Throughout history all tribes, peoples and nations have developed their culture and knowledge legacy more or less separately, accordingly to their beliefs, geographical location, clime and political history. However, there is one thing they all have in common: their respect for nature and its powers. Not surprisingly, countries or continents which have the greatest amount of herbal remedies recorded are those which have remained for a long time what western society calls exotic or ‘archaic’. There is no doubt that European countries have had their fair share of natural cures, but what many are interested in today are Oriental countries such as China, India, even Russia. Also, African and Amerindian cultures have made major contributions to our global treasure of pure, safe and natural solutions to health problems.

Russia – remedies from the Siberian taiga – the peasants’ hundreds of years of knowledge

Stomach ulcer - boil 1 teaspoonful of ginger root in 1l of water for about 30 minutes. Separate the liquid from the root. You can add some honey to improve its taste. Drink 3-4 glasses a day.

- mix 1 glass of aloe juice (this plant has very juicy leaves) with 3/4 glass of honey and ¾ olive oil; put this mixture in a bottle and immediately put a stopper on. Steep this bottle in slow-boiling water for about 3 hours. After it becomes cold, keep it in the refrigerator. Take one spoonful of this mixture each morning, before breakfast, after shaking the bottle. This mixture will go off in a week.

Anemia – boil equal quantities of leaves and stalk of motherwort, also called lion’s ear (Leonorus cardiaca) and chicory root for about 10 minutes. Drink one glass of this tisane 3 times a day for a few months.

Sweating feet – boil 2 spoonfuls of ground oak bark in 250 ml of water for about 20 minutes. Separate the liquid from the bark, by using a piece of gauze. Wash your feet with half of this liquid each day. Use the other half to rinse your socks.

Asthma - boil ½ kg of pine needles and cones in 4l of water; put the mixture while still very hot in a basin and inhale the hot steam with a large towel over your head for about 15 minutes. Do this every day. This remedy has cured lots of asthma sufferers.

- every asthma sufferer should drink large quantities of bilberry tea: boil dry bilberry fruits and leaves in water for about 10 minutes. Drink up to 10 cups of this tea each day, without any sweetener.

India – Ayourveda, the science of life

Cold & Flu- slowly fry in a pan 10-12 teaspoonfuls of washed and beaten basil leaves, along with 1 teaspoonfuls of ginger, until the leaves become soft. Add 250 ml of water and a teaspoonful of honey.

- mix one teaspoonful of each of the following: cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, black pepper, nutlet and clove. Add 3 teaspoonfuls of unrefined sugar and beat it until it becomes a fine powder. Take one teaspoonfuls mixed with honey, twice a day.

- boil 1 teaspoonful of cinnamon in 250 ml of water until the level of the water lowers to half of the original height.

Digestive problems - boil 20 basil leaves in 250 ml of water and drink the liquid when being lukewarm

- wash a few mint leaves, put them in a bowl, add a pinch of salt and 1-2 teaspoonfuls of lemon juice, 1 teaspoonful of coriander, a pinch of cumin seeds powder, and a little bit of water. Stir the mixture until it has the texture of a paste. Take one teaspoonfuls of this mixture twice a day, before meals or during them.

Nausea – fry ½ spoonful of clove, add 1 teaspoonfuls of honey; take this mixture whenever you have this symptom.

Italy (more specifically - Tuscany) shows us how to prevent colds

Nutlets, garlic and onions can kill flu bacteria! It has been demonstrated that as long as these 3 ingredients are eaten together and while still fresh, added to soups or tomato sauces. Here’s one recipe which contains these ingredients, a recipe which will surely protect you from any kind of respiratory and infectious diseases:

Ingredients: - 400g tomatoes, 1 pepper, 10 black olives, 1 spoonful of olives oil, iodated salt, 1 onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 5 teaspoonfuls of nutlet.

Preparation: mix the tomatoes and the peppers in a blender. This sauce is then mixed with the chopped olives and chopped onions and garlic. Finally, add the nutlet. Serve with cream.