Mama's Home Remedies: Discover Time-Tested Secrets of Good Health and the Pleasures of Natural Living (9 page)

people and those recovering from surgery. They

help them to overcome weakness and fatigue and

gain renewed energy, which they lost fighting the disease. Raisins help also those feeling down or exhausted due to changes in weather conditions.

46 ^ Mama’s Home Remedies

r 37. Mix seven ounces each of raisins, dried apricots, and dried prunes. Chop in a food processor. Chop 25–30 smal walnuts and mix them wel with the dried fruit. Your natural medicine is ready to eat. Put it into a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and keep in the refrigerator. Take one ful tablespoon a day and drink eight ounces low-fat buttermilk or kefir. This mixture strengthens your immune system to sustain any infections and brings a good supply of energy. You can give one ful teaspoon of this mixture to your child recovering from a cold or flu, along with ½ cup of low-fat buttermilk or kefir.

High-calorie raisins are a good, nutritious product and are very effective as a diuretic, to eliminate gall-stones, to enrich the blood, and to rejuvenate your body. Raisins are especially good for people suffering from arrhythmia and heart weakness.

r 38. Make ½ cup strong Indian, Ceylon, or Earl Grey black tea. Add one teaspoon honey. Mix wel and pour ½ cup fresh grape juice into the tea. One cup of this tea-grape juice drink is a good natural healer for such difficult conditions as intestinal or stomach disorders and dysentery. r 39. If you suffer from bronchitis or bronchial asthma, go in June to the Napa Val ey in California or another vineyard. Walk there for at least one hour and breathe in the smel of smal , delicate green flowers of the blossoming grapevines. Eat one cluster of green table seedless grapes a day and you’l feel better. My favorite is so-cal ed “Lady’s Fingers” because the berries have an elongated, oval form like long, graceful women’s fingers.

In our supermarkets I have found good brands from organic vineyards suppliers.

You can also drink one glass of white natural grape juice. A Healthy Spirit Lives in a Healthy Body @ 47

Warning:

r 40. Gather fresh grape leaves.

Wash them well and dry outAbnormal uterine

doors under the sun. Then beat or mill

bleeding is a serious

the leaves in a mortar to make a powcondition. Seek medical der. Take one to two teaspoons with

one cup warm water to stop uterine

attention first.

bleeding.

Nastoykas (special y prepared liquors, infusions, and decoctions made with grape leaves, can treat skin disorders, according to Tibetan medicine.

r 41. Wash 10–15 grape leaves and put them in a pot with two cups boiling water. Boil for 10 minutes. Then leave to infuse for 15

minutes. Warm up again, if needed. Soak a towel in this infusion and use as a compress or wash irritated skin with it.

r 42. Make vegetarian grape
golubtsi
or “grape leaves.” This is the most enjoyable way to treat yourself with a nutritious and healthy meal.

r 43. Make a healthy grape compote or “Rainbow berries,” which is also one of our family recipes. Wash two to three bunches black grapes. Put them in a pot with four cups cold spring water. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes. Mix in one tablespoon sugar, honey, or fructose. Put a smal bunch of grapes in a tal , wide, clear glass jar and pour grape concoction over it. This nutritious dessert tastes yummy and it looks very attractive with a grape cluster

“swimming” inside. Enjoy!

48 ^ Mama’s Home Remedies

Here is my grandma’s recipe:

Prepare 30–40 young grape leaves; two tablespoons olive oil, corn oil, or butter; two onions; 10–12 baby carrots; one parsley root; ½ cup uncooked rice, two tablespoons tomato puree or three freshly cubed tomatoes; ½ cup lemon juice; ½ cup sour cream; one cup chicken broth; one cup tomato juice, two teaspoons sugar or honey; one teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon black pepper; one teaspoon fresh dill; and one tablespoon fresh parsley. Pour boiling water on the grape leaves and wash them well. Blanch the rice by rinsing in a sieve in cold water. Mix and roast a little bit of diced onions, carrots, parsley root, and parsley leaves. Put blanched rice and all roasted vegetables in a big bowl. Add salt and pepper, chopped fresh dill, and parsley leaves. Mix well. Make balls with this vegetable stuffing and put one on each prepared grape leaf. Roll each into a small “package.”

Rub the walls and the bottom of a two-quart pot with olive oil. Cover the bottom of the pot with grape leaves. Carefully place the golubtsi layer by layer in the pot. Mix chicken broth with tomato juice or tomato puree and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Mix two tablespoons lemon juice with two teaspoons sugar or honey and pour this liquid into the pot. Cook 10 minutes. Cover the tops of the golubtsi with grape leaves and put pot in a 350° oven and let it steam until the rice is ready (about 25–30

minutes). Place all golubtsi on a big serving plate. Pour the sauce remaining in the pot on top of the golubtsi. Top with dollops of sour cream. Chop fresh parsley and sprinkle on top. Serves 5–10, warm or cold.

This is a delicious and healthy meal. You can add to the

vegetable stuffing one pound of ground veal for a nice flavor. Then you can enjoy a small bunch of grapes, or one cup grape juice or one cup grape
compote
for dessert (see #43).

A Healthy Spirit Lives in a Healthy Body @ 49

Do you know that sometimes even a happy grapevine cries with juicy tears?

According to Avicenna, an ancient Asian doctor, the tears of a grapevine heal herpes (shingles). The juice, flowing out when the grapevine is cut, or a juice exuded when the grapevine burns is cal ed a grapevine’s tears. Ancient people used it by soaking a cotton pad in grapevine tears and applying to an affected area. A grapevine was always a symbol of friendship and constant affection for the family and friends—especial y for Russians. Century after century many different enemies invaded this grape country. Moldova is located in the southeastern part of Europe on the major European crossroads. The climate is moderate and the soil is rich and black, similar to the famous fruitful soil in Switzerland, Italy, and France. Hundreds of vineyards grow there under the friendly rays of the sun and blossom with a fancy appearance in the long val eys. Thousands of liters of red, white, and rosé wines and juices are made every fal . Even on a topographical world map, the contours of this country resemble a bunch of grapes. For many centuries it attracted numerous invaders: Scythians, Hottentots, Huns, Golden Horde of Tatars and Mongolians, ancient Romans, and Turks. Wars raged on and on beginning in the twelfth century. My grandfather’s family lived in Moldova for centuries, learning how to be happy and how to keep a healthy spirit in a healthy body.

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The sun, with al those planets revolving around it and dependent on it,
can stil ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do.

—Galilée (Galileo Galilei), 1564–1842, Italian physicist and astronomer
ƒ

Life well spent is long.

—Leonardo Da Vinci (1452–1519), Florentine artist and scientist
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Throw nature out of the door, it will come back (or return)
through the window.

—Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821–1881), Russian novelist, The Brothers Karamazov
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If you want the present to be different from the past, study the past.

—Baruch Spinoza (1632–1677), Dutch philosopher

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First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.

—Epictetus (C.A.D. 55–135), Greek Stoic philosopher

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The heart has its reasons which reason knows nothing of.

—Blaise Pascal (1623–1662), French scientist and religious philosopher
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I know of no more encouraging fact than the

unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life

by a conscious endeavor.

—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862), American writer

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If you want to be happy, be…

—Alexei Tolstoi (1883–1945), Russian novelist and playwright
ƒ

A likely impossibility is always preferable to a convincing possibility.

—Aristotle (384–322 B.C.), Greek philosopher

A Healthy Spirit Lives in a Healthy Body @ 51

52 ^ Mama’s Home Remedies

Stop Sneezes and Sniffles

and Stifle a Cold

Nature teaches beasts to know their friends.

—William Shakespeare (1564-1616), English playwright and poet
FACTS

According to some estimates, people in the United States suffer one billion colds annually. Children have about 6 to 8 colds a year. In families with children in school, the number of colds per child can be as high as 12 a year. Adults average 2 to 4 colds a year although the range varies. Women, especially those aged 20–30 years, have more colds than men, possibly because of their closer contact with children.

More than 200 different viruses are known to cause the symptoms of the common cold, reports the American Lung Association.14 In addition, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Report shows that 7 in 10 adults are not active regularly. Is it any surprise then that physician visits reached 824 million in 2000?

Let your vital power work for you. When you get a cold, see it as a red flag that your body has accumulated too many toxins and lost its internal purity. Let a stuffy nose be a sign that it is time to take the “trash”

out and to relax and nurture yourself.

Stop Sneezes and Sniffles and Stifle a Cold @ 53

Twelve Months

Once in a small village in Russia lived Mariushka,

a delightful young girl. After her mother died, her

father married an evil woman. The woman did not love her

new stepdaughter, Mariushka, and forced her to be a slave to her and to her daughter.

On a frosty January day, icy trees stood amidst other snowy shapes. Animals hid in their dens, not daring to show their noses outside. Meanwhile a wicked and jealous woman thought of tedious tasks meant to tire Mariushka so she would lose her freshness and not be more beautiful than her lackluster daughter.

The old woman ordered Mariushka to go into the forest and pick snowdrops for her daughter’s birthday the next day. Mariushka reminded her that snowdrops bloom in March not January. The stepmother persisted,

“Go to the forest and find these flowers under the ground. If you do not find them, do not come home.”

Mariushka went crying into the bitterly cold forest where the strong northern wind blew and a snowstorm ensued. Mariushka trudged into a clearing where 12 young and old men stood royally dressed in rich blue and gold clothing. They were surprised to see the tiny girl, dressed shabbily in a thin coat full of holes. Mariushka told them her sad story. The men were filled with compassion. The oldest man struck the ground with his cane and cast a spell. At once the coldest month of January ran away. The second man did the same, and February disappeared instantly. The third man raised his cane and warmth spread throughout the air; the sun appeared and the gray sky turned bright blue. As each man took his turn, each month’s passing hastened the seasons along. Milky, tender flowers bloomed throughout the meadow. The 12 men smiled and said, “Take as much as you can carry home. We did for you what we could, and we hope that your stepmother will be happy now.”

The poor girl, laden with snowdrops, ran back to her stepmother, sure that the vile-mannered woman would be amazed by her accomplishment. However, the stepmother appeared unimpressed, and Mariushka, 54 ^ Mama’s Home Remedies

suffering from a cold she had caught in the woods, was left alone to nurse herself back to health.

Fortunately she understood the powers of healing herbs and became well overnight. Amazed that Mariushka had recovered

so quickly, her stepmother begged her to teach her about herbs and stopped placing impossible demands

upon her.

Nature knows best how to rid the body of toxins

When you get a cold, Mother Nature will help you cleanse and purify your body. Allow your body’s defenses to restore it to health. Do not disturb the process. Whenever my sister and I were young and caught a cold, Mama prescribed fasting. And, of course, we were to adhere to the following rules: r 1. Put yourself (or your children) in a warm bed.

R 2. Go without food, including fruits and fruit juices.

r 3. Drink distiled water with honey and lemon and herbal teas. r 4. Keep your bedroom refreshed and inviting.

r 5. Refrain from reading, watching TV, or listening to the radio. r 6. Keep talking to a minimum.

r 7. Sleep as much as you can and relax during this cleansing process. Stop Sneezes and Sniffles and Stifle a Cold @ 55