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What is your favorite memory of your Dadi or Nani? In all likelihood, this question would have made you nostalgic about either one or both Dadi (Paternal Grandma) and Nani (Maternal Grandma). They’re the ones who would have pampered you more than your parents, adored you, and even spoiled you with some delicious bribes (read: sweets). And each time you fell ill or as much as even sneezed, your grandmom would have dished out some secret kitchen recipe. And voila! your illness would be gone in a jiffy! And if you’ve wondered what those magic potions were, then here is a list of 9 most effective Dadi/Nani home remedies every mother must know:
1. Olive Oil Massage For Leg Pain
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Leg pain is common among kids, especially toddlers as they jump and play around a lot. A lot of kids find it difficult to sleep at night due to the constant pain in their legs. To treat frequent leg pain in your child, just warm some olive oil and give a good massage to your kid. This will not only relieve the pain but will also help your child sleep better.
2. Carom Seeds (Ajwain) For Chest Congestion
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Are you one of those parents who doesn’t believe in applying a balm to your baby’s delicate chest during a bout of cold or congestion? Then give this secret remedy a chance. Roast a tablespoon of ajwain seeds (carom) on a Tawa until you can see light fumes. Cut the heat off the Tawa, collect them in a muslin or thin cotton cloth, and make a potli (bag) of these hot seeds. Check if the heat is too strong for your baby. When it’s in the bearable limit, then rub this ajwain ki potli on your baby’s congested chest and neck. It will not only relieve your baby’s congestion but might also clear your baby’s blocked nose.
3. Turmeric Milk For Infections
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Whether you’ve had a fall and bruised yourself or you have a bitter bout of infectious cold, a glass of haldi doodh (turmeric milk) was always your grandma’s go-to recipe. For ages, turmeric has been considered as a sure shot way to fighting infections due to its antibiotic and antibacterial properties.
4. Honey, Black Pepper, And Ginger For Cough
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Remember the time when you had that unstoppable cough during winters? This concoction made out of a spoonful of honey and a pinch of black pepper powder taken on an empty stomach every morning would considerably reduce the cough. For more severe coughs, this was combined with half a teaspoon of freshly squeezed ginger juice.
5. Turmeric Paste To Reduce Swellings
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Turmeric has multiple health benefits. One of them is its anti-inflammatory properties, which is why it has been used as a paste to reduce swelling for ages. Simply cook a tablespoon of turmeric powder in half a cup of water until it turns thick. Then apply this warm paste on the affected area and wrap a bandage or clean cloth around it. Do this for 3 days and see the swelling vanish.
6. Neem Leaves For Chickenpox
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Think chickenpox and you’ll be immediately reminded of the green neem leaves that were scattered around you. Yes, applying neem paste on affected areas during chickenpox helps reduce those itchy rashes on the skin. Of course, it is no replacement for vaccination and medications, but it does relieve the accompanying itching.
7. Mustard Or Coconut Oil For Colic
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Pain due to colic or gas is pretty common among infants and babies. To relieve this pain, gently massaging the baby’s tummy with warm mustard or coconut oil was Dadi/Nani’s go-to remedy. It helps the baby relieve gas and poop on time, thereby reducing the pain.
8. Onion For Fever
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Onions for fever? If you have no idea about what we are talking then ask your Dadi/Nani how they used it to reduce fever whenever your parents fell ill. Simply rubbing onion slices on the child’s feet would drastically bring down the high fever temperature.
9. Saunf (Fennel) For Indigestion
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Have indigestion? Your grandma would have given you those sweet-tasting fresh green fennel seeds to pop in your mouth soon after a meal. If you thought they were just to freshen your breath, then think again. Fennel seeds help in the digestion of food and reduce gas as well (1).
Aren’t these Dadi and Nani home remedies remarkable and surprising? Did your grandmother try some of her nuskha’s on you too? If yes, we’d love to hear about them. Please share those nuskhas with us in the comments section below.
