The month of December is the peak of the winter season. Warm drinks and foods become the norm in this season and even weak stomachs crave for nutrition in this season. The onslaught of the cold weather is a source of great concern for everyone. The change in weather causes allergies and cough to become a great problem. Although people who can afford the privilege of healthy foods such as fish, eggs and dry fruit can protect themselves against the harsh winter weather, the lesser privileged people have a hard time keeping cold at bay and often succumb to cough and cold. Lack of proper attire also poses a concern for these folks and especially those women who have to manage their households in this cold weather, this season can be a tough time. My writing was done with this very intention to provide some advice to these women who have to work in the cold weather.

Using a spoon of honey in a cup of warm milk, or a gravy made from pulses (moong ki daal) or a gravy made from chick peas (channay) or soup made from mutton bones can be readily helpful. A little exercise will also prove beneficial. Silk socks under regular socks will also keep you warm. And instead of one big sweater, two lighter sweaters will be warmer. Seasonal fruits and vegetables especially benefit in their respective seasons. For instance in winters, chukandar (Beetroot), paalak, saagh, shaljum are readily available at lower prices.

Also red meat comes along with bones and these bones can be used for making a soup. Recipes for such things should be used as well as told to others too. For making the afore mentioned soup, the ingredients are: 250 gm bones, medium sized onion, garlic medium sized(peeled), salt according to taste, garam masala (whole, not powder form ) one rice spoon, ginger small piece, coriander mashed one teaspoon. Method: add water to the pot set on the flame, containing bones, till the water level is somewhat above the bones. Divide the onion into four parts and add everything to the pot. A pressure cooker will make things faster but if there is a lack of one then keep the pot on the flame for two to three hours. Keep adding water if you notice it decreasing from the required amount. Drink this while it is hot so that it helps keep the cold at bay.

Soup made from green vegetables: a handful of paalak (spinach), one medium potato, peas quarter cup, one green onion, one green garlic, bones 250 gm, garam masala (whole) one big spoon, salt according to taste and ginger one small piece.

Method:

Green vegetable soup: cut the green onion, green garlic in big pieces. Cut the whole potato into four parts. Cut the lower part of palak and add every together in pot and put it on the flame. After it is ready, stain the soup into some bowl and at this stage you can serve with bread or noodles.

Carrot soup: take a big piece of chukandar (Beetroot) and cut its square pieces, cut long slices of a big carrot, one medium onion, one medium garlic and one small piece of ginger, along with one 200 gm of bones with some meat on them, cabbage 2 leaves, salt according to taste, quarter spoon of powdered garam  masala. Method: add everything together and put it on a low flame. Stain the soup when it is ready. Sprinkle a little garam masala before serving.

This soup is very effective in maintaining one’s health and allows bacteria to be excreted from the body after urination. The leaves of chakandar (beetroot) have a lot of nutrition and it has more fluoride than the upper layer of palak. People who complain of having a stone for example in the gall bladder should avoid eating a lot of chakandar (beetroot) because it has an acid that can be damaging. Chakandar (beetroot) should be used especially in winters since it helps increase the amount of blood in the body as well as eradicates constipation. Women who suffer from wrinkles or pimples should also use chakandar (beetroot). Beetroot also helps as a cure for tumors and the disease like leukemia also has its cure in eating raw beetroot. However, a doctor should be consulted in such cases. Women who complain of mensuration cycles not being timely should also use beetroot.

Swollen feet are another common problem in winters and beetroot works in curing this too. Boil beetroot in some water without peeling its outer layer. Add quarter a teaspoon salt in the water along with some relatively less warm water and soak your feet in this for 10 minutes. Doing this for three four days helps cure swollen feet or cracked heels. If there are any black spots on the feet then rub those areas with boiled beetroot. After soaking your feet in the beetroot water, rub a little petroleum jelly or oil on the feet. If there are really deep cracks in the feet then warm some wax adds three teaspoons of olive or mustard oil. Clean your feet and take one tea spoon wax and wait till it dissolve in oil and fill it those wounds and wear cotton socks. Use this carefully in the areas where there are deep cracks.