Kitchen Cures
There are as many natural remedies touted on the internet, in magazines and by word of mouth as there are grandmothers in the world I think. Most are not scientifically proven and I suspect many of them work because we expect them to. That is not to say they are not effective ! The placebo effect, being given something you are told is expected to have a certain effect when it is actually an inert substance that has no medicinal value whatever, and having it work, has been proven many times over.
Years ago when my daughter was young she had several very ugly warts on her hands/fingers. Sometimes they would bleed. I decided to ask our family doctor (also my father-in-law) what we needed to do to get rid of them. I was aghast when he looked at them then very seriously told her that she and I needed to get a long piece of string and tie a knot in the string for each wart. We were to then rub a knot on each wart then take the string out into the yard and bury it !!!!! This was a very reputable physician and he was suggesting something that sounded like witchcraft. She asked how long it would take for them to go away and he told her a couple of weeks. After she left the room I groused at him that I thought that was a pretty awful thing to do to a little girl who really wanted to get rid of her warts. I remember him telling me “Try it. Most likely it will work because she believes it will work. We don’t medically know how to cure them. WE can freeze them off, burn them off, use a liquid on them but chances are they will come back. The human mind is a powerful medicine.” Still fuming I took her home, got a string and did exactly as he had prescribed. She was really excited and eagerly dug the hole to bury the string. Two weeks later the warts were gone……and they never came back. Why did it work? Was it because a very trusting little girl believed every word her grandfather told her and therefore she “thought” the warts into disappearing? Did she “talk” her immune system into fighting the virus that caused the warts? All we know is that the treatment worked. Would it have worked for me, a non-believer in the hocus-pocus? Most assuredly not.
So my point? I’m going to share some interesting and harmless home remedies here. A couple I’ve tried with success – some I will leave up to you to try and report back on their success. Please always discuss these with your doctor before trying as you may be taking a medication some of the herbs could negatively interact with..
Headache -( works best on a stress headache). Oil of peppermint rubbed on the temple.s Or fill a small bowl with cold water and add 5-7 drops of oil or extract. Dip a washcloth into the bowl, wring it out then apply the compress to your forehead for 10-15 minutes.
Peppermint ,as well as other scents ,have a powerful effect on our mind and moods.
This oil has a calming effect and should help you relax.
While we’re on the topic of scents and oils the following have been found to produce “odor patterns” in our brain that send signals that are capable of regulating emotions and sharpen our thinking.
Jasmine – calms nerves. Great in tea form.
Rosemary – improves memory
Orange – reduces anxiety
Peppermint – decreases the urge to “graze” while preparing food. Light a
peppermint candle while you are cooking.
Aveeda stores have these fragrances and many more in oil form as do many health food stores. If you are using an oil on your skin for the first time use it sparingly to make sure you are not sensitive to that particular oil.
Rashes, Blemishes and minor burns – Tumeric. An Indian spice. Made into a thin mixture with aloe vera juice it can be spread on blemishes, minor burns or sunburn. Leave it on for an hour then rinse. In India Band-aids are sold that are infused with Tumeric !
Toothache/Gum pain -Cloves. This one I will vouch for. Cancre sores or rough places caused by biting your cheek or a rough/broken tooth on the inside of the mouth/gumline can be soothed with oil of cloves. A few drops on a cotton swap, wiped over the effected area will numb it. A paste made out of 1/8th tsp of ground cloves and a few drops of water can also be put on a sore gum for 5 min then spit out for the same effect. (DO NOT use on babies or toddlers)
Sore Throat – Mix 2 tsp. honey, 1 tsp lemon juice and 1/8th tsp cayenne pepper. Put a spoonful fo the mixture in your mouth and suck on it slowly. Repeat as often as needed. the lemon provides vitamin c. The honey soothes and disinfects and the cayenne stimulates circulation to the area to promote healing. Many people swear by this. I did not find it particularly soothing and it seemed to stimulate a cough reflex in me. Didn’t taste bad, however. More successful for me, though its not a “natural” remedy – if you have Robitussin in your medicine cabinet pour just a capful, swish it around in the back of your mouth and throat like a mouth wash for 30 seconds then swallow. It relieved the soreness for about 3 hours.
Bug Bites – Banana peel – yes, especially on mosquito bites. apply a piece of the peel, banana side down, directly on the bite and hold it there until the itching subsides. Apparently the peel is full of an antioxidant that calms the inflammation from the bite.
Hot Flashes – Soy sauce. Season your food, vegetables, meat, rice, with a little soy sauce (low sodium, of course). Or dissolve a tablespoon of miso paste in hot water to make a miso ( fermented soy) soup. Soy sauce and miso are fermented forms of soy (unlike edamame) so the estrogen like compounds are readily available to you.
Gas/bloating – Chai. 1/3 tsp each of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves allspice and ginger in 8 oz of boiling water or milk. steep several minutes, strain and sweeten with honey or raw sugar. Enjoy it before or after a meal. These spices work to break down food that might otherwise be difficult to digest.
Cold Symptoms – My daughter introduced me to Sambucol, an elderberry extract in lozenges form. Take two, let them dissolve in your mouth at the first signs of a cold and repeat every 4 hours. It has been my experience that it stops the cold virus in it’s tracks and it never develops.
There are dozens more and I’m sure, you my readers, have some favorites of your own you would be willing to share. Some make for good reading – maybe not an effective cure but one thing we can count on – laughter is always good medicine.
By the way – feel free to use the string/wart cure. No charge….but NO guarantees.