the virus of satan- sin. Consequently, man lost the dominion God conferred on him in Genesis 1:28-30, “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves on the earth. …I have given you every plant yielding seed which is on the face of all the earth and every tree which has fruit yielding seed, it shall be food for you. To every beast of the earth and to every bird of the air and to everything that creeps on the earth which has the breath of life in it, I have given every green plant for food”.

              With the loss of dominion came sickness and death. Actually the death aspect was a direct result of man’s disobedience by eating the forbidden fruit. God had said to Adam in Genesis 2:16-17, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die”. We all know what happened. Adam and his wife Eve listened to the father of lies who told them, “You surely will not die! For God knows that on the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil”.

Of course, the devil knew that he was lying but Adam and Eve thought they had found a friend! That singular act of disobedience has opened humanity to all forms of assault by satan and his demons, in addition to the vagaries of a fallen earth. Because we listened to the devil, we no longer have dominion over every living thing, especially viruses, bacteria and the like. We are now at the mercy of things that we could have used our God given authority to control or destroy.

           Being the kind Father that He is, God has not left us totally in the lurch despite our rebellion. He has provided natural remedies for most of the ailments man is exposed to by reason of his fall from grace. While we are not opposed to orthodox medicine, we believe that natural cures are less toxic than scientifically produced drugs.

Here are some of the common ailments that can be treated with naturally occurring substances or by initiating some bodily movements for optimal health. We are addressing sore throat, cough, stomach ache and heartburn in this edition of the magazine. Part 2 of the series will feature cold, flatulence, back pain, headache, nasal congestion, dermatitis, migraine, and hair loss.

Sore Throat

Sore throat is the feeling of pain and dryness in the throat. Most sore throats are caused by infections or by environmental factors like dry air. The symptoms include scratchy and burning sensations, dry and tender throat, increased pain when swallowing or talking, throat or tonsils appearing red.

Natural Remedies

1. Gargle with salt water 3 times a day;
2. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated;
3. Drink warm liquids such as hot tea with honey, hot soups, warm water with lemon or herbal teas;
4. Drink a mixture 1 teaspoon of apple vinegar with 240ml of water;
5. Take peppermint tea or rub peppermint oil on the chest; and
6. Eat frozen foods such as popsicles, sorbets or ice cream.

Cough

This is a sudden hacking sound to release air and clear an irritation in the throat or airway. Coughing can have causes that are not due to underlying disease. Examples include normal clearing of airways, irritants such as smoke and gas, tobacco use or improperly swallowing food and liquids.

Natural Remedies

1. Eat a slice of pineapple or drink 10ml of fresh pineapple juice 3 times a day;
2. Drink a mixture of 2 teaspoons of honey and herbal tea or warm water and lemon;
3. Drink thyme tea prepared with 2 teaspoons of crushed thyme leaves and I cup of boiling water;
4. Consume fermented foods rich in probiotics such as yoghurt, miso, kimchi, tempeh and sourdough;
5. If the cough persists for more than a week, see a doctor.

Other Home Remedies for Cough

Stomach Ache

A stomach ache refers to cramps or a dull pain in the abdomen. Common causes of pains in the abdominal area include gas in the stomach, indigestion, constipation, diarrhoea or food poisoning, menstruation, appendicitis and gallstones.

Natural Remedies

1. Eat ginger biscuits, take ginger supplements or sip ginger tea;
2. Take a cup of chamomile tea;
3. Drink mint tea mixed with cardamom;
4. Take a BRAT diet consisting of bananas, rice, applesauce and toast;
5. Add a teaspoon of cinnamon powder to your meals or mix it with hot water to make a tea;
6. Eats lots of figs a few time a day or brew 1 or 2 teaspoons of fig leaves to make tea to help with constipation.

Other Home Remedies for Stomach Ache

Heartburn

         Heartburn is a symptom of many different conditions, including acid reflux, a digestive disease in which stomach acid or bile irritates the food pipe lining.  Heartburn typically feels like a burning in the centre of the chest, behind the breastbone. It can last anywhere between a few minutes to hours. Symptoms include burning pain in the chest that usually occurs after eating and worsens when lying down.

Natural Remedies

1. Avoid lying down for at least 2 hours after eating;
2. Avoid fats, chocolate and citrus fruits;
3. Don’t overeat;
4. Lose weight;
5. Follow a low-carbohydrate diet;
6. Limit alcohol intake;
7. Don’t drink too much coffee;
8. Avoid raw onion;
9. Limit intake of carbonated beverages;
10. Elevate the head of your bed; and
11. Don’t sleep on your right side.

Other Natural Remedies for Heartburn

        Culled from https://www.mountelizabeth.com.sg and https://www.my.clevelandclinic.org.