Just open your kitchen cupboard and you will more remedies than you would in your medicine cabinet!

Here are some herbs and spices which will help you prevent and treat almost all common illnesses.

BASIL:
A basil tea is excellent for lowering one’s blood sugar levels and one’s blood pressure also. It will also relieve fever, colds and coughs, throat and lung congestion, and even joint pains. It also has analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. It can be applied externally to soothe insect bites and skin infections.   Basil teas are useful for indigestion, headaches, fevers, colds and flu, bladder and kidney problems, cramps, vomiting and nausea, constipation and various nervous conditions.

CINNAMON:
Cinnamon is helpful for digestive problems especially when they are accompanied by gas and cramping, diarrhea, vomiting.  It is also used to treat problems related to rheumatism, stiff joints and arthritis. It can also be used to treat flu and coughs and colds. Simmered in milk and taken with a little honey, Cinnamon is very effective for diarrhea, indigestion, gas, and dysentery.  Cinnamon should not be used if you are pregnant.

PEPPER:
Pepper is an excellent remedy one can take at the first sign of most diseases.  Many people consider Pepper to be one of nature’s ideal foods, which may be used not only to cure many diseases but also to prevent them. Take about six peppercorns, crush them and mix them with honey, and take this mixture every day in the morning.  This mixture of pepper and honey is useful to treat colds, coughs and sore throats.

GINGER:
Ginger is excellent for bronchitis, sore throat, colds, indigestion, muscle and menstrual cramps, for circulation problems, and also cough and influenza.  Ginger can also be externally applied in the form of fomentation, to treat inflammation, and also for pain, and even stiff joints. Boil a two-inch piece of dried Ginger in approximately two quarts of water for about ten minutes. Strain this mixture, and then soak a cloth in this water and apply it to the affected area.

MUSTARD:
A teaspoon full of crushed Mustard seeds in warm water acts as a mild laxative and blood purifier.  Mustard plasters can be applied externally for treating spasms, and also aches, pains and sprains, and for cold areas which need increased blood circulation.  It should not be used on tender, sensitive areas and if it seems to be too strong, the Mustard may be diluted with a little bit of rye flour.

PARSLEY:
Parsley can be internally taken as a diuretic, to clear toxins in the body, and also to relax spasms, and to reduce inflammation. It is also useful for menstrual complaints, for the inhibition of tumor growth, for treating gas and dyspepsia, and urinary tract problems, and even for rheumatism and arthritis. Externally applied, it can be used to relieve itching.

 

OREGANO:
Oregano helps to settle flatulence and it can also stimulate the flow of bile. It is also great for headaches.  It is often used in the treatment of colds and flu. An infusion of oregano boiled in a little water can be used in whooping cough and for coughs also. You can use oregano as a mouthwash for inflammations of the throat and mouth. It may also applied on infected wounds and cuts. Oregano may also be applied as a hot fomentation to relieve swellings and rheumatism, and also to soothe a baby’s colic.  Some people even think that eating plenty of oregano can help keep mosquitoes away. A paste can also be made, which will soothe insect bites and bee stings.