How Can Nature’s Remedies Help Us?

Both Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, which lay emphasis on herbal remedies and natural treatments, originated in the East thousands of years ago. That is probably why there is more reliance on natural remedies in the East as compared to the West. The West’s introduction to an organized therapy of herbal medicine began only in the 18th century with launching of homeopathy by Samuel Hahnemann.

Admittedly, health services and conventional medicine in developed countries are more efficient and easily accessible than in undeveloped nations. At the same time unplanned advancement, fast lifestyles and reckless use of conventional drugs has made people living in developed nations more vulnerable to disease.

Ask any medical practitioner and you will be surprised to know that despite unprecedented level of advancement in diagnostic and treatment procedures, medical science can boast of discovering a total cure for a very few number of diseases. Even common cold remains incurable to this day. The standard approach for a cold is that if you do not treat it will take seven days and if you do, then it will take a week to cure. A naturopath, on the other hand, will tell you that cinnamon oil and honey will provide relief from common cold and lime and honey in water on regular basis will help prevent its recurrence in future. Nature’s remedies are more about the use of fruits, vegetables, herbs and roots that help in improving immunity rather than providing temporary relief from symptoms, which may resurface after some time.

Conventional therapy is likely to prescribe antacids for acidity and also warn you about taking them only when needed. A naturopath will advise that you keep away from hot and spicy foods, take meals on time, include fruits like apple, watermelon and banana in your diet and consume lots of water for as long as you can. This will permanently cure you of acidity rather than make you dependent on antacids.

And lest it give wrong impressions, natural remedies are not only about common cold and acidity. There are natural remedies for practically all ailments that you may come across. Paste of grounded dry orange peel is an effective treatment for acne. Two to three fresh garlic pods a day will effectively treat arthritis and rubbing mustard oil heated in garlic provides quick relief from backache and muscular and joint pain. Treating chronic constipation can be as easy as consuming psyllium husk seeds with a cup of hot milk or simple water.

Herbs have a minor caveat attached to them due to the toxicity that you may find in some undiluted forms but natural remedies are completely safe and without any side effects. Most of them do not carry any warnings. This is simple to understand because nature’s remedies are totally based on use of foods and substances of daily use and avoidance of harmful foods and activities.

By Tess Thompson