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“LET THY FOOD be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food” is often ascribed to the Greek physician Hippocrates; however, the wisdom of Ayurvedic healing has considered food a powerful medicine since the ancient Indian Vedic period (1500–500 BCE). Ayurveda’s approach to health and longevity includes various home remedies and recipes using food, herbs, spices, medicinal plants, and formulated oils along with nutritional healing principles to support the body to resist disease, recover from disorders, and prevent recurring symptoms and illnesses.
If you’ve ever wished for a little help from Mother Nature to treat your children’s everyday common complaints, traditional Ayurvedic home remedies can offer you and your family plenty of natural relief. In fact, you can find most of the ingredients you need to follow simple, common Ayurvedic recipes right in your kitchen cabinets and backyard or windowsill garden! When you take action in the early stages of any health issue, you can help avoid further progression of ailments and disorders and promote healing at initial stages, relieve symptoms, and restore balance to the mind-body system.
Many parents today prefer gentler, holistic remedies for an integrated model of care in relationship with modern medicine whenever possible. Ayurveda provides a series of natural healing techniques and therapies you can easily implement at home that offer convenience, a low risk of side effects, and cost-effective solutions to keep your children’s minds and bodies healthy. From sleep tonics to stomachaches, you will find many useful recipes in the following sections to support alleviating common everyday ailments in combination with the lifestyle routines and Ayurvedic regimens you have discovered throughout this book.
Introducing New Flavors
Before you jump into experimenting with different recipes, Dr. J shares some practical advice on the best ways to introduce new flavors and ingredients to your children. This will help you steer clear of resistance so you can make the most of these natural health remedies!
Throughout his Ayurvedic practice, Dr. J has found it is often much easier to work with children than adults because of their simple, open-minded nature. They do not have the same preconceived ideas that we do as adults and are generally more acceptant and even curious about new practices and routines presented to them. What matters most is not what you introduce, but how you introduce something new, whether it is an herb, a formulation, or a new recipe. When you follow principles that gradually acquaint your children with unfamiliar tastes, they will tolerate different remedies without difficulty and make it easier for you to regularly introduce effective, natural remedies at home.
First, always start with the minimal quantity when introducing a new taste and gradually build up to the recommended amount. If a recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon as the full dosage, for example, start with a few drops mixed in with something you know your child enjoys. As they slowly get used to the flavor, you can gradually increase to the usual measurement over a few days. When you give a child an initial full dose of an unfamiliar taste, as you probably know from your own experience, there is a high likelihood an aversion will set in that will be challenging at best to overcome.
The second rule of thumb is to sweeten the deal—combining new tastes, especially when bitter or astringent with more palatable accompaniments like honey or maple syrup make it easy for kids to try something new. Once they get used to the flavors and tastes of new herbs and spices, treating ailments at home with simple ingredients will become second nature for everyone.
Colds and Congestion
tulsi ginger tea with honey
Prep time: 10–15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 cup water
¼ teaspoon grated fresh or dried ginger
¼ teaspoon tulsi (holy basil) leaf powder (or 2 fresh leaves if available)
¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
1 teaspoon (or as needed) raw honey or palm jaggery
Boil the water with the grated or powdered ginger, tulsi, and black pepper powder for 5 minutes. Remove from the stove, allow to cool down to lukewarm, add raw honey or palm jaggery, and offer in 2–4 divided doses once every 3–4 hours.
TURMERIC GINGER CUMIN TEA
Prep time: 10–15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 cup water
¼ teaspoon grated fresh or dried ginger
¼ teaspoon cumin seed
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon (or as needed) raw honey
Boil the water with the grated or powdered ginger, cumin seed, and turmeric powder for 5 minutes. Remove from the stove, allow to cool down to lukewarm, add raw honey, and offer in 2–4 divided doses once every 2–3 hours.
Dry Cough with Sore Throat
pearl onion, lemon, and honey
Prep time: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 pink pearl onion
½ fresh lemon or lime
1 tablespoon raw honey
Chop the pearl onion into small slices and place in a small bowl. Squeeze half a lemon or lime into the chopped pearl onion. Add the raw honey and mix it very well. Give ¼ teaspoon of this mixture every hour.
Respiratory Allergies and Immunity Booster
golden milk with saffron
Prep time: 10–15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 cup organic whole milk
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
Palm jaggery or unrefined cane sugar, to taste (optional)
4–6 threads saffron (optional)
Boil the milk with the turmeric and palm jaggery or unrefined cane sugar. Add the saffron when you remove the milk from the heat. Offer to your child at bedtime.
Drinking warm milk at bedtime is known to enhance the quality of sleep. Children are more prone to kapha dosha aggravations, and the warmth of turmeric and saffron helps to cut the kapha-increasing nature of the milk. Turmeric is also traditionally known to enhance immune resistance against allergies.
Disturbed sleep
milk with nutmeg
Prep time: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 cup organic whole milk
1 small pinch nutmeg powder
1 teaspoon (or as needed) unrefined cane sugar
Bring the milk to a boil with a pinch of nutmeg powder. Add the unrefined cane sugar as needed. Drink while still warm, ideally at bedtime.
Constipation
milk with cane jaggery
Prep Time: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 cup organic whole milk
1 teaspoon cane jaggery
Boil the milk and mix in the jaggery. Drink at bedtime. It usually helps with easy elimination the next day.
Dehydration
mint lemonade with sweet and salt
Prep time: 5 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 cup water
2 tablespoons unrefined cane sugar
¼ teaspoon sea salt
3 mint leaves, chopped
½ lemon or lime
Mix 2 tablespoons of sugar into room temperature water, then add ¼ teaspoon salt and 3 chopped mint leaves. Squeeze half of a lemon into the glass, mix well, and serve fresh. You can adjust the sweet and salt based on your child’s palate. This is good to serve to kids while playing intense sports or when they come back after their workouts or outdoor games.
coconut water with cardamom
Prep time: 5 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 cup coconut water
1 teaspoon unrefined cane sugar
1 pinch (about 1 gram) cardamom powder
Dissolve the unrefined cane sugar in the coconut water, then add 1 pinch of cardamom powder to it. Mix well and serve fresh.
Diarrhea and Nausea
arrowroot soup
Prep time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
1 cup water
1 pinch cumin powder
Himalayan pink salt to taste
Boil the arrowroot in the water with cumin powder over medium heat until it becomes a thick liquid consistency. Serve warm after adding salt to taste.
lemon, ginger, and honey
Prep time: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
½ lemon or lime
1 cup filtered water or boiled and cooled water
½ teaspoon fresh ginger juice
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Squeeze the lemon or lime into the water. Add the ginger juice with the salt, and stir well. Give in divided doses once every 2 hours. Once the appetite returns to normal, serve rice soup with a pinch of salt for hydration and strength.
rice soup
Prep time: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon basmati rice
1½-2 cups water
A pinch of salt, ginger, or cumin to taste
Boil 1 tablespoon of rice with 1½-2 cups of water until the rice is soft and well-cooked. Serve warm with a pinch of salt to taste and additional spices, such as a pinch of ginger or cumin powder, as desired.
pomegranate orange peel tea
Prep time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 teaspoon chopped pomegranate peel
½ teaspoon chopped orange or lemon peel
2 cups filtered water or boiled and cooled water
Boil the peels of the pomegranate and orange or lemon in the water for 3–5 minutes. Allow tea to cool down to lukewarm and then give 1 tablespoon every hour.
Indigestion
ginger tea with jaggery
Prep time: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 cup water
¼ teaspoon grated fresh or dried ginger
1 teaspoon (or as needed for taste) cane jaggery
Boil the water with the grated or powdered ginger for 5 minutes. Remove from the stove, allow to cool down to lukewarm, and add the cane jaggery.
Give it in 2–4 divided doses in a day.
pomegranate juice with roasted cumin seed
Prep time: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon pomegranate juice
1 pinch (about 1 gram) dry roasted cumin seed powder
½ teaspoon raw honey
Take the pomegranate juice, and mix in a pinch of dry roasted cumin powder and raw honey. Give it before a meal.
Abdominal Pain/Colic
carom seed water
Prep time: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 cup water
¼ teaspoon carom seed powder
Boil the water and remove from the stove after it boils for 2 minutes. Allow it to cool down to lukewarm, then add the carom seed powder. Give in 3–4 divided doses in a day.
Ayurvedic Mouthwash
pomegranate peel cardamom mouth rinse
Prep time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 teaspoon chopped pomegranate peel
1 cup filtered water
1 pinch (about 1 gram) cardamom powder
Boil the pomegranate peels in the water for 3–5 minutes, and then allow to cool down to lukewarm. Add a pinch of cardamom powder and use for rinsing the mouth 2–3 times a day.
Bath Scrub
mung bean and licorice paste
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon mung bean powder
1 teaspoon licorice powder
Water or organic whole milk, as needed
This common Ayurvedic scrub for children removes dirt and excess oil, keeps skin healthy, and prevents dryness from harsh soaps and body products. Combine the mung bean powder with the licorice powder and mix into a fine paste with a little water or milk. Apply this paste all over the body, massaging gently into skin, then wash off for glowing clean skin.
Traditional Ayurvedic Oils for Children
Ayurvedic herbal oils are an important part of the daily routine for all constitution types and have various healing benefits. Consult the following index of natural oil formulations to promote whole-body healing and rejuvenation, relieve physical discomfort, and balance the doshas.
CONCLUSION
WE ARE MOST grateful to have shared in your wellness journey, and it is our hope that we have inspired you along the way to discover the many simple ways you can live in accordance with Ayurvedic principles. The intention of this book was to introduce the basic principles of Ayurveda into your life and show you the many simple ways you can customize your family’s wellness routines. Our hope is to set you on a path where you feel empowered to embrace Ayurveda as a way of life, creating and maintaining health and balance so you and your children can attain the highest quality of life possible and reach your greatest potential. Simply put, the goal of Ayurveda is to live a long, healthy, harmonious, happy, and peaceful life.
We are passionate about supporting communities individually and collectively at Kerala Ayurveda and remain a continued resource for enhancing your family’s wellness. Along with consultations to personalize Ayurvedic regimens for children and adults under the guidance of an experienced Ayurvedic practitioner, you will find many supports at Kerala including a wide range of Ayurvedic products and traditional formulations you have discovered in this book, family and youth wellness courses, and many other programs that invite you to deepen your knowledge of Ayurveda.