Natural Remedies || pt 1

So, as I said in a recent post, I am slowly starting to go more natural every year. Slowly but surely. In a previous post, I blogged about natural cleaning ingredients to use. This time? Remedies! Because, honestly, we all get sick sometimes. So, instead of calling the doc, explaining your symptoms, and coming home with a handful of pills, I say - go natural. It's healthier for us, that's for sure. So, enjoy part 1.

Colds and Allergies


* Congestion: Red pepper, jalapenos and hot salsa will temporarily open up your nasal passages and break up congestion.

* Bronchitis: For mild bronchitis symptoms, use a vaporizer or take a steamy shower to ease your discomfort and open up your chest.

* Make your own nose drops: Make your own nose drops out of saltwater to break up congestion and help you breathe.

* Gargle salt water: To help a sore throat, gargle salt water several times daily. WebMD recommends using an astringent gargle made of tea with tannin to help an itchy "tickle" throat.

* Put a dab of Vick's on your nose: Just a dab of Vick's Vapor Rub or another menthol salve can break up congestion and help you breathe more easily.

* Take lots of Vitamin C: Taking Vitamin C even when you do get sick can prevent the cold from going full cycle.

* Take Vitamin C to prevent allergies: Taking Vitamin C also helps allergies, especially symptoms from hay fever and asthma, because of "its ability to counteract the inflammation responses that are part of such conditions."

* Drink green tea: Green tea is a natural antihistamine, which helps both allergies and colds.

* Eat or drink thyme: Make a tea with thyme or add a little to your recipes when you cook to break up congestion and relieve stuffy noses.


Fever and the Flu

* Take a bath: Take a bath in lukewarm water to bring down escalating body temperatures.

* Eat artichokes: Try eating artichokes to reduce fever.

* Drink lots of water: Drinking water is a good habit to have anyway, but it's especially crucial when you have a fever. You'll need to stay hydrated and bring your overall body temperature down.

* Make a ginger steam: Create your own steam room by turning on the hot water in the sink and adding a couple of teaspoons of ginger. Get up close to the mixture and breathe in the steam for relief.

* Sleep: You probably won't feel like doing much else anyway.

* Drink liquids instead of eating solid foods: An old tradition recommends drinking liquids and refraining from eating solid foods until you're over a fever.


Aches and Pains

* Headache: If you've got a bad headache try applying ice to your head.
* Backache: Before you reach for painkillers, check out your posture. If you're constantly humped over the keyboard or hunching your shoulders forward, you could be sabotaging yourself. Sit up straight and push your shoulders back.

* Toothache: Mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda with water and then swishing it around in your mouth to create a soothing mouthwash.

* Headache: Turn out the lights if you're at home or have your own office. Reducing the amount of light helps ease eye strain and can calm your throbbing head.

* Arthritis: Soak a teaspoon of black sesame seeds in a quart of water and let it sit overnight. In the morning, eat the seeds and drink the water that's left.

* Eat bananas: Instantly up your potassium levels by eating a banana. This helps everything from growing pains to charlie horses.

* Toothache: Another quick fix for a painful toothache is to chew oregano leaves.

* Arthritis: Staying warm helps ease the pain of arthritis. Loosely wrap yourself up in a blanket or adjust the thermostat to create the optimum environment.