WITH the cost of medicine going up just like the rest of commodities, herbal remedies may help us in our daily existence.
Atis, the seedy fruit, comes in season around October. But the leaves of this delicious fruit come in handy for those with fainting spells. Crush the atis leaves and let the patient smell the aroma of the juice. If atis is not readily available, use guava leaves. This fruit that is so rich in vitamin C has leaves that are helpful to women who just gave birth. I remember an auntie who used to boil guava leaves. She sits on the lukewarm water to speed up the healing.
She refers to it as the “hot sitz.” Other herbal treatment is applied with the use of tanglad, kaymito, makahiya and kugon leaves.
Lagundi leaves will relieve you from fever. Boil four tablespoons of chopped dried lagundi leaves or six tablespoons of chopped fresh leaves in two glasses of water. For adults, drink one cup every four hours. If you have a fever due to viral infection, put two tablespoons of vinegar in a basin of cold water and apply cold compress on the forehead, armpit and behind the neck and thighs. Balimbing and kamias leaves could also be used for cold or hot compress.
Lagundi leaves are a reliever for cough due to congestion and bronchitis. Follow the same boiling instruction. For adults, drink half a cup (three times a day). Oregano leaves will do to cure cough.
Eczema, an acute or chronic, non-contagious itchy inflammatory skin disease, can be cured with pandakaki-puti hot foot bath. Boil three cups of chopped leaves in one gallon of water for 10 minutes. Turmeric or our yellow ginger is good for flatulence or gas pain. Chop and boil one small piece (two inches in size) in two glasses of water for 10 minutes. For adults, drink one cup every four hours.
For relief from the discomfort of hemorrhoids, a “hot sitz bath” two times a day could make use of boiled kamias or iba leaves. For every three cups of chopped fresh leaves mixed with two gallons of water for 10 minutes, relief is ensured.
Hyperacidity is the excessive secretion of acid in the stomach. Relief is at hand if you have carrots and cabbage at home. Wash and slice the vegetables in small pieces. Osterize with two glasses of water. Strain and add one tablespoon of sugar. Drink the juice cold 30 minutes before meals.
I just read the “Healing Wonders of Herbs” by Herminia de Guzman-Ladion and I am just so happy to share some of the useful information with you.