“I get bloated and gassy at night, Mom. Trust me, I have tried everything out there…nothing works!”, I complain, irritated with the irritable bowel syndrome I may be going through.

Being bloated is no fun. So contrary to my gut reaction, I try what Mom suggests. First Night. ok, Not Bad. But it could just be serendipity, right?! 2nd, 3rd, and 4th night also!!! Well, hmm.. who would have thought chewing two cardamoms and drinking warm water afterwards can get rid of the sticky digestive issues plaguing my middle-aged metabolism!

And more importantly, how did Mom figure out what the entire internet could not?!

Well, the only explanation can be that I have the same sensitive stomach she does. So, whatever has worked on her, works for me.

Happy at my obedience, she also prescribed roasted ajwain(carrom seeds), jeera(cumin seeds), and flax seeds powder with warm water. Before meals. And voila, between these two nuskas (home remedies), my gut is sorted.

“Sometimes, the best remedies are just a mom’s call away!”

Growing up, the rebel in me used to scoff at any such old wives’ tales and momveda (ayurveda by mom) gyaan she tried to enforce upon me.  But how the tables have turned!

A classic case in point is turmeric milk. This bitter tasting concoction (a cup of warm milk with a teaspoon of turmeric in it) was never a preferred choice of drink. The first sound of cough and I knew Mom would be serving this golden milk as a post-dinner dessert. But I have to admit, it has served me right through my bouts of nasty colds all these years- working like a magic potion every single time.

In fact, it has become the go-to drink in my household for pretty much any of the modern day ailments…be it allergies, cough, cold, insomnia, inflammation or indigestion.  

 

Btw, from the yucky yellow paste to the best tan remover in town, mumma’s besan ubtaan(chickpeas flour face mask) has also come a long way.  Mom used to apply this on her face and insisted that I do the same.  But very recently, when my summer tan was no longer cool, I decided to give it a try. Well, haven’t stopped gloating at that glow! I couldn’t have asked for a better exfoliator cum tan remover cum moisterizer. So much so, that it has almost ended my long-term relationship with the regular soaps and showering gels. And except for the fact that I smell like kadhi on most days now, there have been no other side effects!

Mom also tried to inculcate the habit of weekly fasting in me. (The Monday fast (somvar ka vrat) was particularly dear to her since it was done for the longevity of husbands!). Well, of course, I couldn’t be bothered with such onslaught on my hunger, that too on the pretext of some age-old blind faith!

But how I stand corrected!  Modern science has endorsed fasting and how! Fasting has deemed to be a great way to detox as well as to self-heal your body. Fasting is also an easy way to lose weight. In fact, mom’s beloved vrats have been reincarnated as a global health trend esp. in its new avatar called intermittent fasting. (Well, fasting as it has been proven, can only extend your own longevity…I guess our old wives may have just put an altruistic spin to it to make it more popular! ;))   

Well this, and mom’s myriad other tips such as – try and eat the “first steam” food (and by that she means, food thats right off the stove!) , eat mostly seasonal and local produce, always listen to your gut when it comes to how much and what to eat.     

All these years, my over-read, over-informed brain may have dismissed the notion of “Mom knows best”. But everything she has said so far proves that she does. At least for me. Part of the answer may well be in our genes. Our body constitution, just like our genes must match, even if partially. How else can her self-engineered momveda work to balance my doshas so well?! Well, Thank God for heredity! 🙂 But more importantly, thank God for the exclusive access to her way of living, her nuskas, and above all, her unconditional love. Mom has clearly been the “Chief Wellness Officer” of my life!

So when you don’t feel alright, try calling your mom…before you call the doctor or scavenge the internet. Chances are she would have already gone through something similar and figured out a nuska!  Something that has a much higher chance of working for you! Even if not, the combination of maternal instincts, experience, and ability to truly care and heal is too sweet to pass up.

ps. Would be really nice to know some of your mom’s home remedies too…Do share them as comments.