When you’re not quite up to snuff, give Mother Nature a
chance to clear things up before you run to the
pharmacy.
Even the healthiest bodies occasionally get out of whack.
Everyday ailments — colds, sore throats, headaches, sinus
trouble, constipation — afflict us all from time to
time. And while there are lots of nonprescription remedies
available, many have drawbacks. Some medications — such
as nasal sprays and laxative — scan be addictive.
Others (cold preparations, for example) contain
combinations of ingredients designed to treat a whole range
of symptoms that you may or may not have. A few are
considered flat-out ineffective by the FDA. And a great
many have undesirable side effects!
Natural Food Remedies
But you don’t have to haunt the aisles of your corner
drugstore the next time you’re under the weather. Check out
your produce bin instead! Fresh vegetables — as well as
fruits and grains — have long-established medicinal
properties that can alleviate the symptoms of minor
illnesses.
I’ve put together a few concoctions that are good for what
ails you. And rather than side effects, my natural
medicines have side benefits,. They provide good eating and
sound nutrition.
Do you feel a cold coming on? Get your vitamin C from the
rose hips in Super-C Soup or from Ascorbic Acid Ice Milk.
Suffering from a cough or a sandpaper throat? The soothing
honey-and-garlic blend I call Nature’s Penicillin has mild
antiseptic, expectorant, and (some argue) antibiotic
qualities. Sinuses acting up? Sgt. Pepper’s Sinus Cure will
help unclog your stuffy nose. Headache? Down a few Almond
Aspirins; they’re full of salicylates — as in salicylic
acid, commonly known as aspirin — and they contribute
substantial calcium, potassium, and B vitamins to your achy
body. Constipated? I’d suggest Ex-Flax or Fruit ‘N’ Bran
Balls. You say you’re just feeling generally down and out?
Try one of my high-vitamin pick-me-ups. Parsley Salad is
packed with vitamins A and C and has generous amounts of
calcium, potassium, and fiber . . . and B-8 Juice
contributes goodly portions of A and C along with its dose
of B vitamins.
Parsley Salad Recipe
1 medium bunch parsley
1 small clove garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 /2 lemon
Trim stems off parsley and cut it into bite-sized pieces
before placing the greens on two salad plates. Chop garlic
very fine and sprinkle it over parsley, then dribble one
tablespoon of oil and the juice of 1/4 lemon over each
plate. Stir lightly.
Each serving contains 150 calories, 5,102 IU vitamin A, 113
mg vitamin C, 470 mg potassium, 38 mg calcium, 2 g protein,
7 g carbohydrate, 14 g fat.
Ascorbic Acid Ice Milk Recipe
8 ounces pitted dates
1 /2 cup boiling water
1 cup cold water
1 cup milk or yogurt
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1 to 2 teaspoons powdered vitamin C
Blend dates and boiling water until dates are pureed. Stir
in other ingredients and freeze until almost firm. Beat the
mixture until smooth, then turn it into a 9 inch by 9 inch by 2 inch pan.
Cover the pan with plastic wrap and freeze until firm.
The recipe contains 715 calories, 236 mg vitamin C, 110 IU
vitamin A, 430 mg calcium, 1,859 mg potassium, 14 g
protein, 179 g carbohydrate, and 1 g fat. Note: Figures are
based on skim milk; using whole milk or yogurt would change
the calorie and fat content.
Sgt. Pepper’s Sinus Cure Recipe
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 green pepper
Blend all ingredients. The recipe contains 114 calories,
205 mg vitamin C, 587 mg potassium, 2 g protein, 26 g
carbohydrate.
Ex-Flax Recipe
1 cup pitted prunes
1 cup raisins
1 cup finely grated carrot
3 teaspoons flax seeds
Put all of the ingredients through a food grinder (add a
little boiling water if they stick). Form the mixture into
tiny balls and roll them in powdered carob or powdered milk
spiked with cinnamon. Chill, and take three or four a day
as needed.
Note: Be sure to drink plenty of water with this (or any
similar) laxative, or it may have an opposite effect to the
one desired.
The recipe contains 780 calories, 215 mg calcium, 10 mg
iron, 14,300 IU vitamin A, 99 mg sodium,.34 mg B 1 , .39 mg
B 2 , 3.5 mg niacin, 8 g protein, 206 g carbohydrate, and 1
g fat.
Super-C Soup Recipe
1 cup seedless rose hips
1 quart water
2 tablespoons honey (or more for a sweeter soup)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon yogurt or sour cream
Soak rose hips in water overnight. The next day, simmer the
rose hips, water, honey, and cinnamon for 30 minutes.
Remove from the heat, cool slightly, and whirl in a blender
until smooth. Chill and serve with yogurt or sour cream, if
desired.
This recipe, without the yogurt or sour cream topping,
contains 150 calories and 5,600 mg vitamin C. Note: When
the soup is cooked, it will lose some of the vitamin C
content listed above. To minimize the loss, don’t simmer
the soup longer than 1/2 hour, and keep a lid on the
saucepan.
Nature’s Penicillin Recipe
24 cloves of garlic
Raw honey
Peel the garlic cloves and put them in a medium-sized jar;
add honey a little at a time over a couple of days until
the jar is full, then set it in a sunlit window until the
garlic has turned somewhat opaque and the honey tastes
strongly of garlic. Take a teaspoon every few hours or
whenever necessary.
One tablespoon contains 70 calories and 36 g carbohydrate.
B-8 Juice Recipe
2 cups vegetable cocktail juice
1 to 3 teaspoons nutritional yeast
Process ingredients in the blender until smooth. (Note:
Some brands of yeast taste better than others; shop around
for the one that you prefer.) Variations: For additional
nutrition, add kelp, vitamin C powder, or dry vegetable
flakes.
Recipe contains 90 calories, 2,500 IU vitamin A, 30 mg
vitamin C, 1.6 mg B 1 , 1.6 mg B 2 , 1.6 mg B 6 , 1.3 mcg B
12 , 6 g protein, 19 g carbohydrate.
Almond Aspirins Recipe
1 cup honey
3/4 cup whole raw almonds
1/2 to 1 cup unsweetened coconut (as needed)
Heat and stir the honey until it reaches the firm ball
stage (240 degrees Fahrenheit). Using tongs, quickly dip each nut into
the hot honey, and then into the coconut. Set aside on wax
paper until dry.
This recipe contains 1,839 calories, 253 mg calcium, 1,093
mg potassium, .9 mg B 2 , 3 mg niacin, 21 g protein, 583 g
carbohydrate, 79 g fat (62 g saturated fat).
Fruit ‘n’ Bran Balls Recipe
1 cup dried, pitted prunes
1 cup seedless raisins
1 cup dried black figs
2 teaspoons wheat bran
Mix fruits in a bowl, then put through a food grinder twice
(add a little boiling water if the ingredients stick). Form
the mixture into walnut-sized balls, roll in wheat germ,
and store in the refrigerator.
Note: As with Ex Flax, be sure to drink plenty of
water with this laxative, or it may have an opposite effect
to the one desired.
This recipe contains 1,292 calories, 526 mg calcium, 18 mg
iron, 2,330 IU vitamin A, 6.7 g protein, 334 g
carbohydrate, and 3.4 g fat.
