Home Remedies For Hangovers:
That one last drink may have seemed like a great idea last night, but now
you have to face the computer screen to search for home remedies for
hangovers, you may be regretting it just a little bit!
The good news is you do not have to look any further. We have all the
information you need!
Stop Your Hangover In Its Tracks
The answer is to drink - but not alcohol! Alcoholic drinks actually use up
your body's water stores, causing dehydration. This in turn causes some
hangover symptoms, so drinking water is a good start.
Be careful because it is possible to drink too much water too fast. Large
quantities of water can strip electrolytes from the body so it is better
to try to replace these as well, or keep to around a half liter of water
per hour.
Sports drinks are one of the best ways to get you feeling human again.
They will boost your blood sugar, rehydrate you and provide the vital
electrolytes (potassium, sodium etc) that you will have lost through the
kidneys while you were drinking and overnight.
If you prefer not to have the refined sugar and additives that are in
sports drinks, have plain water and eat bananas for potassium and
fructose. Or make a banana smoothie by putting a couple of bananas in
the blender with a little water or milk.
If you do not have bananas and cannot face going to the store right now,
use apples or other sweet fruit (not citrus) or even plain honey
dissolved in water. Honey contains electrolytes too. The less refined
your honey is, the better.
Feverfew is a well known herbal remedy for headaches and can be taken in
place of aspirin or other chemical painkillers. Raw persimmon and raw
cabbage are also said to help with headaches. Aspirin can damage the
lining of the stomach so it is not the best solution for a sensitive
morning-after digestive system.
Exercise will help your circulatory system to detoxify. Take a brisk half
hour walk as soon as you are able.
Next Time Around
Here are a few things that you can do before you go drinking to prevent
the same thing happening next time around.
Drink water to prevent dehydration. The best rule is to have one glass of
water between each alcoholic drink, but failing that, drink a couple of
large glasses of water before you go to sleep.
Buy some Bifidus powder. This is friendly bacteria that detoxifies
acetaldehyde, a byproduct of alcohol that is a major cause of hangover
symptoms. One teaspoon in a large glass of water drunk before going to
sleep should mean that you wake up hangover-free.
Foods high in unsaturated fats can reduce the effects of alcohol. American
Indian lore says that 6 raw almonds eaten before drinking will stop you
getting drunk. African tradition recommends peanut butter. Evening
primrose oil is another option, especially for women who can benefit
from taking it anyway. Take any of these before you start drinking to
avoid having to search for home remedies for hangovers after your next
night out!
Old Home Remedies - Grandmother's Secrets That Work!:
Old home remedies have gotten a bad reputation since the rise of the
male-dominated medical profession, but some of those old time remedies
are just as effective as modern medications. They have even found their
way into many of the products that we buy in the drug store. Why pay
more for something with a fancy name done up in a capsule when you can
find it for free growing in your garden, or buy it for a few cents in
the supermarket?
Ginger
Ginger can be used for both nausea and heartburn. Eat a small piece of
ginger to relieve your discomfort. Either fresh or pickled ginger should
work equally well.
Alternatively, make ginger tea by soaking a piece of ginger in water that
is almost boiling. Leave to steep and drink when it is just warm. Add
honey if desired.
Ginger tea either with or without honey is also good for relieving the
symptoms of a cold.
Home Remedies For Cold Sores (Fever Blisters)
Cold sores, aka fever blisters, and other types of herpes sores respond
well to anything astringent. Lemon is one of the best old fashioned
natural remedies for a cold sore that you will find.
If you can, place a thin slice of lemon over the area where you feel the
itch of a cold sore starting. Hold it in place with medical tape if
necessary. Replace with a fresh slice every few hours. You should soon
find that the itching stops and the sore will not appear.
If the sore is on your face and this just looks too weird, fill a small
clean perfume bottle with freshly squeezed lemon juice and spray it onto
the area about once an hour.
You can also use apple cider vinegar in a perfume bottle in the same way.
Note this must be done before the blister breaks out. Never use lemon
juice or vinegar directly on an open sore.
If your cold sore has already appeared, try drinking the juice of one
lemon mixed in a glass of warm water four times a day between meals. You
can also do this once a day for prevention - first thing in the morning
is best.
Fruit And Fiber For Constipation
Constipation can have many causes but the most common are lack of fiber in
the diet, lack of exercise and certain medications. The doctor will not
diagnose constipation unless you have not had a BM for three days or
more, but most of us feel uncomfortable before this point and a healthy
person eating plenty of fiber will have two or three BMs every day.
Dried fruit is the classic traditional remedy for constipation. Daily
consumption of a bowl of figs, prunes, dates or even raisins should sort
out your regularity within a few days. Always soak the fruit for 2-3
hours in warm water before eating. You can cook it if you wish. Drink
the juice as well as eating the rehydrated fruit.
For quick relief, take 2 to 4 teaspoons of castor oil. This is another
well known home remedy for constipation.
To avoid it happening again, increase your consumption of fruit and
vegetables to at least 5 portions every day and preferably 10. Choose
whole grain bread and brown rice over white varieties, and drink plenty
of water. Sometimes dehydration alone is responsible for the problem.
Old home remedies can help with a wide range of common ailments, but
always see your doctor if the problem persists.
Natural Remedy For Kidney Stones:
If you are suffering from the excruciating pain that kidney stones or
renal calculi can cause and your doctor has advised waiting to see if
the stone will pass by itself, you could certainly benefit from finding
a natural remedy for kidney stones.
Kidney stones are formed by the body from unprocessed minerals in the
renal system. Most of them consist of calcium oxalate. They occur in
about 10% of the population but men are four times as likely to get them
as women. They tend to recur, so that once you have had one, you have a
75% chance of having more in the next 20 years.
It is possible to have them without noticing, because many will pass when
very small. You might have a pain when urinating but you probably would
not notice that you had passed something that could be as tiny as a
grain
of sand.
Larger stones can block the urethra and that is when the severe pain is
caused. You may also see blood in the urine. This comes from the lining
of the organs being damaged by the uneven surface of the stone. If you
have pus or pain during urination you should tell your doctor as this
may be a sign of infection.
Even in cases where the stone is large enough to cause pain, the majority
of them do pass naturally. There are certain things you can do to help
this happen, or make it happen faster.
Dealing With Kidney Stones
The best treatment to help a stone pass is simply to drink plenty of
water. Aim for 2-3 liters spread through the day.
Consuming more soup, fresh fruit and raw vegetables is another way to
increase your intake of water, as they contain much more than dry cooked
foods and grains. Be careful however to avoid over consumption of
oxalate which contributes to the forming of the most common type of
stone.
Foods high in oxalate that should be avoided include chocolate, peanuts,
rhubarb, spinach, beets and sweet potatoes. Also, cut down on salt and
alcohol which have a dehydrating effect, and meat and dairy products
which cause uric acid to form in the kidneys.
Some people take diuretics to increase the water flow through the kidneys.
Some herbal teas have a diuretic effect, for example dandelion and
stinging nettle. Replacing two glasses of water with one of these teas
may help the stone to pass more quickly. Unless you have other medical
reasons for taking them, prescribed diuretics should not be necessary.
You should strain your urine so that you catch the stone when it passes.
Your doctor can have it analyzed to see what minerals it is formed from.
This will tell you how you need to alter your diet in future to give you
the best chance of preventing a recurrence. For most people, a
diet that is lower in protein and salt is recommended.
It may be wise to not to take large doses of vitamins and minerals until
you have had your stones or your urine analyzed.
A doctor should always be involved in treatment of renal calculi because
of the possibility of infection and complications. A natural remedy for
kidney stones should only be used in conjunction with medical advice.
Home Remedies To Lighten Hair:
There are some great home remedies to lighten hair - no need for bought
hair dyes if you have dirty blonde or mouse colored hair.
Sun
The best, purest and most natural way to get those real blonde highlights
is to be out in the sun. Lie face down with clothing covering your skin
and spread your hair out to drink in the rays of sunlight. Or just get
out in the sun more. Anyone with blonde to mid brown hair will find that
it is always lighter in summer - provided you do not stay indoors all of
the time.
Do not overdo it of course. You must be careful not to become sunburned.
Use a strong sun blocker on all exposed
skin and you may also consider using sun cream on your scalp.
Swimming
Swimming in either a pool or the sea and then letting your hair dry in the
sun is a great way to lighten it. It's great exercise too!
However, some of us live in climates where there is very little sun for
many months of the year. What do we do then?
Hydrogen Peroxide
Mix small amounts of household ammonia and hydrogen peroxide in equal
quantities. Warning: it will smell bad! Test on a small area of skin
near the ear and wait 24 hours to see if there is any allergic reaction.
If not, mix a fresh batch and apply to hair. Rinse off when developed.
You may also want to test on a strand of hair.
Never use household bleach or any other chlorine based product on your
hair. This can destroy your hair, cause terrible damage to your skin
and possibly kill you with the fumes.
Lemon Juice
Squeeze one fresh lemon. It should give you about 2 tablespoons of juice.
Mix this with 3 times the quantity of water and apply to dry hair. Leave
for several hours before rinsing out. Do this every day and your
highlights should become lighter in a very natural looking way.
You may want to use more of the lemon juice/water mixture if you have very
long hair and less if you have short hair.
Tea
Ordinary tea can lighten brown
hair - seems crazy given the color that it is, but it's true! Make
tea to a normal strength that you would drink, let it cool and then
rinse your hair with it.
It is best to test a strand before using tea on your whole head. If your
hair is already a light shade, it may darken it.
Some of these methods can leave your
hair rather dry, so be sure to use a good conditioner for blonde
hair. Shampoos and conditioners containing chamomile are great for fair
hair.
Going out in the sun after using any of these home remedies to lighten
hair will increase their effectiveness.
Home Remedies For Mosquito Bites:
The best home remedies for mosquito bites, of course, are those that stop
the little critters biting in the first place. But if it is too late for
that, there are still a few things that you can try.
A mosquito bite is not like the sting of a wasp or bee which is an
injection of poison. Mosquitoes just want a little taste of your blood.
But to stop it coagulating so that they can easily drink it, they also
deposit a protein which causes an allergic reaction in some people.
It seems that some people get bitten constantly and others never have a
single itch, but this is probably nothing to do with whether the insects
like you. The truth is that some people do not get allergic and so they
do not know they have been bitten.
If you ask a hundred bite-scratching people what they recommend, you may
get a hundred different answers. Here are some of the most popular
ideas.
Ice: apply an ice cube to reduce the inflammation and temporarily numb the
area. Ice also restricts blood flow which may reduce the allergic
reaction. The bite will probably itch again later, but maybe by then you
will be busy doing something else and will not notice.
Roll-on anti perspirant: most commercial anti perspirants contain
vasoconstrictive substances which, like ice, restrict blood flow to the
area. Additionally, the aluminum in the anti perspirant may help the
bite to heal. Do not use if the bite has been heavily scratched.
Fingernails: press down on the bite with a fingernail so that the nail
digs in and leaves a mark. Then do the same thing at another angle to
form a cross. This should temporarily stop the itching.
Toothpaste: some people recommend smearing toothpaste over the bite. The
fluoride is said to reduce the allergic reaction. If desperate, why not
give it a try!
Scratching: it has been shown that if you go so far as to open up the bite
and make it bleed, some of the allergen may be forced out by the blood
flow. However, the bite may become infected, so doing this deliberately
is not recommended. If it happens by accident, apply antiseptic.
The good news is that the itching from bites will only last between 24 and
48 hours. Then, cover yourself in insect repellent or keep those
mosquitoes out with netting to stop yourself being bitten next time.
You can also look for an anti itch cream that contains camphor, and keep
it with you whenever you risk being bitten. Camphor can stop the itching
and if applied early enough, it may even prevent the itchy bump from
forming. This makes camphor one of the best home remedies for mosquito
bites, but you have to buy some ahead of time.
Native American Herbal Medicine: The Power To Heal:
The Native American herbal medicine tradition is often overlooked these
days in favor of Chinese or Ayurvedic traditions. This is a great pity
when all of the herbs used by the native healers grow wild in the USA.
Instead of growing them in our gardens, we pay hundreds of dollars to
have the equivalent shipped to us in bottles from China or India. At the
same time, we ignore many of the other lessons that Native American
healing has for us.
Traditionally it was believed that the power of herbal medicine to heal
rests partly in the plants, partly in the healer and partly in the
person being healed. Today, conventional western medicine encourages us
to believe that all power lies with the doctors and the medication. We
do not take any share of the responsibility for our own sickness or
healing, and that is a great mistake.
While some plants certainly have medically observable effects, it is also
true that our attitude when we use a remedy has a great deal of power.
Belief that the treatment will help you is important, and so is having a
genuine wish to get well that is not undermined by a desire for the
attention that being sick can get us.
The power of herbal treatments used by Native American people was
reinforced by the trust that they had in the spiritual, almost magical,
power of the healers. The medicine man or shaman was chosen according to
his birth position in society and his natural talent. Often there would
be a family connection with medicine and tribal religion. It might be
considered that blind faith in modern doctors would have the same
effect, but it does not because the spiritual aspect is missing.
Medicine was seen as a question of dealing with the spirit as much as the
body, and many ceremonies were practiced both by healers and also by the
person being treated or his or her family. A major effect of the
ceremonies that the healer performed was to increase his awareness and
concentration so that even without any of the laboratory tests that are
done these days, he could correctly diagnose the problem and see the
best remedy - not just for the disease, but for the person. Ceremonies
undertaken by the afflicted person would cleanse the body and mind to
prepare them to make the best possible use of the remedy when it was
taken.
This spiritual aspect of herbal medicine is completely ignored today. We
take herbal remedies in much the same way that we take chemical
medications, assuming that the substance has all of the power and we
have none.
In fact, many doctors as well as alternative medical practitioners today
would agree that it is the sick person who does the healing, and not the
remedy. The body's ability to heal itself, known as homeostasis, is at
the root of all recovery. It works by expelling toxins, fighting back
against disease with antibodies. All that medication does is to help the
process along and remove obstacles to recovery.
If we can get away from the mainstream western view that the body and mind
or spirit are two separate things, the importance of a spiritual aspect
to healing becomes very clear. The state of the sick person's mind is as
important in the recovery process as the state of his body.
This does not mean that we have to perform tribal dances or complicated
rituals. We can replace them with other spiritual practices including
meditation and prayer. But studying the spiritual aspect of Native
American herbal medicine can help us shift our focus and understand that
in a sense, we always have to heal ourselves.
Natural Remedies For Fibroids:
Although there are no guaranteed natural remedies for fibroids, there are
a few treatments that you can try which may help to reduce their size or
at least prevent them growing further, and reduce the heavy bleeding
that is often associated with uterine fibroids.
Fibroids are non-cancerous tumors usually found in the womb (uterus) and
are very common in women of childbearing age. They appear in about 25%
of white women and 50% of black women. Some women may have them without
knowing, but in other cases they can grow to a size where they cause
pain and a noticeably swollen abdomen. The swelling may make a woman
look pregnant. She will often have very heavy and painful periods.
Fibroids may cause pain at other times too, for example during sex. They
can also interfere with pregnancy, either making it difficult to get
pregnant in the first place or causing miscarriage, premature birth or
bleeding during the pregnancy. If they press on the bladder they may
cause incontinence as well as pain.
The cause of fibroids is thought to be hormonal. They almost always shrink
or disappear after the menopause, unless a woman takes hormone
replacement therapy. Genetics may also play a part in the causes of
these uterine growths.
The standard medical treatment, if required, is surgery. In the past, the
only option was hysterectomy, i.e. complete removal of the womb. Now it
is possible in many cases to have what is called a myomectomy in which
only the fibroids themselves are removed. If successful, this means that
you can still have children afterward. The surgical procedure that is
recommended will depend on the size and number of the growths.
If you do not need surgery or decide against it, you may want to look for
a natural remedy that will help deal with the symptoms. Doctors will
often recommend contraceptive pills but not every woman wants to take
these. You may want to try the following home remedies that some women
have found helpful. Consult your doctor first and again if the symptoms
persist or increase.
Apple Cider Vinegar
ACV may shrink the fibroids. It certainly reduces discomfort in many
cases, and unless there is some reason why you should not take vinegar,
it will not do you any harm. If you are overweight you may find it has
the added benefit of helping you to lose a few pounds. Take one
tablespoon three times a day.
Molasses
Some women recommend molasses for reducing the size of fibroids. The usual
dose is one tablespoon 3 times per day.
Be aware that molasses is high in calories, iron and copper. It is
important to monitor your intake of all of these, as too much can cause
other problems. Blackstrap molasses also contains sulfur which can thin
the blood and may therefore increase the menstrual bleeding in some
women.
Herbs
There are some herbal medicines that may help in some cases. Herbs that
balance the hormones, such as agnus castus or yarrow, may be
recommended.
Do not take blue or black cohosh which are likely to increase the
symptoms.
If you want to try herbal medicine the best solution is to see a qualified
and experienced herbalist who will take a full history, consider
different possibilities and monitor the results of the suggested herbal
natural remedies for fibroids.
Natural Remedies For Growing Hair Back:
Natural remedies for growing hair back can avoid some of the complications
of transplants and other processes. Hair loss is something that happens
to most men and many women but the process can be prevented, slowed or
even reversed in some cases.
While transplants are the quickest way to replace lost hair, they do have
some disadvantages. One is that they do not stop further hair loss. So
for example a man with a round balding patch at the crown who has
transplants, will later probably develop a bald ring around the
transplanted area as the hair loss spreads. The other main disadvantage
is that unless you have a series of many treatments, people are likely
to notice that you suddenly have more hair. They may think it is a
hairpiece, toupee or wig.
Natural hair loss remedies come in various forms and the best results are
likely to come from using more than one.
Massage
Scalp massage can stimulate hair growth where the loss is temporary or not
severe, and can help to prevent further loss of hair. Gently massage the
full scalp with your fingertips for about three minutes each day. Be
careful not to scratch the scalp with your nails or damage any growing
hair.
Massage with jojoba oil will provide the scalp with B and E vitamins plus
many minerals that will give hair a boost. Jojoba oil is particularly
effective if you have a tendency to skin problems such as dandruff,
eczema and psoriasis, or oily hair.
A Chinese form of massage said to stimulate the follicles involves tapping
the scalp with the fingers of both hands. Beginning in the middle of the
base of the skull at the back, tap about 20 times then move the tapping
slowly upward and outward around the ears. Then begin again at the back
a little higher than where you started before. Repeat until you have
covered the whole scalp, finishing at the front.
Nutrition and Vitamins
The hair requires a full balance of vitamins and minerals to grow
healthily. Most of us do not get all that we need from our diets.
Increasing your intake of fresh fruits and green leafy vegetables to
around 10 varied portions a day will go a long way toward rectifying any
deficiencies.
Make sure that you are getting enough of these nutrients in particular:
Vitamin A
All B vitamins, especially B6 and B12
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Zinc
Iron
Copper
Iodine
Essential fatty acids
You can track all of the nutrients in your diet with a free computer
program such as the Cron-o-meter available from http://spaz.ca/cronometer
If any of the above nutrients are deficient in your diet you can either
look for foods that contain more of them (best option) or take
supplements, except for vitamin A which should always be supplied from
food. The best food sources of vitamin A are orange and red vegetables
such as carrots, pumpkin, red pepper etc or dark green leafy vegetables
such as spinach.
Men should pay particular attention to the amount of zinc in their diet
because it is very important for the prostate. It is vital to have
enough, but too much can cause problems.
Herbal Remedies
Men may find the herbal treatment Saw Palmetto useful in treating hair
loss. This is believed to have an action on the prostate which is
involved in typical male pattern baldness. Be careful not to take too
much because if the male hormones that lead to hair loss are reduced too
far, breast tissue can develop.
Saw Palmetto may be useful for some women too but must not be taken with
hormone therapy, oral contraceptives or any other medication that
contains hormones.
Reduce Stress
Stress can cause hair loss and therefore anything you can do to reduce
stress or anxiety in your life is likely to have a beneficial effect on
your hair. Try meditation or practice relaxation techniques for 10
minutes each morning, preferably after exercise. Regular exercise will
both reduce stress and create a healthier skin and scalp.
These solutions may help in cases for male pattern baldness and
age-related hair loss in women. They do not constitute a health
treatment or cure. If your hair loss is related to health problems or
medication or has an unknown cause, it is best not to rely on natural
remedies for growing hair back and you should see your doctor.
Home Remedies For A Toothache:
Cloves
Cloves can be found in the spice rack and are often used in apple dishes,
but they are also one of the best known home remedies for a toothache.
To relieve the pain of mild toothache, chew two cloves on the affected
tooth. If chewing is too painful, you can use oil of cloves. Mix 3 drops
oil of cloves with a quarter teaspoon of olive oil. Soak a cotton ball
or gauze pad in this mixture and rub it over the painful tooth and gum.
Then keep it against the affected tooth by biting down on it. You should
feel better within 10 minutes or less.
Salt
Salt can be a very effective remedy for toothache as well as any gum
infection or sore in the mouth, especially where bacteria are at the
root of the problem.
Dissolve one teaspoon of salt in a small glass of lukewarm (body
temperature) water. Take a sip and swirl it around the mouth, working it
through the gaps between the teeth where possible. Do not swallow. Just
spit it out and then take another sip and repeat.
By the time you finish the glass your pain should be much less. If it
comes back later, just repeat. Even if you stay pain free, it is a good
idea to do this after every meal for a few days. It will help clear any
bacteria that might be forming around food particles in the mouth and
prevent the problem from recurring.
If you have salt crystals, then alternatively you can take one or two and
press them against the painful place with your tongue until they
dissolve.
Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is a natural antiseptic that can be used to relieve the agony
of toothache in much the same way as oil of cloves. Alternatively, add a
few drops to a small glass of water and swirl around the mouth before
spitting out.
Ice
Ice can numb pain and reduce swelling in the mouth as well as on joint
sprains and strains. Either hold an ice cube against the painful tooth
in the mouth, or make an ice pack from ice wrapped in a cloth or a pack
of frozen food and hold it against your cheek where you have pain.
If you use frozen food as an ice pack, you should throw it away when you
are done. It will have partially thawed and it is not safe to refreeze
and eat.
Lower The Head
Increase blood flow to the head by putting your head between your knees,
as if you were feeling faint. Combined with other methods this will
strengthen the body's ability to fight the infection.
See your dentist or doctor if home remedies for a toothache do not resolve
your problem. |
