Health pillars

Proven home recipes

Disorders and mild diseases can usually be treated or alleviated with tried and tested household remedies without having to consult a doctor straight away. We offer the best recipes.

However, a doctor must always be consulted for serious, protracted and treatment-resistant complaints. We have put together some tried and tested recipes below:

Herb garden in the Ingolstadt Museum of Medical HistoryFor flu-like infections

  • Foot bath with thyme: Boil 8 teaspoons of thyme horsetail in 2 litres of water. Leave to infuse for 10 minutes and pour into a foot bath with cold water until it reaches 33 degrees. Take a foot bath and add hot water.
  • Ginger tea: Peel 1 piece of ginger and cut into slices. Pour 1 litre of hot water over it and leave to infuse. Drink in sips throughout the day.

For colds

  • Nasal rinse: Stir 9 grams of table salt into 1 litre of water (alternatively isotonic NaCl solution from the pharmacy).
  • Chew cinnamon: Chew 1 pinch of ground cinnamon for 1 minute, then spit it out and rinse your mouth with water. Decongests the nasal mucosa.
  • Inhale camomile or sage: Pour boiling water over camomile or sage leaves in a bowl. Inhale and exhale deeply with a towel over you.

For a sore throat

  • Drink sage tea: Cut up 3 teaspoons of fresh sage leaves, boil in half a litre of water for 5 minutes and strain. Drink three cups a day.
  • Curd compress on the throat: Mix 500 g of curd cheese with 1 teaspoon of vinegar, spread on a damp cotton cloth, wrap around the throat for two hours, cover with a second cotton cloth.

For fever

  • Wear vinegar socks: add 2 tablespoons of vinegar to 1 litre of warm water, soak socks and wring out. Put on damp socks for 1/4 hour, then dry socks over them. Repeat several times.
  • Drink elderberry juice: Mix 200 millilitres of hot elderberry juice with honey and lemon juice. Drink three times a day.

For an irritating cough

  • Drink thyme tea: Brew 2 teaspoons of thyme herb with 200 ml of hot water and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Drink several times a day.
  • Take an ivy preparation: The active ingredients are saponins, which liquefy bronchial mucus and reduce cough irritation. Contained in Prospan® liquid sachets (available over the counter from pharmacies).

For heartburn

  • Avoid sausage, beef, and pork: Switch to protein-rich poultry products and fish instead.
  • Drink chamomile tea: Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1 tablespoon of chamomile flowers, leave to infuse for 10 minutes, strain. Drink several times a day.

For gastrointestinal complaints

  • Drink chamomile or peppermint tea: See for heartburn.
  • Drink ginger tea: Place a thumb-sized ginger root in a thermos flask, fill with 1 ½ litres of hot water and drink throughout the day.

Herbal teaFor inflammation of the bladder

  • Drink nettle tea: Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1 tablespoon of nettle herb, leave to infuse for 10 minutes, strain. Drink one cup three to four times a day.
  • Eat horseradish: Mix grated root with honey in a 1:1 ratio, take 1 teaspoon three times a day after meals.

For headaches

  • Rub with peppermint oil: Mix 10 ml peppermint oil with 100 ml wheat germ oil. Massage a few drops onto forehead and temples.
  • Soak feet in mustard flour solution: Put 4 tablespoons of black mustard flour (pharmacy) in a container, fill up to the calf with warm water, place feet in the water for 10 minutes, pour hot water after 5 minutes, then put on woollen socks.

For insomnia

  • Drink warm milk with honey: Heat 250 ml milk (do not boil), stir in honey.
  • Massage your feet: Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and massage it into your feet, pressing and kneading each toe lightly. Then put on warm socks.
  • Drink valerian tea: Pour 150 ml of cold water over 2 teaspoons of crushed valerian root, leave to infuse for 12 hours, strain. Drink 2 cups before going to bed.

For sore muscles

  • Rub with rubbing alcohol: Rub rub rubbing alcohol into the body. But don't use it too often as it dries out the skin.
  • Rosemary bath: Add a bath additive from the drugstore to warm bath water and enjoy a relaxing bath for about 20 minutes.

For back and joint problems

  • Massage with St John's wort oil: Gently warm the oil from the health food shop and massage thoroughly into the back.
  • Apply a hay bag: Heat the hay bag from the pharmacy over steam and place on the affected area of the back for ¼ hour.
  • Apply a mud pack: Heat the mud pack from the pharmacy and place on the affected area of the back for ¼ to ½ hour.