Have you ever felt that despair associated with suddenly falling sick and missing out on a fun activity? It was the summer of 2018 when one night, I slept, eagerly waiting for the next day where I could bring and share delicious titbits amongst my friends in potluck. Nachos, Pizzas, the likes. However, the next day I got up with a screaming headache and a raging cold! Blast! No potluck for me that day! Reminiscing back the one thing that strikes me most is the 1000 rupees spent that day on the doctor. If only I knew about feverfew, the magical plant that cures all headaches, colds, and fevers, as its name suggests. Add approximately 100 grams of feverfew herbs to boiling water, and drink the concoction daily for four months. The result?, no illness, plus a lot of money saved!

Plants being used to cure illnesses isn’t a new discovery, in fact, those of you who are well versed in Indian mythology will know of the ‘Sanjeevani herb’ that was used in the Ramayana. The truth is that before fancy pills were invented, plants were the go-to source to get better from any ailment. The medicinal usage of plants dates back to 3000BC and many ancient civilizations such as the Egyptians and Chinese dabbled in the study of “Herbalism”, as is the term used to describe the medicinal study of plants. In India, the earliest usage of herbalism can be traced back to the Rig Veda somewhere between 3000-1000 BC.

In today’s era, there still exist medicinal systems that use plants amongst other natural substances that have ardent followers who prefer the age-old methods of treating sickness. In India, there are mainly six recognized plant-based medical systems namely Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Siddha, Unani, yoga, and Naturopathy. Out of these six, Ayurveda and Homeopathy are the most renowned medical systems that adopt herbalism.

Here is a list containing some of the useful plants that can help cure/prevent diseases.

• Feverfew – Taking a regular dose of feverfew may prevent frequent migraines and fever.
• Coriander – Mixing coriander leaves with water and drinking it can reduce indigestion and constipation.
• Pineapple – Eating this fruit regularly can boost metabolism and prevent obesity.
• Neem – Neem preparations can boost skin health and help cure eye infections.
• Tulsi/Basil – The basil leaves can help cure respiratory diseases such as cough, colds and even asthma.
• Cardamom – Cardamom grows on plants, and can prevent nausea
• Aloevera – Aloevera prevents dental plaque and wrinkles on one’s skin. It also is useful in maintaining blood sugar levels.
• Garlic – This strengthens the overall immune system and is anti-inflammatory and prevents cardiac issues
• Fennel – This is very good for digestion and one of the main reasons Indian cuisine offers it at the end of a meal
• Indian Gooseberry – This is a stress reliever and also helps in constipation
• Cinnamon – The leaves of the cinnamon tree can reduce inflammation. This prevents diabetes, arthritis etc.

This is not an exhaustive list and there are many more plants that can cure ailments without causing any side effects. And some of the above plants are just easy to grow in your own balcony. As you might have discovered now, growing plants is more than just about saving the environment, and feeding our bodies. Growing a plant doesn’t require much, but did you know that with some good compost, you can boost your plants growth three folds?! And good compost is just what we deal with at RUR Greenlife. The highly nutritious compost made by RUR’s Green Gold Aerobic Tumbler Bio Composter can blossom your balcony into a garden. And as the plants blossom, you will slowly forget the name of your chemist!

More on RUR’s Green Gold Aerobic Tumbler Bio Composter(RGGC)

RGGC 7 STAR ADVANTAGE

1. No Smell
2. No Leaks
3. Rodent Free
4. No Electricity
5. Low Maintenance  
6. Highly Durable. Rust Proof.
7. Nutrient Rich Compost

The RGGC uses patented technology and stands for ‘RUR’s Green Gold Aerobic Tumbler Bio composter’ It is a composter that offers a simple, yet effective method to generate compost out of household waste, which can then be used in your gardens to nourish your plants. The magical process behind this is explained below.

The main body of the machine is made out of HDPE plastic, a type of recyclable polymer in which kitchen, and other forms of biodegradable waste generated in the house is added.

This waste can be wet waste or dry waste that is added in a ratio of 2:1. Examples of dry waste that can be added include leaves, cocopeat, sawdust etc. Please remember that any waste of fibrous nature shouldn’t be added, e.g. coconut shells and corn ear remains as it takes a very long time to decompose. Waste can be added every day in the ratio given above, and the machine must be turned 10 times using a lever attached to the body once a week in order to mix the contents.

The RGGC uses the natural method of composting generally referred to as the forest way of composting, where microbes respire aerobically converting waste to compost. These tiny creatures are key to the process and they start appearing within the second week. Once they are present within the machine a three-step process begins.

The active stage comes in first in which the microbes start showing up and multiply in numbers. Soon they start respiring and the temperature within the machine increases to about 70 degrees Celsius. This is the second stage known as the cooking stage.

The curation stage is when most of the waste is turned into compost. The internal temperature falls back to around 40 degrees Celsius as many of the microbes die due to the high temperatures and large numbers. The Patented Smart Vents in the Tumbler are crafted depending on the tumbler size to provide the exact of amount of air to the composting process so that the excess methane inside the tumbler is balanced and the odour is neutralized and the aerobic process ensures a very rich compost making process. 

The curation stage is when most of the waste is turned into compost. The internal temperature falls back to around 40 degrees Celsius as many of the microbes die due to the high temperatures and large numbers. The Patented Smart Vents in the Tumbler are crafted depending on the tumbler size to provide the exact of amount of air to the composting process so that the excess methane inside the tumbler is balanced and the odour is neutralized and the aerobic process ensures a very rich compost making process. 

Another point to be noted is that some amount of waste water is ejected from below the machine in the first two weeks, and this water if collected and mixed with regular, pure water in a 1:10 ratio, acts as an excellent Soil Manure.

Once the main body is 80% full, one must stop adding waste. The entire process of composting takes roughly 35-40 days depending on the season.

The periodic tumbling of the machine using the handle ensures that the top layers and the bottom layers of the compost   are well mixed with no necessity of using our hand to churn the compost. This ensures a very balanced texture to the compost and makes it highly nutrient rich.

In the third week, a black substance, lightly moist can be seen inside the machine. This is the compost which can be removed and used as soil to grow plants.

Pricing The RGGC can be bought on Amazon, as well as RUR Greenlife’s website. It is available in four sizes, ‘XS’, ‘S’, ‘M’, and ‘L’. Check out ‘https://rur.co.in’ to learn more!!