The Ayurvedic First Aid Kit

We all have a first aid tin at home packed with plasters, antiseptic cream & wipes, antacids, anti-inflammatory, pain killing drugs, etc. But what if you wanted to achieve a quick first aid fix naturally? With just a little know how and patience you can easily find a remedy from within your own kitchen cupboards for so many common conditions. Here are 8 of my favourite first aid natural remedies.

Sore throat: A classic combination is honey and turmeric, mix a dessert spoon of both of these ingredients and suck on the spoon. Also gargle with warm water, turmeric and rock salt. Just watch the results.

Cuts & grazes: apply a paste of honey and turmeric, this is both anti-septic and will help the wound heal super fast.

Burn – immediately run through cold water, then apply a paste of fresh aloe vera gel with a pinch of turmeric powder. Once the initial sting subsides you can continue with aloe or apply a little ghee or coconut oil with rose and sandal wood to enhance the cooling effect.

Headache – for a temporal headache, apply a paste of dry ginger to the forehead and lie down for about 5-6 minutes, remove the paste and take some rest. Headaches are often a sign of dehydration, so increase your water intake. A local massage to the forehead, temples, neck and shoulders can help loosen up tightness that can contribute to headaches. A downward dog yoga pose can help increase the blood supply the head.

Acid reflux – Often caused by an increase in the pitta dosha; a pitta pacifying diet would be advised. Correct diet will play a very important role in managing this condition.  As a quick home remedy try chewing on fennel seeds after food or drinking aloe vera juice. Drink a small glass of buttermilk with a pinch of asafoetida, turmeric and fenugreek with or directly after the meal.

Indigestion – Simple, avoid overeating! Since we live in an indulgent society and want a quick fix and you can have pomegranate juice or seeds or drink hot water infused with lemon juice. Fasting is also a favourable option to allow the digestive system to recover. Drink buttermilk after the meal to improves digestion with cumin seeds and a little salt.

Cough – For dry cough take a decoction of liquorice root. For a cough with mucous take a decoction of turmeric, ginger, lemon, pinch of black pepper and a squeeze of honey once cool. You can also chew on ginger root and eat a little paste of garlic.

Diarrhoea – drink a glass of buttermilk with a pinch of salt and cumin as a general remedy. A great remedy is powdered mango seed taken with honey twice a day. A mix of dry ginger, rock salt and jaggery is very effective in cases of loose motions cause by indigestion.