Diarrhea distress? Try these remedies

Monsoon brings a downpour of happiness—there's no pure pleasure like getting wet in the rain, but, we are not the only happy ones, as the monsoon bacteria, viruses and moulds would be making merry too. They thrive in the chaos of monsoon, pressing us on to the toilet seat.

Four food cures

• Cook one or two apples until they are mushy, and then add 1 teaspoon ghee, a pinch of cardamom, and a pinch of nutmeg. Eat slowly. This mixture is not only delicious, it will also help stop diarrhea right away.
• If you don't have apples, you can use bananas, only you don't have to cook them. Chop 1 or 2 ripe bananas into pieces, and as with the apples, add 1 teaspoon of warm ghee and a pinch each of cardamom and nutmeg. Bananas are high in potassium, which helps to bind the stool.
• Another effective remedy for diarrhea is cooked rice with yogurt. Take about a cupful of cooked basmati rice, add 1 tablespoon of ghee and 3 or 4 tablespoon of plain fresh yogurt, stir together and eat.
• Another remedy using yogurt is to blend together equal parts of yogurt and water (about ½ cup each), add about 1/8 teaspoon of fresh grated ginger and drink.

Herbal remedies

• Try ginger powder (about ½ teaspoon) with 1 teaspoon raw natural sugar. Mix together, and chew the mixture with some warm water. Take 2 or 3 times a day for 2 to 3 days.

Another simple remedy is the following:

Ghee            1           teaspoon
Nutmeg      ¼           teaspoon
Ginger powder  ¼ teaspoon
Natural sugar  1 teaspoon

Mix together and eat 2 or 3 times a day for 2 to 3 days.

Avoid dehydration

Diarrhea can sometimes cause dehydration. To prevent this from happening, add 1 teaspoon of natural sugar, 1 teaspoon of lime juice, and a pinch of salt to a pint of room-temperature water, and sip water, and sp throughout the day.

Diarrhea in babies

Make Whey: Whey is a natural source of lactobacillus. Since a baby's diarrhea is often due to altered flora in the gastrointestinal tract, the whey should help restore the normal flora. It is also a good source of potassium and of calcium, which binds the stool. Bring 1 cup of milk to a boil, when it just begins to boil, squeeze a little lime juice (about ½ teaspoon) into the pot. The milk will curdle. Then strain the thick part out by pouring the mixture through cheesecloth or a sieve.

The remaining watery part is the whey. Giving 4 to 5 teaspoons of the whey to the child every 10 to 15 minutes should stop the diarrhea.

Time to see the doctor

If stools continue to be watery and occur several times in a day, and if your baby's eyes appear sunken, the lips are dry, and she or he looks drowsy, these are all warning signs of dehydration. This is a serious condition, and you need to consult a doctor.