poll-food as home remedies

[Susann]

Hi everyone-I am officially BORED and thought of an interesting (well, to me, at least!) topic for a new poll. We all grew up with all sorts of home remedies that were past down through our families. I thought it might be fun to share some of them. The sociological role that food plays in our cultures has always interested me, so I hope to learn some neat stuff from this one!

[Natasha]

Neat idea!
These aren't exactly remedies, but some of the "momilies" I grew up with are:
1. Almonds make you smart. She always tried to pawn them off on me when I was studying. I think there is supposed to be an element of truth in this, but I'm not crazy about almonds, so always rejected the offer. Gee, maybe I'm paying for it now... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif
2. Avoid milk when you're menstruating. Hmmm...
3. Rice is good for an upset stomach. Never argued with this one, 'cause I love rice!
I'm sure there are others, but this is it for the moment.
Carry on, soldier!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[lorilei]

It seems to me that my mother was the queen of remedies. She wasn't anti-doctor, but we seldom had to go because we always got better so fast!! A couple of things I can think of off the top of my head, besides the standard chicken soup http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif :

1) COUGHS/SORE THROATS: Shot of Brandy, warmed with lemon and honey. (This is not unusual, but it comes to mind as I got the worst coughs, and this always helped for a couple of hours at night)

2) CONGESTION: Tea or Chicken broth steeped with Cayenne pepper... works wonders on those sinuses!

3) ANY ILLNESS: We always took raw garlic as a natural antibiotic whenever we were sick. And it really seemed to work. A crushed clove with honey -- or hidden in food...

4) UPSET STOMACH: A bit of ginger tea or (my favorite) a piece of candied ginger was always used to ease an upset stomach in our house.

[MrsReber]

lorilei- my mom used the brandy with honey and lemon too! I used to love it in the middle of the night. It sure calmed my cough and helped me get back to sleep.

There's always flat coke or ginger ale for upset stomachs. My grandmother swore by papaya for upset stomachs, too.

[lorilei]

Drinking a can of Coke will also help to cure a case of diarhea... as will eating cheese...

(I know, I know... more than anyone wanted to know)

[Ohioan]

CHICKEN SOUP: Cures everything from a cold to a hangnail to a broken heart!

HOT TEA WITH HONEY: Sore throat, cold.

GINGER ALE: Upset stomach.

Gee, I'd almost forgotten the ginger ale remedy until this topic came up. Thanks, Susann. Maybe I'll even remember some more now.

[Deanna]

In our house (when I was growing up) it was a spoonful of WHISKEY and a spoonful of honey to calm the cough and put us back to sleep.

Duh! http://www.hampsterdance.com/feature/alien2.gif

[karen w]

1. The most obvious...Chicken soup-it's Jewish penicillin. It cures anything!
2. Tea with honey and brandy for a sore throat
3. Rice or bananas for diarrhea
4. Of course, prunes for constipation
5. Jello, soda crackers, and sprite(or 7-up or gingerale) for an upset stomach. Oh yeh, I almost forgot, popsicles, too!
Another "momism" that always helped things was whenever we were sick she'd go to the store and bring home comic books, puzzles, etc...

[lorilei]

I must relate my experience with rice and illness.

My mother thought it would be a great treat (and good for our innards) to feed us a rice pudding while we had the flu. It was delicious. Unfortunately, it didn't even have a chance to work on our insides because both my sister and I forcefully "got rid of it" via oral methods before it was even digested fully.

Sadly, it took me about 10 years before I could even look at rice pudding again. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/frown.gif

[Vanessa]

Memories...
WEll honey with lemon juice for a sore throat
chicken soup...for a cold
Mom makes milk with cinnamon stick and gently boils it with a shot of brandy. You drink it cover up (believe me you atart sweating) whatever it is you feel better the next day.
and...mom's breakfast custard like. (milk, cornstarch, lemon peel, sugar, egg yolk) iTs like a velvetty cream...So good it always makes you feel beter.
Sprite, ginger ale or a flat coke for upset stomach.

[Nanci]

My mom's remedy for the hiccups was a teaspoon of sugar in water and leave the spoon in the glass. I suspect it was only a pyschological remedy . . . but it always worked for me.



[This message has been edited by Nanci (edited 07-25-2000).]

[MrsReber]

My mom would always make me pastina with butter for breakfast when I wasn't feeling well. Now I crave it when I'm sick!