By Mamta Khatri
Season’s Greetings from the Green Owl.
Do you feel the morning and evening chills setting in? Autumn is slowly giving way to Winter; the days are getting shorter and the nights longer. Warm cups of tea and soup days are here. It is also the season for colds and cough, runny noses and sore throats – the reason being the drop in temperature.
“Cold air is associated with increased viral infection because you’ve essentially lost half of your immunity just by that small drop in temperature,” said study author Dr. Benjamin Bleier, director of otolaryngology translational research at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston.
What this tells us is that it is now time we check in with our immune system and see that it is protected, prepared and boosted for the winter blues. When it comes to improving your immune system, the age-old tradition of herbalism always tops the list. It is also one of the easiest dietary adjustment we can make as we have so many super herbs available here in our city.
Today I would like to highlight some of the super herbs that I cannot live without and talk a little about their roles in preventing and fighting winter ailments.
Turmeric and ginger are my two all-time favorites. Turmeric contains curcumin, an anti-inflammatory compound that has therapeutic potential for various neurological disorders.
Ginger is not far behind with its own goodness of speeding up digestion, making sure the nutrients are absorbed but the body. A warm cup of ginger and turmeric tea (with a little pepper to boost curcumin’s bioavailability by up to 2000%) can really work wonders in fighting coughs and colds.
Other herbs that I grow in my home-garden especially for the cold winter months are Tulsi, Rosemary, Thyme, Garlic, Peppermint, Chamomile and Fennel to name a few.
My other favorite among these is a warm cup of fresh Peppermint tea. The menthol from the leaves acts as a natural decongestant helping my blocked nose to open up rather easily.
The Holy Basil (Tulsi) has been one of the most frequently used herb when it comes to fighting off the cough and colds. My mum always gave me a spoonful of mashed Tulsi leaves for almost any quick relief. This sacred plant is popular for its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and adaptogenic properties. It will help boost your immunity against respiratory infections.
Besides herbs, here in Nepal there are two very important fruits that are truly beneficial to consume during the cold winter months, The Amala (Indian Gooseberry) and The Hog Plum (Lapsi) You can find both in the market now as this is the season. I always buy my stash of these fruits and make pickles and candy with them just for the winter months. Both fruits are packed with Vitamin C, antioxidants and fiber provide you with immunity.
Don’t forget to include garlic into your daily diet. The allicin in garlic helps your body fight off any invaders.
Winter vegetables like Kale, Spinach, Radish, Tomatoes, all of these can be so easily grown at home in pots, containers on your rooftop.
You can literally create your own home based ‘herbal pharmacy’ as most of these herbs are so easy to grow in your own garden. Having your own small patch of fresh, chemical free veggies and herbs can make such a rewarding process. It gives us the opportunity to witness little miracles in your own garden as you see yourself learning and gaining knowledge eventually leading you to enhance your own health.
Let us all try and change our mindset from ‘dependence’ to ‘self – reliance’.
