(Taken from the website: http://kitchen.robbiehaf.com/HomeRemedies)

ACNE, BLACKHEADS, AND PIMPLES: Application of fresh mint juice over face every night cures pimples and prevents dryness of the skin OR Mix equal amounts of lemon juice and rose water. Apply on face and keep for 1/2 hour. 15-20 days of this application helps cure pimples and also removes blemishes and scars OR A couple of garlic cloves, crushed and rubbed on the face 1-2 times a day OR Apply fresh lemon juice on the affected area overnight. Wash off with warm water next morning. For acne that hasn't seemed to respond to anything: Use 2-3 tsp. dried basil leaves to 1 cup boiling water. Steep 10-20 minutes. Cool, and apply with cotton ball.

ANEMIA: Avoid drinking tea and coffee immediately after meals as the tannin present in these interferes in the absorption of iron from the food. Take freshly prepared apple juice an hour before meals or just before retiring for the night. For proper absorption of the juice, remember the stomach should be relatively empty when you have the juice and also do not take anything for about half an hour after the juice. Have a ripe banana with 1 Tbls. honey, 1-2 times a day. Foods rich in iron: honey, almonds, bananas, apricots, raisins, lettuce or salad leaves, onion, spinach, grapes, tomatoes, carrots, gooseberry, beet roots, apples, pomegranate. Have plenty of them if you are anemic.

ANIMAL BITES: Mix equal quantities of castor oil and lime juice. Massage the affected area with this mixture. Also drink 1 cup warm water mixed with lime juice and honey.

ARTHRITIS: A daily serving of fresh fish or fish oil capsules helps to give relief of arthritis and other aches and pains.

ASTHMA: Mix 1 tsp. honey with 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and take it at night before going to bed.

BAD BREATH: Boil some cinnamon in a cup of water. Store it in a clean bottle in your bathroom. Use it as a mouthwash frequently. Parsley leaves are rich in chlorophyll, nature's own deodorizer. Chew some leaves regularly and your breath will remain fresh. Alternatively, you can chew some cardamom seeds to sweeten your breath.

BLADDER INFECTION: Take a bag of fresh or frozen cranberries and boil them in water (they will fall apart). Cool and drink. Don't add sugar! This remedy is also useful for people with kidney problems.

BLADDER STONES: Boil 2 figs in 1 cup of water. Drink daily for a month.

BRUISES: Slice a raw onion and place over the bruise. Do not apply this to broken skin.

COLD AND FLU: A delicious recipe for a cold or flu! Cut up 6 cloves of garlic and saute in oil, being careful not to let them burn. Add a quart of stock (such as beef), and let it come to a boil for just a few moments. Then lower the heat. Separate two eggs and add the whites to the hot liquid, stirring rapidly. Mix the yolks with two Tbls. vinegar and then pour them in. Add salt and pepper if you want and some croutons, if handy.

CONSTIPATION (IN ADULTS): Take a hot glass of water with 1 tsp. honey and juice of 1/2 a lemon first thing in the morning. Drink 1 litre of water first thing in the morning. Consume approximatly 250-300 grams of fresh grapes every day. Simply eat a few liquorice sticks. One of its many properties is that it is a natural laxative.

CONSTIPATION (IN SMALL CHILDREN): Soak 6-8 raisins in hot water (depending on the age). When cool, crush well and strain. When given routinely even to little infants, it helps to regulate bowel movement (however care should be taken - so as not to give too much otherwise the child will get loose motions. Bulk forming vegetables like carrots, radish, spinach, or cabbage should be consumed. Instead of juice always opt for eating the fruit.

COUGHS AND ASTHMA: Make a garlic tincture by placing three to four peeled buds in brandy. Steep this in a dark closet for 14 days. Use several drops at a time, several times a day for coughs or asthma. Garlic is an exceptional cleanser for the body and has antimicrobial action similar to other antibiotics.

DAMAGED, DRY HAIR: A nourishing conditioner for dry or damaged hair which can be used for all hair types: Separate the white of an egg from the yolk, whip it to a peak. Add 1 Tbls. water to the yolk and blend until the mixture is creamy. Then mix the white and yolk together. Wet your hair with warm water, remove the excess moisture, and apply the mixture to your scalp with your fingertips. Massage gently until the froth is worked into your scalp, then rinse the hair with cool water. Keep applying the mixture until it is used up and then rinsed until all of the egg is washed away.

DANDRUFF: The vinegar is poured into the hair, massaged into the scalp, and left to dry for a few minutes. Then the hair is washed. The process is repeated daily until the dandruff disappears, usually within a few days.

DARK CIRCLES AROUND EYES: Take 1 tsp. tomato juice, 1/2 tsp. lemon juice, a pinch of turmeric powder and a tsp. of flour. Make a paste and apply. Leave for 10 minutes and wash off.

DEPRESSION: 3/4 cup of cooked spinach a day is enough to give dramatic relief from depression if you are deficient in B vitamins.
(EDIT: or, just enjoy a B*o*d*mary............just kidding!)


DIARRHEA: Eat boiled sweet potatoes seasoned with salt and pepper before bedtime to cure chronic diarrhea. (Edit don't forget your diapers)


DRY SKIN: Combine 1 cup oatmeal, 1 cup warm water, 1 Tbls. vanilla extract, and 1/2 cup baking soda in a blender or food processor until you have a smooth paste. Pour this paste under the running water while drawing the bath. Very soothing to dry, itchy skin.

EARACHE: Steep 1-2 tsp. chamomile flowers in boiling water for 10-15 minutes. Strain out the water, and apply the hot flowers in a cloth for alleviation of the earache.

ECZEMA: Rub a nutmeg against a smooth stone slab with a little water and make a paste. Apply on affected parts. (Note: It is believed by some rural, old fashioned practitioners that instead of water, one's own early morning saliva can be used for better results.)

ENERGIZER: Energizing Mead recipe: Simmer 1 cup honey and 3 cup water together slowly. Allow 1 cup of the water to evaporate. Strain off the top surface, and put the remaining liquid into a stoneware crock or dark bottle. Put a towel over it so it can breathe, yet be free of dirt. Place in a cool place. You can add cinnamon, clove, or the juice of 2 lemons, if you like.

EYE PROBLEMS: For Hydromel, an eye lotion, simmer 1 cup water and 1 tsp. honey for 5 minutes. Dip a cloth in the liquid and apply to the closed eye.

FACIAL CLEANSER: Mix 2 Tbls. cornstarch, 2 Tbls. glycerin, and 1/2 cup water until smooth. Heat in a small pan placed in a water bath inside another pan. Heat until thick and clear; it will have the consistency of pudding. Do not boil. Cool completely, Use in place of soap to cleanse your skin. (If mixture is too thick, you may thin it by adding a little water, 1 Tbls. at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.)

FATIGUE: Take a glass of grapefruit and lemon juice in equal parts to dispel fatigue and general tiredness after a day's work.

GUM IN HAIR: Soak the gum-coated hair in Coke® and it should wipe out easily.

HAIR LIGHTENER: To lighten hair, use 1/4 cup chopped fresh rhubarb to 2 cups boiling water. Cool, strain, and apply as a rinse.

HANG-OVER: Eat honey on crackers. The fructose in the honey will help to flush out the alcohol in your system.

HAY FEVER: Steep 1 tsp. fenugreek seed in 1 cup water, covered, for 10 minutes. Drink 1 cup a day to help hay fever symptoms.

HEADACHE: Eat 10-12 almonds, the equivalent of two aspirins, for a migraine headache. Almonds are far less likely to upset the stomach.

HICCUPS: Drink 1/2 glass water, slowly. Keep a tsp. of sugar in your month and suck slowly. Suck 2-3 small pieces of fresh ginger. This helps in hiccups which keep occurring again and again. OR Take a large mouthful of water with out swallowing, plug both ears, and slowly begin to swallow the water. Unplug your ears and you're hiccup free! (Submitted by Mrs T. Falkmann)

HICKEY: Coat area liberally with lotion. Rub with the back of a cold spoon vigorously for as long as you can stand to, changing out spoon for new cold one every 10 minutes. Recommended time for this treatment is 45-60 minutes.(EDIT: Takes longer to get rid of hickey than getting it!)


INSECT BITES: Mix water with cornstarch into a paste and apply. This is effective in drawing out the poisons of most insect bites and is also an effective remedy for diaper rash. (Edit: Better to live. See a doc!)


MORNING SICKNESS: Mix 1 tsp. each fresh juice of mint and lime, and 1 Tbls. honey. Take 3 times a day.

MOSQUITO BITES: Apply lime juice diluted with water on bites with cotton ball.

MUCUS IN COUGH: Pour 1 cup boiling water over 1/2 tsp. each of ginger, ground cloves, and cinnamon. Filter. Sweeten with 1 tsp. honey and drink.

MUSCLE CRAMPS: Apply clove oil on the affected body parts.

NAUSEA: Boil 1/2 cup of rice in 1 cup of water froabout 10-20 minutes. After it is boiled, drain the water into a cup and sip at the rice water until symptoms are gone.

OBESITY: Mix lime juice with honey and water; drink a glass of this every morning OR Mix 3 tsp. lime juice, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, 1 tsp. honey, and 1 cup water; drink a glass a day for 3 months OR Mix 1 tsp. lime juice with 1 cup water and drink each morning OR Eat a tomato before breakfast. (Edit: Don't then go and gorge on a fat-heavy breakfast!)


OILY SKIN: For oily skin, mix 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal, 1 egg white, 1 Tbls. lemon juice, and 1/2 cup mashed apple into a smooth paste. Apply to face and leave on 15 minutes. Rinse.

OVERWEIGHT: Effective at getting rid of fat, drink up to 3 cups of green tea daily. Regular tea can also be used with a lesser effect.

PAIN RELIEVER: Mix 3 Tbls. of honey in boiled water and drink. Honey has natural pain-relieving powers.

SMELLY FEET: Soak feet in strong tea for 20 minutes every day until the smell disappears. To prepare your footbath, brew two tea bags in 2 1/2 cups of water for 15 minutes and pour the tea into a basin containing two litres of cool water. (Edit:Throw this liquid away. Use fresh tea/water for a cuppa)


SMOKING HABIT: Lick a little salt with the tip of your tongue whenever you feel the urge to smoke. This is said to break the habit within 1 month. (EDIT:Yeah, right!)


SORE THROAT: Mix 1 tsp. lime juice and 1 Tbls. honey. Swallow tiny amounts slowly 2-3 times a day.

SPLINTERS: Lay scotch tape over the splinter and pull off. Or, soak the area in vegetable oil for a few minutes before removing with tweezers.

STOMACH ACHE: A simple cure for a stomachache is to dissolve 4 grams of ground cinnamon in 1 cup of warm water, cover it for 15 minutes, and drink it like tea. This remedy can also ease diarrhea and flatulence (Edit: Never realised these were flat!..not G-major!)


STOMACH ACIDITY: Drink coconut water 3-4 times a day. Have a plateful of watermelon and/or cucumber every hour.

SUNBURN: Mix 2 tsp. tomato juice and 4 Tbls. buttermilk. Apply. Wash after 1/2 hour.

TOOTHACHE & MOUTH PAIN: To ease toothache or other mouth pain, make a tea by boiling 5 grams of fresh peppermint in 1 cup water and adding a little salt. Peppermint is an antiseptic and contains menthol, which relieves pain when applied to skin surfaces.

VARICOSE VEINS: For varicose veins, take 2-3 tsp. black strap molasses daily. This also treats all kinds of circulatory ailments.

VOMITING AND NAUSEA: Sucking a piece of ice controls vomiting. Eat 1/2 tsp. ground cumin seeds. Cinnamon and sliced ginger work by interrupting nausea signals sent from the stomach to the brain. If you are a herbal tea drinker, simply sprinkle cinnamon on the tea and drink. To make ginger tea, simmer a few slices of ginger in hot tea water.

WARTS: Try taping a slice of garlic to the wart. Be sure to first protect the surrounding skin with petroleum jelly.

WEAK NAILS: To strengthen and shine nails, combine 2 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. castor oil, and 1 tsp. wheat germ oil and mix thoroughly. Pour into bottle. Shake before using. To use, rub a small amount into your nails. Leave on 3-5 minutes and tissue off. Follow up with more plain castor oil, if desired.

WRINKLES & SKIN FRESHENER: Combine 2 Tbls. vodka, 1 Tbls. fennel seeds, and 1 1/2 tsp. honey. Stir well and allow to sit for 3 days. Strain mixture. Use full strength or add 2 Tbls. water to dilute. Use a cotton ball to apply to face as a toner. This was also a tried and true recipe for wrinkles. Also for wrinkles, apply coconut oil on the portions of skin and face where wrinkles set in and gently massage every night at bed time.

YELLOW TEETH: Mix salt with finely powdered rind of lime. Use this as toothpowder frequently.

http://kitchen.robbiehaf.com/HomeRemedies.html#1

Although there may well be one or two `old wives tales` in amongst that lot, You can bet there`s a lot to be said about many of them.

Geoff

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Good ones, Jojo.

There's just one I'd vote to add to your "better-to-live-see-the-doctor" category along with insect bites, and that's Animal Bites! "Back then" it may have been the only way to go; today, there are much better choices.

And for hair lightening, a couple items you mentioned in other categories are good for that as well:
** Vinegar
** Lemon juice

Didn't realize that vinegar also helps dandruff.

Terri

Wonderful information Jojo.
I also agree that some situations are best dealt with by a trip to the emergency room.
A home remedy that I will add is my poison ivy treatment.
I cover the area with liquid antibacterial soap. (The one I use also contains tea tree oil.) Rinse off with cold water then cover the area liberally with liquid milk of magnesia. The milk of magnesia seems to stop the itching and absorp any oozing. The site usually dries up within a day. However if you are experiencing swelling or difficulty breathing race to the emergency room then use the milk of magnesia.

There is a difference in the uses of vinegar and apple cider vinegar, the later is known for weight loss, digestion and multiple other uses.
As to Terri's suggestion for hair lightening, my Mom always recommended vinegar to bring out reddish-auburn highlights, and lemon juice for blondes. Lemon juice can also be used to remove garlic and onion smell from your hands and leave them soft.
For shiny hair, at the end of your shampoo and/or conditioning, rinse you hair with cool to cold water for a few moments.

golddust

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I have one to add for a Sore Throat.
Hot salt water, the hotter and saltier the better! Gargle 3-4 times throughout the day. It works!

Something I heard is that if you burn or scald yourself you should put margerine or butter on. Some people look for creams to rub on the affected area. But, these are BAD suggestions!

The first thing to do is to cool the area down as quickly as possible, preferably by running cold water over the scald or burn for as long as you can stand it. That way some of the heat is taken away from the skin, with less chance of damage to the skin, particularly important with a severe burn.

Then, depending on the severity of the injury medical attention may need to be sought. But, if initial action to cool the area isn`t taken quickly enough it will cause more discomfort, and possibly damage, later on.

Geoff

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Rinsing with cold running water does a number of things that are good for burns. If the burn was caused by something hot like grease hitting the skin running water gets the offending stuff off so it won't cause more damage plus removing any germs that might have been on the skin so they don't get a chance to penetrate the damaged skin.
After cooling the burned area fresh aloe vera leaf gel will help with healing process. The best stuff I hae ever used on burns is the Willard Water as a compress over the site. As long as I kept it wet with the Willard Water it did not hurt.

For cold sores apply nail polish remover to the cold sore. It should dry up in 2-3 days.

Hives respond well to being covered by liquid milk of magnesia to stop the itching. Eating green olives seems to clear them away.

Gall stone problems can be helped by taking on an empty stomach a quarter cup of olive oil mixed with a quarter cup grapefruit juice for 2 weeks. To prevent a recurrence of gall blatter attacks take a maintenance dose of 2 tablespoons of olive oil daily.

This is a new one to me, one of the long-term sufferers of cold sores, although as I ve got older I seem to get them less and less.

The only thing that I`ve tried that really does work is this stuff, Zovirax, which I get in a cream. Until I `Googled` it I didn`t even realize that it was available in other forms such as tablets.
It`s quite expensive really, but it works for me. Nail varnish remover? A lot cheaper I must admit.

Geoff

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Hi Geoff,
I have a sneaking suspicion that some red/black/purple/blue or green
lipstick applied on your lips might do the trick. Why not try it? You never know!

joj, I`m trying to keep that a secret!

It`s the mascara I have trouble with.

Geoff

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LOL!! And here is another brainwave...While you are experimenting with the nail polish, why not try some shoe polish too? You never know!

[QUOTE=forwardone

..........as I ve got older I seem to get less and less.


Geoff[/QUOTE]
Humm!..Interesting!

Personally, I prefer the green lipstick. The blue just never looked right.

Geoff

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Garlic is a member of the lily family closely related to onions and leeks. Garlic has been cultivated for thousands of years for its therapeutic benefits by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Indians and Chinese. Primary use of Garlic was as a treatment for headaches, weakness & fatigue, wounds, sores and infections. It was regarded as a physically enhancing tonic, and was used by the first Olympic athletes as an energizer.

There is one study which suggests that high doses of Garlic might also increase physical endurance. Researchers wanted to see if Garlic could protect heart muscles against a toxic drug. They injected rats with the heart-damaging drug isoproterenol. One group of these rats got Garlic in their diet for a week prior to the injection with the drug. Another group got the drug, too, but no Garlic. The Garlic-fed rats withstood the effects of the drug far better than the rats that didn't get Garlic. The Garlic-protected rats showed their greater physical endurance by swimming an average of 840 seconds before and 560 seconds after the drug injection. The rats that didn't get Garlic could swim only an average of 480 seconds before and only 78 seconds after injection. At autopsy, far fewer lesions were found in the heart muscles of the Garlic-supplemented rats than in the muscles of the control rats.

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is sometimes called a vegetable. It can be cooked and eaten by itself as a delicious food. It is more commonly a spice or herb used in recipes all around the world. Garlic is in fact part of the onion family and is one of nature's most versatile medicinal plants. There are a few different types, with the most recognizable being the Regular Garlic and the Elephant Garlic. The regular garlic is what most people use and comes in a white or purplish variety. The Elephant Garlic is a lot bigger and a little milder in taste. It can also be cooked and eaten by itself. Some of the types of foods that are more commonly known to use garlic are Italian, Chinese, and other Oriental cooking. Use of garlic can be traced all the way to Central Asia.

Not only is garlic used for cooking, it is also used in the garden. Used in the garden? What is meant by that? Well, a lot of organic gardeners use garlic to ward off many insects, because it's strong odor is a natural repellent. This is also why garlic was believed to have the power to ward off demons and vampires.

Garlic is a very hardy plant and is quite simple and easy to grow. Just about anybody and everybody can grow it. As long as it is planted in any slightly rich soil, and is in a partly to mostly sunny location, it will thrive. One of the great features of growing garlic is that it takes up little space. This makes it even easier to grow and incorporate into a garden. Whether it is a vegetable or flower garden you probably have the room for it.

Garlic is great for many things. The one thing we have not mentioned yet and could be one of the most important is the medicinal uses. It has been used for centuries, since ancient times, to treat a wide variety of ails. Today, it is the most popular herbal cure-all.

Studies have shown that taking garlic can help reduce cholesterol. One study said that eating one-half to one full clove of garlic a day reduced cholesterol levels by 9%. Another study, sponsored by the American Heart Association, suggests that garlic may help maintain the elasticity of aging blood vessels. Over time, blood vessels lose their stretchiness and harden, causing elderly people to have high blood pressure. In this study, the average garlic intake was a little less than half a clove per day.

There is other research out there that suggests it aids in reducing cardiovascular disease, cancer prevention, and even some suggest that it may help to relieve cold and flu symptoms. Some other studies have shown garlic may lower high blood pressure, prevent and stop the growth of certain bacteria, serve as a diuretic, and help in the long-term treatment of intermittent claudication (restricted leg blood flow that causes pain while walking).

Even though their is a lot of promising research out there, it is not recommended you eat garlic cloves or start taking garlic supplements. More research needs to be done and there is little control over the garlic supplement market. When you buy garlic pills, there is no way to be sure if you getting exactly what you are wanting. It is highly recommended that you consult your professional health care provider before taking garlic supplements.

If you are taking any sort of blood thinning ********** or regularly take aspirin, consult with your health care professional before taking garlic supplements. Garlic has anticoagulant properties, basically meaning that it thins the blood.

Who eats garlic?

Garlic was worshipped by the ancient Egyptians, chewed by Greek Olympian atheletes and thought to be essential for keeping vampires at bay! But it is also good for zapping bacteria, keeping your heart healthy, warding off coughs and colds - and don't worry it needn't give you bad breath!

New research shows that taking garlic during pregnancy can cut the risk of pre-eclampsia (raised blood pressure and protein retained in the urine). Studies reveal that garlic may help to boost the birth-weight of babies destined to be too small.

Garlic is the only antibiotic that can actually kill infecting bacteria and at the same time protect the body from the poisons that are causing the infection. It is known that the most sensitive bacterium to garlic is the deadly Bacillus anthracis which produces the poison anthrax. Even the forefather of antibiotic medicine Louis Pasteur acknowledged garlic to be as effective as penicillin and late studies showed similar activity to a more modern antibiotic, chloramphenicol. Even the blood of garlic eaters can kill bacteria and it is also reported that the vapour from freshly cut garlic can kill bacteria at a distance of 20 cms!! Another once common, and apparently returning disease, tuberculosis was treated with garlic very successfully as the invading organism Mycobacterium tuberculosis is sensitive to several of the sulphur components found in garlic.

Garlic and Impotence

Garlic has always been known as an aphrodisiac and from a medical point of view it can improve blood circulation significantly. Now it appears that an enzyme called nitric oxide synthase (NOS) is primarily responsible for the mechanism of erection. Studies have recently shown that garlic in certain forms can stimulate the production of NOS particularly in individuals who have low levels of this enzyme.

on the results of a four-year clinical study which found that

garlic helps prevent and, in some cases, even reverse plaque

build-up in the arteries. Arterial plaque is known to be a

risk factor for heart disease and stroke. The study, which

took place in Berlin, Germany, is the longest ever to be

conducted on heart attack risk reduction using a dietary

supplement. Based on the ‘heartening’ results of this study

and more than 20 others, researchers believe that powdered

garlic may have both a preventative and a curative role to