Home-made remedies

Conjuring up tonics from herbs, spices and citrus fruit could treat everything from incipient colds to hangovers, says Tanita de Ruijt. Photographs by Patricia Niven

EVERY YEAR, AT THE FIRST SIGN of a stuffy nose, I head to my kitchen for help. I’ll mix up one of my signature tonics to quickly put me right. No, I’m not a doctor, nor a nutritionist for that matter; nor do I plan on becoming either. I’m just a home cook – one who is determined to unlock both the flavour and the medicinal potential of my ingredients.

Using food as medicine is part of a basic instinct for survival that we seem to have lost touch with. It’s a handy one, too, especially when life throws you one of its many curveballs, such as waking up with a sore throat on the day of an important meeting; overeating and feeling bloated; waking up with a hangover; or the classic afternoon slump. There was a time when all cooks were

also experts on medicinal foods. Herbs and spices served a dual purpose: they went into medicinal concoctions as well as into the cooking pot.

Incorporating tonics into your diet could help to prevent symptoms by assisting your body’s basic systems – digestive, respiratory, nervous and endocrine. Tonics support these systems by tackling everyday ailments before they become visible or start to develop into something more significant. It is a preventative and all-encompassing approach to health. Importantly, making a tonic is not about having all the latest healthy ‘superfoods’ on hand. A lot of the most potent ingredients, such as herbs and spices, already sit in our kitchen cupboards. Their smells alone can entice the appetite, activate digestion and release feelgood endorphins.

Tonics can only be as good as their ingredients, so settle for nothing less than the best. If you’re leaving skins on roots or using fresh herbs, wash them carefully. Spices are best bought whole, to keep their oils intact. If you drink milk, it’s best whole and non-homogenised, from happy cows. Sugars and salts should be unrefined and used sparingly. Hold on to your peels, rinds and barks – they will come in handy too. And remember, moderation is key: even a good thing can become destructive if taken to excess. Try to incorporate these ingredients when it seems right, or tasty – trust your intuition.

Tonic: Delicious & Natural Remedies to Boost Your Health by Tanita de Ruijt (Hardie Grant, £12.99). To order your copy for £10.99 plus p&p, call 0844-871 1514 or visit books.telegraph.co.uk

Tonics tackle everyday ailments before they become visible