Natural Health Remedies
Simple Treatments you can fix at Home
I've always wanted to put some of the Natural Health Remedies we keep hearing about to the test. If you're going to sort out a specific health concern such as a headache, a toothache, constipation or diarrhoea, the simple treatments listed here are things you could quickly fix at home. And since you are here, we'll see if we can also sort out a few other symptoms like gout, halitosis, dandruff, eczema and body odour. For the most part, they seem to work out pretty well.
These natural home remedies might also have some medical credence and enable you to fix the menacing problem once and for all. In an over-medicated world, these home remedies are making a comeback. However, if you're not quite getting the results you were looking for, you may need to seek additional medical advice from your local doctor.
Do you remember your mother giving you a glass of hot milk at bedtime to help you fall asleep? Somehow, I don't seem to remember that one. Do you sometimes gargle salt water in your mouth to help ease a sore throat? I do remember gargling salt water in my mouth once to relieve a toothache, but that didn't work so well.
I'm sure we'll try anything at home to find a solution to the problem before we have to seek other more advanced options. Maybe some of you have even tried grandma's home remedies at one point or another. Let's see if these self-help treatments for the most common ailments will come to light. Best of all, they shouldn't cost you an arm and a leg.
Cherry Tomatoes
Natural Health Remedies for Halitosis
I'm sure you've come across someone who's got this thing called halitosis, or maybe you're suffering from it yourself. The worst thing that can happen is that you may not even notice it until someone points it out to you. Or maybe don't. Whatever the situation, it's not pleasant having bad breath. The problem with halitosis is that it comes from foul-smelling sulphur compounds produced by bacteria that thrive in environments lacking in oxygen, such as the back of the throat. A mouthwash can work, but it's not nature's solution, and I've heard some nasty things about gargling mouthwash.
Eating a couple of tomatoes a day could help prevent this nasty thing from recurring. That's because these fruits contain compounds called ionones, thought to make sulphur compounds odourless. You can also munch on a few raw carrots because bad breath is more than likely caused by rotting food particles stuck between your teeth. Chewing stimulates your saliva production, which in turn helps get rid of these nasty little critters.
Carrot fibres also act as nature's toothbrush on your teeth and gums. Yoghurt can also do the trick because the active bacteria could inhibit the odour-causing bacteria. So now you know. Opt for a small tub of yoghurt, a few tomatoes or chew on a couple of carrots and your halitosis should be history. The alternative is to chew on some peppermint gum, but the ones I'm talking about here are all-natural health remedies given to us from nature.
Chew on a Carrot
Natural Health Remedies for Body Odour
If you've ever had an embarrassing experience due to body odour from smelly armpits to stinky feet, you're not alone. We've all encountered this at some point in our lives. Some of us have experienced skin irritation when using underarm deodorant due to its alcohol content. Help is on its way in the form of a couple of simple home remedies. Bicarbonate of soda and radishes will solve the problem.
Sprinkle a little bicarbonate of soda onto a powder puff and then dust it onto the part of the skin where your troublesome problem lies. Because bicarbonate of soda absorbs sweat, liquid and other nasty substances that contribute to embarrassing and pungent body odours, it should neutralize and remove the smell. Bicarbonate of soda works particularly well should you suffer from sweaty feet.
Radishes are another great way to remove foul-smelling odours from your armpits or feet. It may take a little labour on your part, but the reward more than makes up for the effort you put in. Firstly, you need to make juice using radishes. To do that, pop a few radishes in a food blender. After that place the pulp in a muslin cloth and strain. After showering, make sure the problem areas are patted dry. Then smear the radish juice where needed and allow to dry. Radish juice has both antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. It's excellent for armpits and feet and especially beneficial in between your toes.
Bicarbonate of Soda
Natural Health Remedies for Constipation
If you suffer from constipation, you may want to try these simple solutions to relieve the problem. The juice of the Aloe Vera plant contains chemical compounds called anthraquinone glycosides, which help stimulate your bowels to relieve constipation. Drink the liquid as directed on the product.
The rich source of liquid and fibre from cucumbers has a mild laxative effect that will help you overcome sluggish bowels. Eat a one-quarter of a cucumber a day until the complication has dissipated. You can also chew liquorice or drink some liquorice tea as liquorice is known to be a mild laxative.
Cucumber
Natural Health Remedies for Headaches
Did you know that when you get a headache, it's much like an alarm clock going off in your head? It's also a signal telling you that something is not quite right inside your body. The trouble is that most people switch off the alarm clock with a painkiller. They then go about their day without a single clue as to the collateral damaged their headache has caused. The problem lies more in-depth than you can imagine. And a migraine headache is especially a pain in the neck that you may need to address.
Headaches are often linked to the foods you consume and how you conduct your lifestyle. If you have any bad experience of this kind, don't just switch off the problem with a few over-the-counter pills. All the answers lie deep within yourself, and you can easily eradicate a problem such as this with the right mindset and the right food. In the meantime, you can try a couple of natural health remedies to smooth your journey ahead.
Some headaches are the direct result of changes in your blood vessels, and because bananas are high in magnesium, they might help to relax those blood vessels. Besides eating bananas, you can also mash a ripe banana peel and place it against the throbbing area of your head for up to 15 minutes at a time and then repeat as needed. Onions have also known to help. Place a slice of raw onion on the back of your neck as a cold compress to relieve neck strain that could be the cause of your headache.
Bananas
Natural Health Remedies for Toothache
We've all had our fair share of toothaches, and we've probably tried several different things to ease the pain before having to head off to the dentist for a more permanent outcome. (Pun intended) But here's the thing you can do at home should you not be able to make it to the dentist in time. You may even think that this is one of those natural health remedies that doesn't quite fit into any textbook you know. However, horseradish could be the answer you were always looking for, but couldn't find it. Horseradish contains a compound called synthetic allyl isothiocyanate, used as a topical anaesthetic.
Horseradish
Natural Health Remedies for Dandruff
I'm a firm fan of coconut oil, but not just any old coconut oil. Cold-pressed, extra virgin organic coconut oil is the only way to go. Not only is coconut oil suitable for high-temperature cooking, frying and baking, but it's also ideal for so many other things too. Don't be stressed out about dandruff issues, instead, try massaging coconut oil into your scalp before retiring for the night. You may want to cover your scalp with a cap. In the morning, rinse in the shower. A fungal infection often causes dandruff, and coconut oil contains Auric and Caprylic acids which have anti-viral and anti-fungal properties.
Coconut Oil
Natural Health Remedies for Diarrhoea
We all know that diarrhoea can end up being a messy affair, and we never want to go down that road. The best thing you can do diarrhoea is to grate an unpeeled apple to the core. Leave the grated bits on a plate for 20 minutes or so until they turn brown. It will allow the fruit to oxidate. The pectin in the apple will firm the stool and reduce inflammation. Also, see Foods for Inflammation.
Apples also contain malic and tartaric acids which regulate stomach acidity. When you allow the fruit to go brown, it merely means that more of these compounds are released. And you know what they say - An apple a day keeps the doctor away. You can also try dissolving one or two teaspoons of molasses in warm water and drinking the solution. Molasses appears to have disinfectant properties that help kill infecting organisms.
Apples
Natural Health Remedies for Gout
Gout is brought about by an abnormal metabolic disorder resulting in a build-up of uric acid in the joints. It's very much like a type of arthritis that attacks the smaller bones of the feet and can be prone to acute episodes of extreme pain. People who overeat meat products are more likely to experience gout at some stage. However, there are a couple of natural health remedies you can use to deaden the pain.
Soak a few figs in warm water to soften them and then mash them. After that apply the mashed up solution directly to the affected area and keep in place with a clean cloth. Leave for up to one hour. Figs are an alkaline food source and have a yellow chemical compound called Morin, which has shown to help reduce uric acid. This method should help solve both the problem and the pain.
You can also make a lavender compress by soaking a dressing into a hot lavender infusion. Leave until the temperature is at a level tolerable to your skin and apply to the affected area until the compress cools. Lavender has anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic properties to help deaden the pain.
Figs
Natural Health Remedies for Eczema
Do you notice patches of your skin becoming rough and inflamed with blisters that cause you to itch and then start bleeding? Chances are you have Eczema. Eczema is an inflammation of the skin, which tends to flare up now and then. Help is on the way. Try these simple solutions.
Mix a little coconut oil with turmeric powder and apply to the affected areas for five minutes at a time. Repeat the procedure two or three times a day. Turmeric contains a bright yellow chemical compound called curcumin, believed to have anti-inflamm
atory and antioxidant properties. When you mix this with the Auric and Caprylic acids found in coconut oil, you have an anti-viral and anti-fungal recipe that will help you fight the bacteria that's entering through your cracked skin.
You can also try using tea because the tannin in tea works as an astringent to reduce inflammation—steep four tea bags into boiling water and leave for ten minutes. Once cooled, apply the liquid to all the affected areas using a cloth.
Turmeric
Natural Health Remedies for Bruises
Bruises are something we've all experienced, and they usually occur when we bump into or trip over things, causing injury. Bruising can also come from much harsher circumstances too. My friend had the misfortune of being kicked by a horse, and his bruises were much more severe. For that, you might need to see your doctor immediately. The rest you can fix yourself with a few simple ingredients such as onions and or a little vinegar. Bruising cause blood vessels to break and when that happens, blood leaks under the skin, leading to swelling as well as discolouration and perhaps a little bit of pain. Ouch!
The first one you can try is a vinegar-soaked dressing which you then apply wherever the bruising has occurred. You do this for 10 to 20 minutes. The reason you may want to give vinegar a go is that vinegar increases blood flow near the skin's surface, which helps dissipate blood pooled in the area where the bruising has taken place. You can fix the problem with onions. Mix some grated onion with a little sea salt and then hold it against the bruise for up to ten minutes. Onions are a rich source of quercetin; a plant pigment thought to have anti-inflammatory properties. It, in turn, will help reduce the swelling around the bruise and hopefully reduce any pain you may have.
Vinegar
Love Travel Eat Right - Disclaimer
Please take note that the information on this site is designed for educational purposes and is intended solely for a general readership. The contents herein are not intended to offer any personal medical advice or to diagnose any health issues you may have. This information is also by no means a substitute for medical care by a licensed healthcare provider. For that, you'd need to consult your medical doctor or a health care practitioner for any advice should you require prescription medication.
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