Before commercialized medicine and wellness fixtures, there was the kitchen. The same room in which food was prepared was also a healing room. Your grandparents turned the ingredients that you may still have at home, such as honey, garlic, ginger, and a few herbs, into remedies. They used them to relieve aches, calm down tummies, and lift spirits. Let’s revisit these old kitchen remedies.

The honey-lemon drink

Practically all grandparents had a jar of honey on the counter: unfiltered, golden, and, in many cases, locally produced. They would mix it with some fresh-squeezed lemon and some warm water to heal sore throats, colds, and flu. Just like the Candlestick Ear Wax remedy, this drink is still a practical home remedy today.

Garlic everything

Garlic makes the air warm and powerful. You can put it into soups, pound it into sauces, or crush it raw into honey to feel its pungent taste. Our grandparents used it to help relieve cold symptoms and support digestion. This ingredient also injects the kitchen with some natural energy.

Garlic is a taste and medicine in one. A hot pot of garlic broth feeds the body and soothes the soul. Its aroma in itself supports wellness and care, and thus it has become one of the most practical ingredients in the kitchen today.

Ginger tea

• Stomach ache? Ginger tea.
• Cold feet? Ginger tea.
• Growing pains? Ginger tea with honey.
• Stressful day? Ginger tea.

Our grandparents always kept an extract of ginger root, and for a reason. Slice, grate, or smash it and add it to boiling water, with or without lemon or honey. There, you have yourself a relaxing tea that will treat nausea, stress, stomachache, or just the chill in the air.

Ginger tea is very soothing. Its natural comfort is almost instant. It is readily available, hence a medication you can depend on all year round.

Saltwater

Salt is one of the most basic and cheap ingredients in the kitchen. However, it provides a solution to an unexpected range of issues. Your grandparents used salt water for almost everything, including:

• Gargling for sore throats
• Rinsing a stuffy nose
• Soaking tired feet
• Washing minor scrapes
• Relieving irritation of the mouth.

This remedy only calls for a pinch of salt and warm water. It was among the easiest remedies, and one of the most credited today.

Apple cider vinegar

Your grandparents have been using apple cider vinegar long before it became a trend in wellness in the modern world. A teaspoonful in water, tea, as a salad ingredient, or in gargles. It aids digestion, gives food some flavor, and comforts the body.

It is not just a cool-tasting additive but a natural medicine we still use today. Apple cider vinegar demonstrates that simple, well-known products remain very effective.

The onion trick

Onions are amazingly versatile. Here are some of the old-time onion remedies you may have heard of:

• Slice and put some onions in the socks to soothe a fever
• Place onion slices on the nightstand to soothe a cold
• Place some onion poultices on the chest to relieve congestion
• Use onion syrup for coughs.

Were these scientifically demonstrated? Not always. Did they get people to feel taken care of? Absolutely.

Spice cabinet helpers

Besides flavouring food, spices are also medicine:

• Cinnamon warms the body.
• Turmeric calms inflammation, particularly in warm milk.
• Clove relieves minor oral pain.
• Black pepper increases the effects of other remedies.
• Bay leaves are beneficial in digestion when simmered in broths.

Spices are convenient, multi-purpose, and ready to support your health daily.

Broths and homemade soups

A home-cooked soup would show up when one was weak or recuperating. Chicken broth, vegetable broth, and garlic broth were all the same. Broths and homemade soup help the body repair itself. It is also a way to convey love: ‘’You are all right. You’re supported. You’ll feel better soon.”

Such a basic process still stands as one of the most reassuring and useful solutions in every kitchen.

Herbal assistants: Mint, rosemary, and chamomile

Our grandparents cultivated herbs outside the kitchen door or on the window sills. This was to provide quick medicine when needed. Fresh or dried herbs are a sure relief:

• Mint tea eases digestion.
• Chamomile induces sleep and relaxes.
• Rosemary clears the mind.
• Thyme cures cough and congestion.
• Sage supports the throat.

Hot compresses and steams

Prior to humidifiers and heating pads, your grandparents had:

• Warm towels
• Steam from boiling pots
• Hot water bottles
• Bowl inhalations with a towel over the head.

These are the original spa treatments. They support healthy skin and provide relief from stress and fatigue.

Final thoughts

Though you do not necessarily maintain a whole spice shelf or herbs growing in your window-box, the air of the remedies of your grandparents is simple to infuse into your life. A cup of warm honey-lemon drink, fresh ginger tea, or a simple broth of garlic can just do the trick when you are feeling cold. Sometimes, the easiest ingredients can be the most curative ones, both physically and spiritually.