By Kejal Shah
As temperatures in India start going down rapidly, everyone wants a way to keep them warm. Unfortunately, this is also the time when most of us get a common cold, cough, flu, and have joint pains. However, many healthy winter foods around us help to keep the body warm even when it is chilly outside & also help to stay healthy in winter. Interestingly, in this season most of our grandma’s charge into the kitchen and prepare natural remedies in a secretive sort-of manner.
Top Indian Winter Foods in Our kitchen
- Ghee: You must be thinking that ghee will be adding up calories, but it cuts down the bad fats when consumed in small amounts and also helps to keep your body warm.
- Dry fruits: Dry fruits are one of the best foods in winter. Apricots, dried figs, and dates will give you natural warmth.
- Whole grains: If you have planned to consume healthy foods in winters that will keep you warm, whole grains like bajra pearl millet and ragi or finger millet should definitely be on your list.
- Jaggery: Jaggery locally known as “gur/gud” not only improves your digestive system but also keeps you warm.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon promotes the body’s metabolism, helps in generating heat in chilly weathers, and needs to be a part of your winter healthy food list.
- Saffron: If you want, your body to stay warm you can just boil saffron in milk and also add raisins to it.
- Sesame: Sesame can help resist various respiratory disorders. Enjoy sesame delicacies like the “Vadi” or “laddu” during Sankranti.
Home Remedies from Grandma’s Kitchen
- Cold and Cough:
Grandma’s Remedy:
The healthy drink ‘kadha’, is made with two power ingredients pepper and turmeric. The latter is known to increase mucous secretion, which helps flush out harmful bacteria. Plus, its antibacterial properties help fight the infection. Pepper is also antibacterial.
- Immunity Issues:
Grandma’s Remedy:
To strengthen your immunity, consume a combination of ginger juice, basil (tulsi) leaves, and a teaspoon of honey. Ginger has anti-inflammatory benefits and is anti-bacterial to help the immune system fight better. Basil leaves increase natural antibodies and T helper cells in the blood, thereby increasing immunity. Similarly, honey also has antibacterial properties that help strengthen your body from the inside.
- Chest Congestion:
Grandma’s Remedy:
Heat cow’s ghee in a pan and add a few garlic cloves to the same. Massaging this gently on your chest will help you fight chest congestion. The usage of cow’s ghee is part of Ayurvedic treatment for relieving cold-like symptoms, while the intense aroma and antioxidants in cloves provide relief from chest congestion.
- Digestive Problems:
Grandma’s Remedy: Have warm water with lemon juice, which would work to clean the digestive tract and also eliminate fat. Lemon flushes out the toxins floating around your GI tract and also relieves the symptoms of indigestion.
