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Entries in Home Remedies (8)
Answers from Ayurveda: Natural Remedies for Cystitis & Bladder Infections
May 18, 2008 
Earlier this year I was staying with a friend who suspected she was starting a bladder infection. She had a dull aching sensation below her waist and slight irritation when she passed water. She asked me if I had any advice on natural remedies because she didn’t really want to take antibiotics. We took a trip to her local health store and came back with two spices - 24 hours later she was feeling noticeably more comfortable. 48 hours later she was feeling completely fine.
The two spices we used are turmeric and coriander seeds, these spices are so effective in reducing any irritation or inflammation in the body such as tonsilitis, or conjunctivitis, that my cupboard is always stocked with them.
Quick Tip: Natural Remedy for Relief from Swollen Uvula
Apr 8, 2007 Have you ever woken up with a sore or swollen uvula? Here's something natural to get it back to normal..
The uvula is made of the same lymphatic tissue as the tonsils and can become swollen for a number of reasons. The most common is a very dry mouth, sometimes caused by dehydration from drinking alcohol. Other causes include throat infections, which can sometimes spread from the tonsils to the uvula, or allergic reactions.
Turmeric - that Magical Yellow Stuff...
Turmeric is one of Ayurveda's most potent kitchen cupboard remedies. It's anti-inflammatory properties work wonders for sore throats or any condition where there is redness and swelling in the body.
A good home remedy for a swollen uvula is to mix a quarter of a teaspoon of turmeric powder with a teaspoon of honey and lick it slowly from a spoon.
Gargling with a cup of warm salt water with a pinch of turmeric added will help reduce any swelling and discomfort in the throat too, gargle before going to bed for the best results.
The swelling usually subsides within a few hours.
Technorati Tags: ayurveda, natural remedies, swollen uvula, turmeric
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Two Quick Tips for Self-Help Pain Relief
Jan 24, 2007 
Many of us aren’t happy reaching for blister pack relief when pain strikes. Here are two natural alternatives for getting relief. One is a quick self-help routine that reduces many kinds of physical pain on the spot, the other deals with preventing possible underlying causes.
Pain reducing acupressure routine...
Acupuncture has received great acclaim from research into reducing pain. Here’s an easy two step acupressure sequence based on the same principles as acupuncture, but quicker and easier to apply for yourself.
1. find the hollow on the back of your hand that’s in between and about an inch below your ring and little fingers (see picture). Once you’ve found the point start tapping it steadily and firmly with the index, or middle, finger of your opposite hand. Tap it about 50 times and breathe deeply and relax your shoulders while you’re tapping.
2. find the hollow just beneath your collarbone, at the place where it joins your breastbone, either side is OK. Once you’ve found it, start tapping on it with the fingers of your opposite hand. Remember to breathe deeply and relax your shoulders and tap about 50 times.
3. return to the point on the back of your hand and repeat until you feel the pain subside.
This simple routine can be very effective in reducing both chronic and physical pain, including headache pain. Sipping a glass of water with a few drops of Rescue Remedy in it as you tap the points is also helpful.
Pain reducing diet
Physical pain is exacerbated by acid in the body. Sometimes it is directly caused by acid in the body. So the first step in reducing pain is reducing acid.
• step one - reduce acid and refined foods
Acidic foods include sugar, alcohol, coffee, citrus fruits and tomatoes. Many heartburn sufferers are aware of the direct link between sweet treats and heartburn pain in the evening. The simplest way to reduce acidity is to reduce the cause and dilute the effect. By eating less acidic foods and drinking more plain water, the body can get back in balance and start feeling more comfortable.
• step two - increase water and lubrication from natural oils high in essential fatty acids (EFA’s) such as flax seed oil
Some pain is simply the body expressing friction and dehydration. The body is like a machine, it has many complex moving parts that all benefit from lubrication to keep them moving smoothly. Pain is often the body’s way of saying that it needs more oil and water!
Lifestyle trends over recent years have lead to a widespread avoidance of fat and the popular theory that fat makes you fat. It sounds logical enough, and there is definitely a case for reducing processed and refined fats, but natural oils like flaxseed, hemp and evening primrose oil provide lubrication and nutrition that we really cannot do without. These oils help lubricate the joints and keep the blood flowing freely. Many headaches can be avoided altogether just by keeping the body oiled and watered.
Technorati Tags: acupressure, headache, natural remedies, pain relief, self-healing
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Home Detox 101
Jan 22, 2007 Heading to a spa for an all-out cleanse may not always be possible, but there’s always plenty we can do at home to evict unwelcome elements!
Skin brushing
Dry skin brushing benefits the lymphatic system, It helps in the elimination of toxins and removes dead skin cells leaving the skin looking clean, and fresh and feeling super smooth.
All you need is a natural bristle brush and 3 or 4 minutes extra time before your morning shower. When dry skin brushing, always work up the body in long strokes, towards the heart. Include the soles of the feet and palm so the hands, neck and head, but avoid brushing the face or any sensitive or broken skin.
Solvent Solutions
Thirst is the body’s way of telling you it’s already dehydrated. Dehydrated bodies are more sluggish, toxic and prone to aches and pains than their well-irrigated counterparts.
For an easy solution to dehydration and its challenges to our healthy functioning try sipping hot water throughout the day.
Water is nature’s greatest solvent. When hot it is even more potent in reaching the finer tissues of the body and moistening, lubricating and flushing the areas that cold water doesn’t reach so easily.
Hot water from the kettle usually tastes nasty though, so here’s an easy home tip for a convenient, refreshing and portable detox.
Grab a stainless steel saucepan and fill it with 3 pints of water, add 2 slices of fresh ginger and a couple of black peppercorns. Set it to boil for 10 minutes. During that time, any chlorine will evaporate, and the water will absorb the benefits of the ginger and black pepper. Once it’s boiled for a few minutes, strain it into a flask and keep it by you for the day.
Many who’ve tried this, myself included, have waved goodbye to headaches and mental fatigue during their working day.
If a flask of hot herbal water isn’t practical - you could start your day with a cup of hot water and lemon juice in the morning and increase your plain water intake for the rest of the day. Lemon juice is cleansing to the liver and generally helps the body de-gunk.
Tongue Scraping
Another quick and easy addition to your morning routine, tongue scraping cleans the mouth of bacteria accumulated while sleeping, and encourages the bowels to empty first thing in the morning - and it takes less than a minute. Many health food stores and Internet sites now sell custom-made tongue scrapers, otherwise, an upside down teaspoon will do the trick.
Walking
A brisk 20-minute walk is as useful for detoxing as it is for exercise. Walking briskly encourages the skin to break out in a light cleansing sweat, massages the colon by using the lower stomach muscles and gives the lungs a blast of fresh air. Walking also helps cleanse the lymphatic system, which although it possesses circulation-like channels throughout the body, is an inert system with no pulse that only really benefits when we get moving.
Kitchen cupboard quickies
Cleansing ingredients in your kitchen cupboards:
• Detox drinks such as, apple, cranberry, or red grape juice, and herb teas or hot water with fresh lemon juice in place of tea or coffee
• citrus fruits (with the exception of grapefruit), contain limonene a natural detoxer
• Vitamin E rich nuts, sees and good oils
• brassicas - antioxidant rich green things
Technorati Tags: detox, headaches, toxins , wellness
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Quick Tip: Clearing Sinus Congestion Naturally
Jan 5, 2007 
Here’s a self-help acupressure tip for draining the sinuses: press the tip of your index fingers in the middle of your cheekbones level with your nostrils and press down slightly. This helps to drain the sinuses. Tiger Balm, available from health food stores, can also help clear congestion. Tiger Balm comes in two varieties: white and red. The white kind is the more gentle of the two and can also be used as a chest rub.
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Tiger Balm is an ancient Chinese formula originally developed for use by Chinese Emperors for relieving pain and increasing circulation in the area where it is applied. Used primarily for relief from muscular aches and pains, Tiger Balm’s active ingredients include camphor, menthol and clove oil.
Tiger Balm comes in three types:
white - a gentle colourless formula that can be used as a chest rub
red - the stronger red coloured ointment that produces a greater sensation of heat
a liniment version for massaging into large areas where there is muscular or joint pain
Common uses of Tiger Balm include:
muscular and joint pain
arthritis, rheumatism
sprains
neck and back pain
nasal congestion (white balm only)
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Technorati Tags: colds, natural remedies, puppy