In this era of fast-paced modern lifestyle and fast food, we have almost forgotten our ancient food traditions and healthy tips. In today's time, people immediately resort to English medicines in case of even slight illness, whereas a few decades ago, every minor disease in our homes was treated with natural things available in the kitchen. There used to be many such wonderful remedies and herbs in the boxes of our grandmothers, which may be bitter in taste, but were no less than a lifesaver for health. One such precious and extremely beneficial bitter thing has been lost somewhere in the modern glare, about which today's new generation may not even be aware of its name. This traditional thing not only kept our digestive system strong but also had the power to eliminate many serious diseases of the body. Let us know in today's special article about that forgotten bitter thing, which our grandmothers used as a boon and how by including it in their food, they always remained healthy and fit. That forgotten bitter treasure of grandmother's time: Till a few years ago, in the kitchen of every Indian house, there were many such ingredients related to Ayurveda which were very special from health point of view. We are talking about 'Chiraita' or any such traditional bitter herb and home remedies, which today's generation has completely forgotten. Despite being so bitter in taste, our elders used to consume these medicines regularly. In Ayurveda, bitter and astringent tasting things are considered to be the greatest purifiers for the body, because they work to purify the blood and remove toxins. When someone in the house had persistent fever, stomach worms, skin problems or serious digestive disorders, the grandmothers would take out bitter medicines from this magic pot of theirs without running to any doctor. The beauty of these things was that they had no side effects and they eliminated the disease from within. In today's time, people may have forgotten the names of these traditional things, but their scientific and Ayurvedic usefulness is as relevant today as it was earlier. Detoxifies the body from within and purifies the blood. Many types of harmful elements and toxins keep getting accumulated in our body, due to which problems like acne, boils, dryness of skin and internal weakness start arising on the face. These bitter herbs, which were used during the time of grandmothers, worked as natural blood purifiers. When the blood is completely pure, the skin automatically starts glowing and many types of infections stay away. The anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties present in these bitter things made the body's immunity so strong that diseases caused by changing weather could not easily touch them. Elderly people knew very well that pungent and bitter taste acts as a strong protective shield for health, which keeps the body cells healthy and energetic for a long time. It was the perfect medicine for all stomach problems and digestion. In today's time, problems like acidity, constipation, bloating and indigestion have become common, to deal with which people take all kinds of powders and pills. But in earlier times, grandmothers had the perfect cure for every stomach related disease in the form of these bitter medicines. Bitter things stimulate the secretion of digestive juice and bile juice, due to which the food eaten gets digested very easily and the stomach always feels light. Children who often had stomach worms and did not eat food were also given a light decoction or juice of these bitter herbs, which cleared all the filth from the stomach and started feeling hungry. This was the oldest and effective method of maintaining intestinal health, in front of which even today's modern medicines pale in many cases. How did the grandmothers prepare it and what was the method of eating it? The older generation used to be very intelligent and adept in using these bitter things. Since the taste of these medicines was extremely bitter, it was not possible for everyone to eat them directly. Grandmothers used very unique and scientific methods to use them. She would either soak these herbs in water overnight and make them consume that water in the morning on an empty stomach, or would mix them with honey, jaggery or dry ginger to balance their bitterness so that even children could take them easily. Many times they were ground into powder or a decoction was prepared by boiling them in water. In this traditional way, the body got the full medicinal properties of these herbs and there was no problem of any kind. In today's times, we need to reconnect with our old lifestyle and these invaluable remedies so that we can give a healthy life to our future generations by protecting them from things containing chemicals.
