Health Tips

Cherries for Jet Lag

• Jet lag got you yawning after a long flight? Grab a handful of cherries! This juicy fruit is oozing with melatonin, a hormone (also created by your body) that regulates sleep patterns. So next time you're feeling a little sleepy while sightseeing, enjoy this sweet snack to help your circadian rhythm get back on track.

Peppermint for IBS

• Peppermint does more that cure bad breath. According to the Mayo Clinic, "Peppermint is a natural antispasmodic that relaxes the smooth muscles in the intestines." It is said that this herb (make sure to take the enteric-coated capsule form of peppermint) may provide relief from irritable bowl syndrome (IBS) symptoms

Yogurt for IBS

• Yogurt is another handy kitchen cure for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms. It has been suggested that those with IBS lack sufficient probiotics, the “good” bacteria that live in your intestines. Yogurt is jam-packed with them, so increasing your consumption of this dairy product may help reduce your symptoms.

Licorice for Cold Sores

• You can moisturize and medicate, but cold sores take time to heal up. You might as well enjoy speeding up the process, with a little bit of licorice. The fake candy stuff won't do, so don’t gorge on processed snacks that use anise instead of licorice. Licorice root and pure licorice from a gourmet shop provide some of the tools your body can use to heal those sores. The acid that gives it sweetness is also known to treat sores. Try eating just a piece or two, sprinkling some licorice powder directly on the sore or mixing licorice powder with pure vegetable shortening and applying the concoction to the sore, says Discovery Health. Be careful, though - ingesting or applying large amounts of pure licorice to your skin can be dangerous, so make sure you use it sparingly.

Mouthwash for Lice

• When you're dealing with lice, you need to get rid of them, and fast! Mouthwash may sound strange, but it’ll ease the itching and the alcohol content will help remove the lice from your scalp. Just lean back, pour some through your hair, cover with a shower cap, and let it soak for one-and-a-half to two hours. Have someone help you, because the major caution here is to avoid getting any in your eyes.

Black Tea for Burns

• If you have a serious burn, you need serious treatment. See a medical professional for any major injury. But if you burned yourself on a hot plate or your hand had a quick encounter with the iron, remember that tea can be soothing – even if you don't drink it. Soak two or three bags of black tea in lukewarm water, or heat them in hot water and then let them cool, and then relax with the bags on the burns for about 20 minutes. The wounds will still need time to heal, but the tannic acid in the tea leaves will absorb the heat and ease your pain.

Teabags for Puffy Eyes

• Tea will also help if you're particularly puffy around the eyes, especially during allergy season. Black, green, red and white tea, which is made from tea leaves (not herbal tea), contain particles called tannins, which can shrink living tissue. By placing teabags around your eyes, the tannin particles tighten the skin cells around your eyes, constricting the skin and reducing the puffiness. You need to be very careful around the eyes, so be absolutely sure you've given the teabags time to cool. One cold bag over each eye for even just 10 or 15 minutes can ease the swelling and discomfort. Think of it as your DIY spa treatment – you may even notice your skin feeling and looking healthier after a little tea time.

Toothpaste for Acne

• You don't have to be a teenager to be bothered by a bout of acne. Right there in the bathroom is your home solution: your tube of toothpaste. It’s a drying agent and can absorb some of the oil, but bleach and baking soda can burn a bit, so avoid those products. Dab a little bit on your zit and leave for 20 to 30 minutes. If you feel any burning, wash it off. And don't try this one if you already have dry skin — the ingredients in toothpaste can dry you out even more. Instead, just soak a face towel in warm water and put the compress over your pimple for 20 minutes, two or three times a day. Once in the morning and once before bed should do the trick.

Meat Tenderizer for Bee Stings

• A bee sting is never pleasant, for the young and old alike. Ease the itching, pain and swelling with meat tenderizer (the spice — not the mallet!). The papain enzyme in meat tenderizer helps your body go after the bee venom and will quickly get you past the pain.

Honey for Cuts and Scrapes

• Honey would work on the bee sting too – in fact honey's powers border on magical and it's a common home remedy for many problems. For cuts and scrapes, the enzymes and antioxidants in honey have antibacterial properties, acting as an antiseptic that will help you heal faster. First and foremost, major cuts require careful cleaning and antibacterial treatment. After that, healing honey will work wonders.

Beverages for Nausea

• Ginger should be your go-to for nausea. Small sips of ginger ale, ginger crackers or ginger tea can neutralize stomach acid and relax your muscles. But if you don't want the bubbles of ginger ale, leave some dark cola out for about an hour until it's flat. Another option is 100 percent cranberry juice. If it’s too tart, dilute it down with water (just skip the cranberry juice cocktails that contain little juice and mostly sugar).

Cinnamon for Hypertension

• A little bit of cinnamon helps your blood flow and improves the way insulin and sugar move through your bloodstream. Overall, it can help lower your blood pressure, so add a dash to your coffee, applesauce or hot cereal. Even just a sprinkle a day will make a difference. Or brew tea using cinnamon sticks. If you're suffering from serious hypertension, cinnamon can't do it on its own, so don't ignore your doctor's advice or any blood pressure prescriptions.

Lavender Oil for Bug Bites

• More and more people are using lavender oil as an antiseptic, and its healing powers seem to be getting stronger with more research. A small dab of lavender oil on that nasty mosquito bite will stop the itch. Unlike many other home remedies, this one will even leave you with a pleasant scent. (Take that, mayo and meat tenderizer!)

Tea Tree Oil for Preventing Bug Bites

• If you'll be outside for a while and want to avoid the insect bites in the first place, try spreading a little tea tree oil around your porch, patio or campsite. It'll work as a bug blocker, creating a perimeter of natural pesticide that will keep insects away.

Warm Milk for Sound Sleep

• Warm milk is the go-to choice for insomniacs. The soothing effect of warm milk can help relax you, while the protein in milk helps create sleep-inducing tryptophan. The carbohydrates in milk make tryptophan more available to the brain where it is converted first to serotonin and then to melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep. But if you're lactose intolerant, you're not out of luck. Honey is a mild sedative so it can help here too. Try spreading a bit of honey on whole wheat toast with peanut butter for a similar protein-carb sleep aid.

Chili Peppers for Arthritis and Inflammation

• Capsaicin is what gives chili peppers their kick, but if you can take the heat, capsaicin will also ease arthritis pain. It may even help with psoriasis, nerve damage caused by diabetes (diabetic neuropathy) and other chronic pain. It's best as a topical treatment, but eating a chili pepper a day will keep your pain at bay. Don't have too many, or you'll trade joint pain for heartburn and stomach aches.

Cold Milk for Spicy Mouth

• Whether from chili peppers, spicy Thai food or smoky salsa, you’ve no doubt experienced a five-alarm fire in your mouth. Resist the instinct to reach for a glass of water — it won’t do anything to ease the pain. Pour a tall glass of cold milk instead. The caseins in milk neutralize the kick of the capsaicin.

Oatmeal Bath for Chickenpox

• Chickenpox is tough on kids, and it's even tougher on adults who have to deal with it. The good news is that the home remedy for the itch is a relaxing solution: a warm oatmeal bath. Add one-half to one cup of oatmeal to a shallow, warm bath and let the soothing start. Limit your soak to 15 minutes; any longer than that will dry out your skin. Skip the towel if you can: Air-drying is less irritating to your skin. An oatmeal bath soak can help ease other itches too, from spider and bug bites to poison oak.

Potatoes for Sunburn

• Oatmeal or baking soda will work for sunburn too, or if you have time you can try a unique solution: potatoes. Wash them, cut them, and liquefy them to create a healing salve. Pat some on your sunburn and leave it on for 20 to 30 minutes or wrap some gauze over the potato solution and leave it on your skin for a little longer. Potatoes are packed with phytochemicals, plant chemicals that can help repair cell damage and protect skin.

Steam for Stuffiness

• If your stuffy nose is keeping you from sleeping or breathing comfortably, let the steam of a warm shower loosen you up. It's better than a humidifier, but it's not always the most eco-friendly idea. Another greener option? Fill a large bowl with hot water, tent the bowl with a towel over your head and take deep breaths. The steam and hot water helps to break up the mucus while moisturizing your nasal passages. Alternatively, try making a homemade saline wash with warm water, one-quarter to one-half teaspoon of salt and a pinch of baking soda. If you don’t have a neti pot, an eye dropper will work. Just squirt six to ten drops in each nostril for relief.

Salt Water for Sore Throat

• When swallowing becomes more of a privilege than an involuntary act, don’t panic – help is just a salty swig away. Fill an eight-ounce glass with warm water, add half a teaspoon of salt and gargle the salt water for 30 seconds. Make sure to tilt your head back so the saline solution reaches your throat. Gargle three or four times a day for lasting relief.

Garlic for Athlete’s Foot

• For the itch and pain of Athlete's foot, go after the fungus with fungus-fighters, like garlic. Sprays and creams can provide some immediate relief, but usually Athlete's foot symptoms come back a few times before they subside more permanently. If you want to make a difference, eat some extra garlic and let your body do the work.

Olive Oil for Dry Skin

• Olive oil is not only good for your heart, it’s great for dry skin. Rub a thin coating on areas of dry skin then wash off in warm (not hot) water.

Sugar for Hiccups

• When it comes to getting rid of those pesky hiccups, you’ve tried it all – holding your breath, drinking water upside down, even having your friend try to jump out of a closet to scare you – but nothing ever seems to work…until now. According to Prevention magazine, swallowing one or two teaspoons of granular sugar resets the irritated nerve that causes the spasm in your diaphragm. Pretty sweet, huh?

Honey for a Cough

• When you’re sick and sleep is the only thing on your mind, nothing is worse than a cough that won’t quit. To hinder that hacking, swallow two teaspoons of honey with a vitamin C supplement right before you hit the sheets. If taken in the early stages of the cough, the vitamin C helps boost your immune system while the honey has been proven to work even better than cough suppressants. Not only does this sweet syrup do the trick, but it tastes better, too. If your kid has a cough, use just one teaspoon of honey, but don’t give honey to children younger than one year. Honey contains spores that cause botulism. An adult's intestinal tract can prevent the growth of these spores, but a baby's GI tract isn’t developed enough to resist.

Black Tea for Foot Odor

• Does the foul stench of your feet keep you from taking off your kicks at the end of a long day? That’s nothing a little black tea can’t fix. For 30 minutes each day, soak your feet in a lukewarm black tea bath. The tannins tighten your skin and close the pores on your feet, not only killing odiferous bacteria, but making your shoes and feet an unsuitable environment for the growth of stinky bacteria. After a few days of foot-bath bliss, you’ll be able to loosen those shoestrings without clearing out the room.

Always Exercise Caution

• If you're ever on the fence about using a home remedy, err on the side of caution and consult a professional. It's never worth skimping on safety. If you have a serious injury or medical condition, your physician's advice wins out over any great home remedy suggestion. If you notice a strange reaction to a home remedy, like a rash or any pain, stop using it immediately. And remember, "If the labels on any home remedies make promises that seem to good to be true, beware,” advises Catherine Ulbricht, PharmD, MBA[c], senior attending pharmacist at Massachusetts General Hospital and chief editor at the Natural Standard Research Collaboration and the Journal of Dietary Supplements. “We haven't encountered any 'magic pills' yet."