On the 14th April 2020, Honourable Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modiji addressed the nation for the fourth time since the Coronavirus outbreak. He listed a lot of points about the fighting the pandemic and the need for extending the lockdown to 3rd May 2020. However, he ended the address with seven points that he wanted to people to follow in order that India wins this fight against the disease. It is common knowledge that there is no cure or vaccine yet for this virus and that many scientists across the world, are racing against time to get this done. A few clinical trials are also going on. So, our best bet to stay safe from this disease depends heavily on two things.
1. Social distancing to ensure no contact with people who already have the disease
2. Building our immunity to ensure that we do not fall sick
Join Now >
It is the second point for which the Prime Minister requested the people of India to follow the Ayush Ministry guidelines to ensure that we upkeep our immunity. This is more so for the senior citizens, as they happen to be in the vulnerable category, especially if there are other already existing medical conditions.
Herbal Tea/Kaada
One of the points listed in the Ayush ministry guidelines is to consume herbal tea or kaada at home to build immunity. While herbal tea may look like a fad to much new age and non-Indian population, for us Indians, this is nothing new. Many Indian households have been following the Ayurveda remedies that have been handed down for generations. These are referred to as the home remedies and were based on the great wisdom of our ancestors.
The haldi doodh, or turmeric milk that most of us swear by to protect against cold, and infections also finds a mention in the Ayush ministry guidelines. It also states that people should consume herbal tea or kaada made from Tulsi (Basil), Dalchini (Cinnamon), Kalimirch (Black pepper), Shunthi (Dry Ginger) and Munakka (Raisin) – once or twice a day. So, here are one or two recipes that you can use to ensure that you keep up your immunity, and stay safe.
Shunti kaada/ Dried Ginger tea
This concoction has been in prevalence in India for long to fight common cold, cough, and fever.
Ingredients:
- A bit of shunti pieces/ a teaspoon shunti powder (Fresh ginger may be used if dried ginger is not available)
- 2 cloves
- 1-inch piece of cinnamon
- A pinch of pepper
Optional:
- One teaspoon honey /jaggery
- A bit of fresh lemon juice
Preparation:
If you need a cup of kaada, put all the ingredients except the optional ones in a small vessel with two cups of water and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, bring down the flame, and keep it simmering till the concoction reduces to one cup. Take off the stove, filter and have it hot. If you love to have it sweet, you could mix in the honey or the jaggery. Also, a bit of lemon juice can add the tangy taste if you wish so.
Turmeric and Pepper tea
This is another herbal tea that helps build immunity and fight common flu-like symptoms.
Ingredients:
- ¼ teaspoon pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
Optional:
- One teaspoon honey /jaggery
- A bit of fresh lemon juice
Boil a cup of water and add the pepper and turmeric and let it stand boiling for a minute or so. Then remove from flame and cover and keep for a minute. Let the flavors get infused into the water and then mix in the lemon juice and honey as required and consume hot.
Tulsi Tea
If you love your tea as is, all you need to do to get the goodness of Tulsi in it to add two to three leaves of freshly plucked Tulsi leaves into it along with the tea leaves, while boiling. However, if you would like to forego the milk and have it in the form of kaada, then simply boil the Tulsi leaves in the water in a pan, and bring the mixture down to half of the original quantity. You could again mix in the honey or jaggery, and the lemon juice for added flavors. Honey and lemon juice also provide added protection, as these are good immunity boosters as well.
Similar herbal tea and kaada can be prepared with different combinations of all these various herbs like Tulsi, cinnamon, cloves, shunti, pepper, etc. The key is to just have it in moderate quantities twice a day and not overdo it.
