During the last forty years, the interest in homeopathy has grown as an increasing number of people realize that conventional medicine cannot cure all diseases and the treatments also cause serious side effects.
However, there are many misunderstandings regarding homeopathy and ‘Complete Guide to Homeopathy: The Principles and Practice of Treatment’ explains in a clear and easy language what homeopathy is and how it can be used safely and effectively to treat common complaints.
The principles and practice of homeopathy have remained largely unchanged since their introduction about two centuries ago. This complete guide to homeopathy begins with a section which looks at the history of homeopathy and describes the key concepts of homeopathy which are essential to understand how it works.
Homeopathy is based on the principle “like can cure like” which means that an illness can be treated with a substance capable of producing symptoms similar to those experienced by the patient. This principle originated in the 5th Century with the Greek physician Hippocrates. Ten centuries later, the Swiss doctor Paracelsus (1493-1541) stated that a poisonous substance which causes a disease could act as a remedy if given in very small doses. This “like can cure like” principle was then ignored for another 300 years, until homeopathy was founded by Samuel Christian Hahnemann.
In 1796, Hahnemann published his first work, “A new Principle for Ascertaining the Curative Powers of Drugs and Some Examination of Previous Principles.” In this book, he explained that to cure a chronic disease one should use the remedy which is able to stimulate another artificially produced disease as similar as possible and the former will then be healed. He called this medical practice, “homeopathy” from the Greek, “homeo” meaning “similar”, and “pathos”, meaning “suffering.”
In the course of his experimentations, Hanhemann discovered that diluted medicines ceased to cause side-effects and they also seemed to act faster and more effectively than more concentrated solutions. Although the remedies no longer contained a single molecule of the original substance used to prepare them, they were actually more potent.
During his life, Hahnemann proved the efficacy of about 100 homeopathic remedies. He strongly believed that “only a single remedy dose should be given, for the shortest period of time necessary, to stimulate the body’s healing power or “vital force.” Hahnemann believed that this “force” or “energy” is responsible for the healthy running of body.
“If this force is disturbed by stress, a poor diet, lack of exercise, hereditary problems, or environmental changes, illness results.”
A homeopath believes that we possess the natural ability to heal ourselves. What we describe as symptoms are in fact our body’s efforts to protect itself against disease. Therefore, to get better, we should not get rid of the symptoms but try and stimulate the body’s healing processes instead of suppressing symptoms with large doses of drugs which is the case in Western medicine. Some drugs can cause serious side-effects and deprive the body of its natural immunity.
Homeopathic remedies are among the safest preparations available in the market. About 80 percent of them are derived from plants. Obviously, no system of healing can cure all diseases. It is wise to follow homeopathy as a general rule and conventional medicine as the last resort.
It is important to know that in homeopathy, it is not the illness but the patient which is the focal point. A conventional physician is mainly concerned with the physical aspects of the illness. A homeopath, on the contrary, must find the remedy that “matches as accurately as possible the symptoms picture. This is why a homeopathic assessment takes into account a person’s character, stress level, lifestyle, level of exercise, diet, food preferences, family medical history, and the effects of general factors, such as the weather, to provide a unique symptom’s picture.”
This practical family reference book also features a useful photographic index of 150 homeopathic remedies with the plant, animal, and mineral ingredients from which they are made.
There are also easy-to consult charts which indicate the name of the remedies to take for a wide range of common ailments. These remedies can be administered safely to babies and children. In fact, an increasing number of homeopathic remedies are now given to babies and children in Europe because they are not only safe but they also have no side-effects.
As the cost of conventional medicine is continuously increasing, alternative medicine such as homeopathy offers a sick person a holistic approach which not only takes into account the physical symptoms of the disease but also focuses essentially on the prevention and the involvement of the patient in his own cure.
“This holistic approach” according to the authors, “is best expressed by the words of the doctor and philosopher Albert Schweitzer, who said: “Within every patient there resides a doctor and we as physicians are our best when we put our patients in touch with the doctor inside themselves.”
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Healing with homeopathy: How does it work
Healing with homeopathy: How does it work
Recipes for Success: Chef Aniket Chatterjee offers advice and a mutton curry recipe
DUBAI: Aniket Chatterjee — currently chef de cuisine at Atrangi by Ritu Dalmia in Dubai — says his cooking is shaped as much by memory and personal history as it is by technique.
Working closely with celebrity chef and restaurateur Dalmia, Chatterjee has developed a style that looks at Indian food not through trends, he says, but through stories — from home kitchens and street food to lesser-known regional traditions.
Many of his dishes at Atrangi are contemporary adaptations of familiar Indian flavors and everyday recipes. His approach reflects how Indian cuisine in Dubai, and beyond, is shifting, with more diners interested in regional cooking, comfort food and the stories behind where dishes come from, he tells Arab News.
When you started out, what was the most common mistake you made?
I put a lot of stress and pressure on myself, which was leading to my passion getting depleted.
What’s your top tip for amateur chefs?
Always cook with intuition and intent. Cooking depends a lot on your mindset. Once you start cooking not because someone wants to eat, but because you want to feed them, that’s a game changer.
What one ingredient can instantly improve any dish?
Simple: salt. Seasoning is key. Someone once said: “The difference between good food and great food is a pinch of salt,” and I strongly believe that. And love, of course.
When you go out to eat, do you find yourself critiquing the food?
Obviously it’s a mechanism, after working for so many years, that I try to analyze anything that I eat. But it’s just for understanding or inspiration purposes. I do believe in giving feedback because I genuinely want the restaurant or the cook to be better.
What’s the most common issue that you find in other restaurants?
The thing that ticks me off is anything which starts with “viral.” I’m out. I don’t like it when restaurants follow trends and don’t do what they are actually capable of doing or love to do.
What’s your favorite cuisine or dish?
I love Japanese food. It’s simple yet complex. But my favorite dish changes weekly. It is like that one song that you listen to on a loop and then you get sick of it. I do the same with food. Last week it was mandi with haneeth ribs — the fat, the freshness from the tomato, rice and laban is so beautifully balanced. This week, it’s mostly ramen.
What’s your go-to dish if you have to cook something quickly at home?
I love to make a nice bowl of pasta. Usually, back home, in my pantry, we always have the ingredients, because even my mom loves it. It’s usually a nice simple tomato and basil spaghetti with some fresh mozzarella or a ragu or an aglio e olio.
What customer behavior most annoys you?
When they tell us they are allergic to something but later turns out they just don’t like the particular thing. That has happened multiple times.
What’s your favorite dish to cook and why?
A nice spicy curry — chicken or lamb. It’s therapeutic. Making curry, for me, is the most beautiful thing in the world. It’s very complex and layered, and it’s completely based on understanding, not a recipe.
What’s the most difficult dish for you to get right?
It’s not a dish, it’s two ingredients: doodhi (bottle gourd) and karela (bitter gourd). I absolutely despised both those vegetables with all my heart, until I took on a challenge to work around it. It worked out and I have had a lot of my fellow haters end up liking both.
As a head chef, what are you like? Are you a disciplinarian? Or are you more laid back?
I don’t like shouting; I feel that’s a very weak approach to leading a team. You have to be calm and composed. I’m a firm believer in energies and that it transpires into the food, so I don’t want a stressful work environment and having fun in the kitchen is mandatory. Of course, there are some non-negotiables, and that’s where the discipline kicks in.
Chef Aniket’s lazy Sunday mutton curry
(serves 4)
Ingredients
Marination:
Mutton or lamb curry cut – 600g
Mutton or lamb fat (preferably in cubes) – 100g
Full fat yoghurt – 50g
Red onion (sliced) – 450g
Ginger and garlic paste – 80g
Coriander stems (whole) – 15g
Mustard oil – 30ml
Kashmiri red chilli powder – 16g
Turmeric powder – 8g
Coriander powder – 14g
Roasted cumin powder – 14g
Black salt – to taste
Garam masala:
Cumin – 8g
Cinnamon – 4g
Cloves – 2g
Green cardamom – 6g
Black cardamom – 2g
Bay leaf – 2 pcs
Whole dried red chilli – 1 pc
Black pepper – 3g
Fennel seeds – 6g
For the tempering:
Mustard oil – 80ml
Whole dried red chilli – 2 to 3 pcs
Bay leaf – 2 to 3 pcs
Black pepper (whole) – 6g
Cinnamon sticks – 2 to 3 pcs
Instructions:
Take a bowl and combine all the ingredients listed under marination. Let it sit for at least three hours, preferably overnight in the fridge.
For the spice mix, combine all the ingredients listed under garam masala in a cold non-stick pan and slowly bring to heat. Toss the spices as they warm so they roast evenly without burning. Once cooled, blend into a coarse powder.
Take a pressure cooker and add the mustard oil from the tempering. Once hot, add the dry spices and saute for a minute.
Add the marinated mutton or lamb directly into the oil. The marinade will have released some water, so separate it and add only the meat, onions and fat first. This helps the meat and onions sear and caramelize properly.
Once browned, add the remaining marinade liquid and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes. Cover and cook for two whistles plus 30 minutes for mutton, or two whistles plus 15 minutes for lamb. Let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes until the steam releases naturally.
Once the meat is tender, adjust the consistency and seasoning to taste.
Turn off the heat and add one tablespoon of the garam masala. At this point, add one tablespoon clarified butter or ghee, julienned ginger (5 g), lemon juice to taste and a pinch of sugar.
Finish with plenty of fresh chopped coriander and serve hot with rice or parathas.
