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Home kitchen as pharmacy and gym: Boosting immunity in times of pandemic
The ‘kitchen’ not only as a pharmacy but also as a ‘gym’ is what was spotlighted at the International Women’s Day celebrations held on March 8, at the Free Ayurvedic Medical Centre at Mattakkuliya run by the Department of Indigenous Medicine of the Colombo Municipal Council.
Catering to around 70 people on average per day and open from Monday through Saturday, the centre launched major awareness campaigns on two days connected to Women’s Day as the main programme of the department. They were initiated by the Deputy Chief Ayurvedic Medical Officer Dr. R.D.M. Gamage and current Ayurvedic Medical Officer at Mattakkuliya, Dr. Uthpala Perera in a bid to arm people with knowledge on how to boost their immunity in these pandemic times through natural foods and spices.
Deputy Chief Ayurvedic Medical Officer Dr. R.D.M. Gamage explains a point and (below) healthy local veggies and drinks. Pix by M.D. Nissanka
The entries of an art competition on the ‘Role of the Mother’ held for children from nurseries and primary, junior and senior groups were on display at an exhibition.
Dr. Gamage said that they portrayed to all those who attended the sessions how the kitchen was in fact a pharmacy rich in spices and condiments. The traditional kitchen also used only hutti-mutti (clay pans) and pun watti (reed baskets) with no toxicity. The functional traditional foods such as thuna-paha increase flavour and taste and were all natural, not artificial products.
Those who listened enthralled included schoolchildren, mothers and teachers.
“The kussiya is like a gym with activities such as using the kurahangala being a form of exercise, while sitting on the coconut-scraper, scraping coconut makes us supple and using the ila-patha stretches the calf muscles. All these are good for blood circulation and strengthening of muscles,” she said.
On display were also some stuff many youngsters, especially in the cities may not have even seen. She cites examples of a kurakkan gaha, thana-haal gaha, rata-cadjugaha and undu along with varieties of yams.
Dr. Gamage points out that while many people are familiar with vegetables such as carrots and beetroots from upcountry, they were unaware of the nutritious vegetables from the low country such as polos, kohila, rathu bandakka and mae karal.
Mothers had been shown the art of making traditional healthy drinks from wada-mal, siyambala, komarika, katurolu, veralu, kurundu, iramusu and more. Vitamine C enhancers such as narang, jama-narang, passion fruit, wel dodang, ambul dodang and nelli had also been discussed.
People had been shown the value of kaladuru, thippili, sadikka, aralu, bulu and nelli, while they also peered closely at more than 120 pots with medicinal plants
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