Many of us are trying to live a more homemade life, opting for making the cupcakes for a birthday party rather than buying them, planning the weekly meals instead of eating out, and going for a jog with our partners or playing a game of soccer in the backyard with the kids, instead of heading off to the gym. An important part of a homemade life is homemade remedies to common health complaints, which would have seen our mothers or grandmothers turn to their kitchen pantry to solve, and which we now solve with a lengthy and expensive trip to the doctor.
However, it’s not as difficult to get back to those natural home remedies as you might think, and here are five things you can easily do and make at home which will help you keep the doctor away.
1 – Apples
You would expect a saying as old as ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ to have some ring of truth to it, so just what can apples heal you of? Dr Bahram Arjmandi from the department of nutrition, food and exercise sciences at Florida University conducted a study on 160 women aged between 45 and 65 to test the health benefits of apples. Eighty women in the group were asked to eat 75 grams of dried prunes each day for a year, and the other 80 women were asked to eat the same amount of dried apples, as part of their normal diets.
Blood samples taken at three, six and 12 months into the trial were compared with those taken at the beginning of the study and showed that even after just six months of the new diets, the women eating the dried apple every day had:
- A 23% drop in LDL cholesterol, also known as ‘bad cholesterol’.
- Lower levels of bio-markers linked to heart disease.
- Lost an average of 1.5 kg.
Not only are apples a good source of fibre, but they have also been shown to have additional health benefits which stimulate the breakdown of fats in the blood, and reduce inflammation of vessel walls, both of which reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Apple Cider Vinegar
In addition to consuming apples in fruit form, you may also want to consider apple cider vinegar for its health benefits. Apple cider vinegar has been a staple ingredient in natural remedies for thousands of years, even dating back to 400 BC when used by the ‘father of medicine’ Hippocrates. You also don’t have to worry about the processing of the apples destroying all of their goodness either because the process of making apple cider vinegar produces healthful nutrients such as enzymes, mineral, antioxidants and essential amino acids – in fact there are 90 substances in apple cider vinegar which make it an ideal natural health remedy.
By taking around a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in water or juice each day can help with:
- Arthritis.
- High blood pressure.
- Cholesterol.
- Weight loss.
- Fatigue.
- Acid reflux.
- Heartburn.
- Digestion issues.
- Sinusitis.
- Kidney stones.
- Immunity.
- Purification and detoxification.
You don’t just have to ingest apple cider vinegar either, as it can also help you with the following:
- Eczema.
- Acne.
- Minor burns.
- Shingles.
- Cold sores.
- Insect bites.
- Foot fungus.
- Calluses and corns.
- Itchiness and dandruff.
- Hair loss and hair regrowth.
To get the most benefit from apple cider vinegar you want to choose one which is not distilled. Check the bottle and make sure the vinegar is cloudy and you can see a cobwebby bitty substance inside the bottle. These bits in the bottle are the ‘mother’ which is where all the benefit is.
2 – Amalaki
The Amalaki tree is found primarily in the tropical regions of Asia, and while it has been cultivated in gardens for centuries, it has also become popular for medicinal purposes. The Amalaki fruit can be used whole or as a dried substance for:
- Relief from stress.
- A source of antioxidants.
- Anti-inflammatory purposes.
- Anti-fungal and anti-microbial attributes.
- Studies of mice have shown that the Amalaki fruit reduces the effects the cancer cells have on ravishing the body, and when used prior to radiation can act as a protective shield for the chromosomes.
- Studies of rabbits over a 60 day period show cholesterol reducing effects in cases where cholesterol was elevated.
- Digestive benefits and reduced inflammation usually associated with digestive diseases.
- Strengthened immune system.
- Constipation.
- Asthma.
- Anaemia.
- Gout.
3 – Natural cold and flu remedy
Even the fittest and healthiest among us can’t always avoid being subjected to the common cold – sitting in one too many crowded and overheated meeting rooms and being crammed on one too many busy trains, it’s often only a matter of time.
Therefore, the next time you are suffering from a cold or the flu, try this natural remedy:
- Finely chop one clove of garlic.
- Add six tablespoons of honey.
- Add six tablespoons of molasses.
- Add six tablespoons of lime or lemon juice.
- Add one teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
- Mix well and leave to marinate for around five hours.
- Take two tablespoons twice a day, in the morning and the evening and your symptoms will show improvement within 48 hours.
4 – Onions
Onions may already be a popular ingredient in your menus at home, but in addition to enhancing the flavours of your cooking, they can also be boosting your health. Onions have been shown to help with:
- Relieving the symptoms of the common cold.
- Sore throats.
- Heart disease.
- Osteoporosis.
- Diabetes.
- Inflammation.
- Reducing cholesterol.
- Antioxidant function, for example quercetin.
- Limiting the dangers of head and neck cancers.
When eaten raw, Asian white onions in particular have the greatest antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, and can also be used to heal blisters and boils. Shallots have the highest antioxidant activity and the most phenols, while Western Yellow have the most flavanoids. In tests against liver and colon cancer cells, it was found that the Western Yellow onion and shallots had the most effect at preventing growth, and generally speaking the more pungent the onion, the greater its health benefits.
5 – Yoga
For an overall health and wellbeing remedy you will also want to consider the natural benefits of yoga. Practicing yoga helps to:
- Reduce stress.
- Increase flexibility.
- Improve balance.
- Promote strength.
- Heighten cardiovascular conditioning.
- Lower blood pressure.
- Reduce weight.
- Strengthen bones.
- Prevent injuries.
- Life your mood.
- Improve your immune function.
- Increase oxygen supply to the tissues.
- Heighten sexual functioning and fulfilment.
- Help promote psychological composure.
- Promote spiritual wellbeing.
As you stretch and strengthen your muscles you improve your circulation, digestion and breathing and because every part of your body is connected, as you improve the functioning of any one organ or system you can improve the overall function of your body.
Kristy Ramirez is a health food fanatic and freelance writer for Life Insurance Finder Australia where writes about everything from critical illness insurance to trauma insurance.