Day 3 - A bar stool

One of my nicest Mysore memories is that of my Ajji preparing dosas for breakfast.  She sat on a tall wooden stool in front of the stove in her kitchen, a huge vessel full of dosa batter sat next the stove,  and on two burners were two tavas.  There usually were at least a dozen of us there in the summer holidays, and we'd start eating, two by two, others coming to join in as the first two finished.  She'd churn out crisp golden dosas, and we'd eat it with freshly made chutney made from freshly grated coconut that came from the trees in their garden.

Yeah, my stomach is rumbling too.

Anyway, coming to the point.  The wooden stool.  Making dosas for a hungry dozen takes a long time - and she did the logical thing - she made them all sitting down. 

Recently, while I was taking treatment for a foot pain, I was advised not to stand for too long.  So S went out and got me a bar stool to use in the kitchen.

I grumbled at first.  It doesn't sound easy, working in the kitchen, sitting at the counter.  And it is not.  But there are things one can do sitting down.  Processing vegetables, for example.  Cutting fruits.  Making dosas and akki rotti.  Washing vessels.  And yes - even making chapatis.

I thought that making chapatis sitting down would be totally impossible. But I make quite a few chapatis at least three times a week.  So that's a considerable bit of standing time.  So I gave it a shot, and guess what, that frontier has been crossed too.  Yes, you need to manoeuvre your limbs a little, you need to keep all that you want handy before you sit down, but it is possible to make chapatis sitting down, contrary to what I had believed for years.

I've had the stool for two weeks now, and it is helping. My legs don't feel tired any more after making chapatis.  As for dosas - ah!  Now, without any guilt,  S requests me to make all kinds of dosas, and I don't mind at all.  It is fun, sitting on the stool, making the dosa, swivelling around (Ajji didn't have that luxury!) to talk to S and Puttachi, feeling quite trendy and all. ;)



 

Home Remedies

I got talking with my dear friend CC about kids and illnesses and home remedies and she suggested I do a post on home remedies, and request my readers to contribute too.  I thought that an excellent idea.  It would be a good repository, something to check back on when needed.

You could post your remedies in the comments section, or email me.  I'll update the post with your remedies, credit them to you, and link to you if you have a site.

But please do keep in mind:

- Let's just stick to home remedies, medicines derived out of things found at home - no medicines bought from the shop, please.
- Are they suitable for children?  Do mention what age group the remedy is suitable for.

I'll start with mine:

1) Steam inhalation - for colds and coughs.  Suitable for even very young children, but under strict supervision.

2) Gargling with warm salt water for sore throats and coughs - My daughter could gargle a little before she was four, but she could gargle full-fledged, without choking, only after she turned four.  Check with your child, and start as early as possible. 

Tip:  Both Steam inhalation and Salt water gargling is very exciting and new at first, but later, kids can get tired of it.  Join them in the activity, give them company. Gargle with them, if you must.  I make up stories, describe each germ that she spits out with each gargle - that makes it fun for her. 

3) Lemon and honey - 1 tsp of honey and 1 tsp of lemon juice, twice a day, we believe, build immunity.  For younger children, dilute it with water, because the taste is a little too strong.

4) Raw garlic is supposed to be excellent for immunity against respiratory problems (not to mention a gadzillion other problems).  Adults should swallow it raw, crushed, with water first thing in the morning.  For my daughter, I chop 1-2 pods into slivers and fry them in a quarter spoonful of ghee.  She actually enjoys it and asks for more, but I don't give it to her more than once a day.  Also, I don't give this to her in the morning, more like in the evening.

5) Tulasi/holy basil - chewed, made into kashaya, mixed with milk... all good for cough.

6) Turmeric - a pinch of it with milk as hot as your child can manage - again for respiratory problems.

7) Kashaya for sore throat and cough. - boil together 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 4-5 peppercorns, 4-5 tulasi leaves, a pinch of turmeric in a large glass of water, boil until the water reduces to half.  Drink as is, or with honey/jaggery, or with milk, or with milk and honey, as hot as possible.  (It works very well for me, but somehow kashaya doesn't seem to agree with my daughter.)

Also, there are many more versions of kashaya, with additions and deletions, do give your recipe.

8) Stomach discomfort - swallow 1/2 tsp of methi seeds with warm water. Not sure about small children, I give 1/4 tsp to my 4.5 year old daughter.

9) Gas in your tummy - sit in Vajrasana (preferable), or stand with both feet together.  Lift your arms slowly sideways, take them over your head, fold your palms over your head, stretching your arms all the while.  Bring them back down.  Repeat this 8-10 times slowly.  Great relief.

10) Temporary relief from non-stop cough - suck a raisin, or kallu-sakkare (literally "stone sugar" - a lump of sugar)

I'll probably add more as I remember.  Meanwhile, please add your remedies.

Updated on Feb 21st:

Thank you all for your wonderful home remedies, and please keep them coming.  I would have loved to categorize the remedies according to the health problem - Any volunteers? :)

Anon:
The below remedies are for kids above 3 yrs of age:

for temporary relief from scratching non stop during chicken pox, brush the body with neem twigs with the leaves on whenever you have the urge to scratch. Helps to scratch without causing permanent scars.

Turmeric paste on wounds as antiseptic - 'paste' because i don't trust any of the brands for purity and would prefer to make my own paste using turmeric stick on a 'sanekal'. Turmeric can then be mixed with chandan paste for cooling effect. Helps reduce the scars.

1 bowl Papaya/a handful of raisins/over ripe banana for relief from constipation

For gas relief, boil 1/2 tablespoon ajwain and 1/2 spoon fennel seeds in about 1/2 cup water until the water quantity reduces to half. keep giving 2 spoons of this water every couple of hours.
For new born babies (0-6weeks), an adult simply chews ajwain and fennel seeds and then blows out through the mouth on the
stomach of the baby. The gases supposedly permeate through the skin to bring relief!

Dr MS Raghunandan
 before giving one home remedy which has been tried and tested on my children any number of times, i will suggest one home remedy which i come across very often and which should be AVOIDED in case of a tooth ache -HOT PACKS. It spreads infection.

When children/infants have diarrhoea the skin around the anus turns raw and is extremely irritating. If you have what is known as 'Alalekaayi' in kannada, available in any 'Granthige angadi' ( i do not know the english name) grind it to make a paste just as sandal paste is made and apply it on the skin. works wonders. one alalekaayi lasts years.

Abhipraya:

 For loosies - give the child pomegranates. Boiling couple of pomegranate leaves in water, straining and having that water also helps. Kids don't mind this because it has not particular flavour.

For cold - crush doddapatre leaves and Tulasi leaves, extract juice and give it with a bit of honey. Brings great relief.


Anon:
Clean and dry roast 2 cups of mature [dark green]curry leaves, and quarter tea spoon of black pepper. powder them together.

At the beginning of the meal mix a quarter spoon of this mixture with hot rice and ghee [modalanna] and give to children above 3 years of age.

Good for immunity, flem control, balances iron and fibre content too.

Said to be very good during monsoon and cold months.

Austere: 
 ghee as a soothing balm on tender areas.
for adults-- hing + adrak powder soonth + jaggery-- for upset tums
for gas-- ajwain + salt to be washed down with water

Parijata
 For boosting immunity: A glassful of milk mixed with a spoon of honey.

And this is what we do when we have had a heavier-than-usual meal. Stir a little hing-water and a little menthya (methi) powder into a glass of buttermilk and sip it slowly. Kids like it too.

If cough bothers at night, just toss a few black peppercorns and a a little kaDale bELe (Chana dal). Do not chew, but it is okay if you do. Amazing relief from cough. Lavanga also works well.

For diarrhea in infants jayikayi gandha (thin nutmeg paste) works well, but it should be used in a very small quantity (1 round on the saaNekallu for a month-old baby). This prevents dehydration but might not remove any infection. Better used only in emergency.

Radhika:

Stomach ache :

Take half lemon, sprinkle baking soda and bit of salt, prick with a fork.

It starts bubbling like soap bubbles. Just lick it! It’s quite tasty and my daughter enjoys it.

Throat pain/cough: crush doddapatre leaves, squeeze the juice, add bit of salt, take one spoon.

It’s not that bad to taste but my daughter doesn’t like it. So I put it directly to her throat so that she doesn’t get the taste :)

Indigestion: Buttermilk with hing and salt. Tasty and works wonders. 

WARNING: EVERYTHING SHOULD BE DONE IN MODERATION. IF SYMPTOMS PERSIST, PLEASE CALL THE DOCTOR.

Thyroid disorders

Check out my article on Thyroid disorders in the Health issue of JustFemme. For a long time, I have been thinking of writing about thyroid disorders here on my blog, but I have never got around to doing it.

It is one of the most common disorders around, but very rarely is it correctly diagnosed. But once diagnosed and treated, you are as healthy as anybody else.

I have been hypothyroid for the past 7 years, and am on thyroxine supplements. In the beginning, I was upset - What? Take tablets for the rest of my life? But now, it is second nature. Asking me, "Have you taken Eltroxin today?" is akin to asking me "Have you brushed your teeth today?"

As for my health, I couldn't be more normal (Physically at least!). Being hypothyroid hasn't affected my life in the slightest. Thyroxine levels change slightly during pregnancy, and all pregnant women are screened for it nowadays. Since I was already on thyroxine supplements, they just had to adjust my dosage slightly for a brief period. I had a healthy pregnancy, and have a normal and healthy daughter.

Thyroid disorders are more common than you think. Do read the article, and if you suspect that you or somebody you know might have a thyroid disorder, please get yourself checked at the earliest!

While you are there at JustFemme, do read my mom's story about surviving cancer. For all those who couldn't read the Kannada article, this one is for you!