These traditional health drinks will boost immunity

Subhash Rajta

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Nothing will scare you and those around you as much as sore throat, cold and cough these days. Unless it’s extremely discomforting, both physically and mentally, there’s a tried and tested remedy available in every home — the humble kaadha, a concoction of various herbs and spices that has been in use since time immemorial. “It is something we have all the time whenever we have sore throat,” says Barnali Sinha, from Bengal.

“All you need is ginger, black peppercorns, cinnamon, tulsi leaves and cloves. Boil these in a sauce pan, throw in some jaggery/sugar/misri, and turn off the gas when the water level reduces to half.”

Used widely across the country, with some minor variations, kaadha offers remarkable health benefits — so much so that the AYUSH Ministry has recommended it as an immunity booster amid the current health crisis.  Nutritionists, too, give a thumbs-up to the traditional health drinks/soups made from the ingredients available in our kitchen.

“Traditional drinks made with tulsi leaves, cloves, garlic and ginger are good for our lungs. They help in breaking down the mucous, reducing cough and fever and boosting our immunity,” says Neha Patahania, a nutritionist with Paras Hospital, Gurugram.

Miraculous giloy: For many, giloy is the best when it comes to enhancing immunity and general health. One needs to cut the stem of the plant into small piece, crush it in hamam dusta/ mixer and grinder, and then boil it. “If you want, you can add ginger, black pepper and honey to it. It’s extremely beneficial,” says Shiv Singh from Chandigarh.

Summer coolant: The Sattu drink is a wonderful coolant in summers and it offers multiple health benefits. Apart from aiding digestion, it is considered good for people fighting diabetes and high blood pressure. “Black gram is boiled, dried, roasted, its outer layer removed, and then crushed into powder,” says Sandhya from Benares. “One could add spices like black pepper and jeera to it. Depending on your taste, it could be sweet or salty but we prefer the salty version.” For anyone stepping out of the house in summer, she says, the drink is a must-have. Aam panna, aam pora sherbat, green mango chutney and mint either with water or lassi are also beneficial in summers.

Wild mushroom soup: In Kinnaur, wild mushroom soup is the first line of defence against cough and cold. “It’s the first thing we use whenever we fall sick, and we find it very useful,” says Naveen Negi from Kinnaur. “These mushrooms grow naturally in the wild. These are gathered, dried and stored, and are readily available in every household round the year.”

Pepper rasam: Down South, pepper rasam is the first thing people turn to in case of cold and cough, says Kalpana Sunder from Chennai. Spicy and tangy, thanks to tamarind, black peppercorns, mustard seeds, asafoetida, etc. it could be had as a soup or with rice.

Go for these super snacks

Much before biscuits, chocolates and other processed food items became widely available, people would snack on homemade delicacies that were both nutritious and tasty. In upper Himachal, for instance, people prepared a mixture, called muri, of whole wheat, cannabis seeds and jaggery.

“Wheat and cannabis seeds are roasted, and then jaggery is added to the mix.  Absolutely delicious and healthy, it can be preserved for long,” says Bhagat Singh from Theog. For many, gond ke laddoo and methi ke laddoo are the best snack they have ever had.  Gond ke laddoo are made from edible gum, whole wheat flour, ghee and dry fruits. It is considered rich in calcium and magnesium. Roasted makhanas, too, are among the most nutritious snacks.