“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
―
What is a revival recipe? Well… It is a remedy that was used by generations to improve health or solve health issues. Only now, the benefits of some of them are getting proven by science and research studies. When it happens, the remedy turns into a revival recipe.
Revival recipes, like home remedies, are part of traditional medicine (also known as indigenous or folk medicine), which comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations. However, in contrast to remedies, revival recipes come with detailed instructions and information on restrictions. The benefits are backed by available scientific data from biology, physiology, and modern medicine.
By the way, while humans evolved over a period of approximately 6 million years, breakthroughs in modern medicine as we know it today got going only in the 19th and 20th centuries. So how did humans successfully survive through millions of years of diseases and illnesses without modern drugs and treatments? This is a good question!
The answer is that “Nature is the world’s original pharmacy! Returning to medicine’s roots could help fill drug discovery gaps.” Until then – remedies and revival recipes will help.
A little bit of history
In the written record, the study of herbs dates back 5,000 years to the ancient Sumerians. They described well-established medicinal uses for plants. In Ancient Egyptian medicine, the Ebers papyrus from c. 1552 BC records a list of folk remedies and magical medical practices. The Old Testament also mentions herb use and cultivation in regards to Kashrut.
Through modern-day research and the studying of history, we know that cultures have always used plant or plant properties to treat or alleviate different illnesses.
Conventional medicine, studying all kinds of infusions, decoctions, powders, ointments, and other healing substances used in folk medicine, investigating their effects on the human body, selected everything useful for its practice. We can say that traditional medicine gave the world the first physicians and the basis for the development of modern scientific medicine.
You can find this and other books with folk remedies on Amazon.
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Today, traditional medicine is facing the threat of extinction. Natural medicinal materials and herbs are disappearing due to climate change, desertification, and deforestation. Furthermore, traditional medicine is losing ground to modern medicine, as it is deemed non-scientific or unstandardized. Even if traditional medicine has a scientifically proven treatment for a certain disease, it is easily distorted in the commercialization process and often undermines the sustainability of communal life. However, traditional medicine is still considered the main reference for preventing and treating diseases in India and many African countries.
We believe that traditional medicine should coexist with modern medicine as they are complementary. Traditional medicine plays an important role as a means of treatment for people outside the reach of modern medicine. It also gives new hope to those suffering from diseases that modern medicine cannot yet cure.
Home remedies
Human nature instinctively seeks relief from pain and disease. Through the ages, this basic instinct prompted man to analyze nature’s phenomena and obtain clues to help him ease pain and illness. This experience led to the development of empirical methods of healing. Through time, knowledge and expertise crystallized into different systems of medical practices.
Home remedies are part of this path as a part of traditional and alternative medicine.
Home remedies (sometimes also referred to as a granny cure) aim to cure a disease or ailment that employs certain spices, herbs, vegetables, or other common items. A set of empirical knowledge accumulated by the people, used for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and transmitted from generation to generation.
Some of the methods of traditional and alternative medicine, for which effectiveness and safety are proved, get adopted by modern medicine. But…
It is worth knowing that home remedies may or may not have medicinal properties that treat or cure the disease or ailment in question. Sometimes they are passed along by laypersons (which has been facilitated in recent years by the Internet). Many are merely used as a result of family tradition or habit or because they are effective in inducing the placebo effect. Some remedies are truly bizarre.
The term “revival recipes” allows us to separate false remedies from the real ones that actually work.
Revival recipes are deep-rooted folk remedies from natural resources (biomaterials) based on previous generations’ knowledge, practices, and experience in maintaining health, prevention, and treatment of various diseases. Revival recipes come with detailed instructions for preparation and usage, as well as information on potential risks and restrictions. The benefits are backed by available scientific research data from biology, physiology, and modern medicine.
Popular revival recipes
or home remedies backed by science
Tea from shiitake mushrooms
The shiitake is an edible mushroom native to East Asia, which is now cultivated and consumed around the globe.
For this drink, you will need a powder of mushrooms. To prepare it, buy fresh shiitake, rinse and grind them. Soak in warm water for half an hour, allowing them to increase in size. After that, the mushrooms need to be dried and ground into flour.
To brew tea, put 1-2 teaspoons of powder in a glass of hot water. Mix and let it cool down. Drink warm 10 minutes before meals. The course is 3-4 weeks.
The drink is used to strengthen the immune system and prevent various diseases. Shiitake mushrooms contain lentinan, also known as AHCC or active hexose correlated compound. It promotes
Caution: using powdered mushroom extract over a long period may cause other side effects, including stomach upset and sensitivity to sunlight.
Lavender tea
English lavender, Lavendula Angustifolia, is the most widely cultivated type of lavender used in most recipes. You can buy dried and fresh lavender.
To make lavender tea, you can use a pot or kettle. Add four cups of water and two tablespoons of lavender flowers. You can adjust the amount of lavender by doing this several times until you find the desired power and taste of the drink. Let the water boil, and steep for at least 15 minutes. Strain the tea and let it cool down. You can also cool the drink to make lavender iced tea.
Note: Do not ever try to make lavender tea with essential oil. This can be extremely dangerous.
Drinking lavender tea in cases of high stress is one way to reduce anxiety and relax the mind and body.
Caution: there has been at least one case report of developing an abnormally rapid heartbeat after drinking lavender tea.
Golden milk
Turmeric is a common spice that comes from the root of Curcuma longa. It contains a chemical called curcumin, which is a powerful antioxidant with powerful anti-inflammatory effects.
One of the ways to use turmeric is to prepare a decoction.
Ingredients: 1 tsp turmeric; 0.5 tsp cinnamon; 0.5 tsp freshly pureed ginger; 1 tsp honey; 0,5 l of water.
Instructions: bring water to a boil; mix spices and add boiling water; steep for 15 minutes; strain and add honey; mix thoroughly. Take one glass of golden milk before meals.
Research suggests that curcumin can help manage inflammatory conditions, metabolic syndrome, arthritis, anxiety, and hyperlipidemia. It may also help with exercise-induced inflammation and muscle soreness, thus enhancing recovery and subsequent performance in active people.
Caution: high doses of curcumin may cause mild side effects in some people, but it is generally considered safe. The long-term effects of taking curcumin in humans are unknown.
Why use revival recipes?
- Their health benefits are backed by science.
- They are cost-effective, especially in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases.
- Unlike pharmaceutical drugs with many indications and side effects, folk remedies are considered natural and harmless in most cases (when used properly).
- When used correctly and under the supervision of your doctor, they might sufficiently accelerate healing and improve your health condition.
- Revival recipes can help to solve health problems in cases when medications are contraindicated, for example, during pregnancy or due to the age of the patient, or the disease itself is not so severe as to use “heavy artillery”.
- Due to their availability, they might be a helpful temporary treatment when waiting for a specific drug, procedure, or surgery.
- For many people, it might be the only way to take care of their health. Visits to the doctor, conducting all kinds of tests, getting treatment in hospitals, surgical operations are quite expensive and inaccessible to a large portion of the population.
Make sure to use revival recipes correctly!
- While most products of these natural revival recipes don’t have any significant side effects, they may be harmful if used in excess amounts.
- Some people may be more sensitive to dosage amounts, so if you are on any medication or live with a condition that is affected by your diet, talk to a doctor before using revival recipes.
- If you have an allergic reaction or worsening symptoms from using revival recipes, speak to a doctor immediately.
- While these recipes are backed by scientific studies, a single study or clinical trial does not always cover diverse communities or bodies. What research notes as beneficial may not always work specifically for you.
- Avoid home remedies that do not provide information on their dosage, usage, and limitations. Or, at least, do more research before implication.
And … A little bit about terms
Looking through the internet, we realized that there is definitely some confusion in relation to the terms of traditional medicine. So, let us clarify the picture.
Conventional medicine
Conventional medicine, also called Western medicine or modern medicine, is when healthcare professionals such as doctors, nurses, and therapists use trusted and validated scientific
Traditional medicine
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines traditional medicine as “the sum total of the knowledge, skills, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness”.
Traditional medicine, which includes healing practices and knowledge, could be considered more than just static traditional knowledge, as it helps us lead healthier lives naturally. Typically, traditional medicine is considered in relation to one particular country or nation.
Folk medicine
Folk medicine, also known as indigenous or tribal, is a part of traditional medicine and consists of traditional healing concepts and methods used in past cultures by people deemed to have healing power. Often based on religious beliefs, these practices are used to cure diseases and promote emotional and physical well-being.
Complementary medicine
The terms “complementary medicine,” or “alternative medicine,” or “integrative medicine” are continually evolving, along with the field, but the descriptions of these terms below are how we at the National Institutes of Health currently define them. They refer to a broad set of health care practices that are not part of that country’s own tradition or conventional medicine (a non-mainstream approach) and are not fully integrated into the dominant health care system.
- If a non-mainstream approach is used together with conventional medicine, it’s considered “complementary.”
- If a non-mainstream approach is used in place of conventional medicine, it’s considered “alternative.”
- Integrative medicine brings conventional and complementary approaches together in a coordinated way.
Non-mainstream approaches include herbal medicine, acupuncture, Ayurveda, homeopathy, naturopathy, Chinese or Oriental medicine, chiropractic and osteopathic medicines, massage, Tai chi, yoga, electromagnetic therapy, Reiki, Qigong, meditation, biofeedback, hypnosis, etc.
Traditional Medicine: Past, Present and Future Research and Development Prospects and Integration in the National Health System of Cameroon
Historical Perspective of Traditional Indigenous Medical Practices: The Current Renaissance and Conservation of Herbal Resources
Traditional Knowledge-based Medicine: A Review of History, Principles, and Relevance in the Present Context of P4 Systems Medicine
Traditional Indigenous medicine in North America: A scoping review
What is next?
New revival recipes will be added periodically in upcoming posts towards health improvement and healing effects. Be sure to check back!
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