Home Remedies, very useful for daily life - I

This was sent to me by a friend, Posting it here to help others :

ACNE, BLACKHEADS, AND PIMPLES:

Dab a small amount of toothpaste (paste, not gel) on pimples before bed; this helps dry out the pimples. Mix equal amounts of lemon juice and rose water, apply to face with a cotton ball, and allow to sit for 30 minutes before rinsing. 15-20 days of this application helps cure pimples and also helps to remove blemishes and scars. 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, steep 2-3 tsp. dried basil leaves in 1 cup boiling water for 10-20 minutes, cool, and apply to affected area with a cotton ball.


ANEMIA:

Avoid drinking tea (regular, not herbal varieties) and coffee immediately after meals, as the tannin present in these interferes in the absorption of iron from the food. Drink a cup of herbal tea mixed with 1/4 cup blackstrap molasses each day. This provides 80% of the iron needed in one day. Foods high in iron: lean beef, lean pork, skinned poultry, shellfish, fish, liver, organ meats, egg yolks, pinto, kidney, lima, navy, chick peas, black-eyed peas, lentils, split peas, green peas, spinach, kale, collards, beet greens, chard, broccoli, raisins, prunes, figs, dates, dried peaches, dried apricots, nuts, peanut butter, whole grain breads.

Your body absorbs iron from meats easier than fruits and vegetables. To aid in the absorption of iron from fruits and vegetables, eat them with a good source of vitamin C.


ARTHRITIS:

A daily serving of fresh fish or fish oil capsules helps to give relief of arthritis and other joint pains. 3-4 walnuts eaten daily, on an empty stomach, will help.


ASTHMA:

Mix 1 tsp. honey with 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and take it at night before going to bed. Avoid taking aspirin, as this may invoke an asthma attack.


BAD BREATH:

Boil some cinnamon bark 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. 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:

Here is a delicious recipe for a cold and flu soup: Sauté 6 crushed cloves of garlic in 1 tsp. vegetable oil until golden. Pour in a quart of beef or chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and whisk in 2 egg whites. Beat together 2 egg yolks and 2 Tbls. distilled white vinegar; pour this mixture into the soup. Season with salt and pepper and top with croutons, if desired.


CONSTIPATION (IN ADULTS):

Eat a few black licorice sticks. Take apple pectin.Make sure you're getting enough Folic Acid in your diet. Drinking ginger tea will help start a bowel movement.


CONSTIPATION (IN SMALL CHILDREN):

Soak 6-8 raisins in hot water. When cool, crush well and strain. When given routinely even to little infants, it helps to regulate bowel movement.


COUGHS AND ASTHMA:

Steep 3-4 cloves of garlic in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks. 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:

Pour distilled white vinegar onto the hair, as close to the scalp as you can manage; massage into the scalp; and allow to dry for several minutes before washing as usual. Repeat daily until the dandruff disappears, usually within a few days.


DARK CIRCLES AROUND EYES:

Make a paste out of 1 tsp. tomato juice, 1/2 tsp.. lemon juice, a pinch of turmeric powder, and 1 tsp. of flour. Apply around eyes. Leave on for 10 minutes before rinsing.


DEPRESSION:

3/4 cup of cooked spinach a day is enough to give dramatic relief from depression if you are deficient in B vitamins.


DIARRHEA:

Eat boiled sweet potatoes seasoned with salt and pepper before bedtime to cure chronic diarrhea.


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 whole 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:

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:

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:

Only 2 remedies have I ever know to actually work. The first listed makes the most sense, since a hiccough is simply a spasm of the diaphragm, and you need to disrupt this spasm. The second offers no rhyme or reason, but works nonetheless. Breath in as deeply as you can, then exhale as hard as you can; repeat 10 times; when exhaling the last time, keep the air pushed out, not taking another breath for as long as you can stand. This normally works the first try, but repeat if necessary. Be sure to sit down when doing this. This is a remedy only feasible when sitting at a bar. Have the bartender fill a small glass with club soda. Light a match and drop it, then drink the water quickly (being careful not to drink the match). It works, but I don't know why! 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. 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!
Eat a heaping teaspoon of peanut butter all at once.


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. Why it works: a hickey is a bruise; the discoloration of a bruise is caused by blood accumulating under the skin from broken capillaries; this remedy breaks up the old blood so it can be reabsorbed by the body more quickly, therefore diminished the discoloration.
Rub white toothpaste over the hickey, allow to dry, and later, wipe it off with a warm facecloth. After a few applications, the hickey will be faded. Do not use gel toothpaste.


More to follow .....

Ayurvedic Herbs ... More

Hardh

Latin Name
Terminalia chebula

Sanskrit Name
Haritaki

Hindi Name
Hardh

English Name
Chebulic Myrobalans, Indian Gallnut

Parts Used

Fruit (not a nut). Each plant and part has a different therapeutic value and must be prepared in its own way for maximum benefits. This tree is found wild in the forests of northern and central India, Bengal, Madras, Mysore, and the southern Bombay Presidency.

Traditional Ayurvedic Uses

• Haritaki is known as a top-notch rasayana fruit in ayurveda. It is traditionally said to be as safe and nurturing as mother's milk.
• It detoxifies and nourishes all the dhatus (body tissues).
• In combination with Emblic Myroblans and Beleric Myrobalans, it forms the famous ayurvedic remedy Triphala.
• There are six tastes in ayurveda -- sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astrigent. Haritaki contains five out of the six tastes -- all except salty. So it is a rasayana suitable for everyone.
• There are seven varieties of Haritaki, and Vijaya is considered the superior variety of this fruit. Maharishi Ayurveda formulations are all prepared with the Vijaya variety for the best rasayana value.
• Haritaki is considered good for constipation and has antioxidant properties. It has positive effects on the hair, skin, eyes and liver.

Jatamashi

Latin Name
Nardostachys jatamansi

Sanskrit Name
Jatamansi

Hindi Name
Jatamashi

English Name
Muskroot, Indian Spikenard, (Indian Valerian -- informal)

Parts Used

Rhizome, rhizome oil. Each plant and part has a different therapeutic value and must be prepared in its own way for maximum benefits. Only found at high altitudes (from 10,000 to 17,000 feet) in India, Bhutan, and Sikkim.

Traditional Ayurvedic Uses

• Famous in ayurveda as an herb to combat the effects of day-to-day stress. It has the property of enhancing the body's innate ability to sleep well.
• It is considered a holy or "divine" plant in ayurveda and has traditionally been used as an air purifier. Charaka's ayurvedic text recommends it highly for insomnia, mental instability and to enhance memory.
• It is said to promote growth and maintain the color of hair.

Manduki

Latin Name
Centella asiatica, Hydrocotyle asiatica

Sanskrit Name
Mandukaparni

Hindi Name
Manduki

English Name
Gotu-Kola, Indian Pennywort

Parts Used

Whole herb. Every plant has a different therapeutic value and must be prepared in its own way for maximum benefits. Mandukaparni can be found around the world in shaded, watery places.

Traditional Ayurvedic Uses

• Mandukaparni acts as a powerful brain food, and is known for its ability to enhance mind power (Medhya Rasayana effect). It supports and improves all aspects of mental functioning, including comprehension (Dhi), memory (Dhriti) and recollection (Smriti). It is important because it coordinates these three aspects of mind power to develop the full potential of the mind.
• Mandukaparni has a very valuable and saught-after Vayasthapana effect, meaning that it helps retard the aging process. It is excellent for both internal and topical application. French scientists recently did some breakthrough research to show it stimulates synthesis of collagen, for powerful anti-aging effects for the skin.
• Mandukaparni nourishes the mind-body connection and enhances the psychoneuro immune (PNI) response.
• Mandukaparni supports the formation of quality blood (Rakta Dhatu), as well as the bone marrow and nerves (Majja Dhatu).

Manjit

Latin Name
Rubia cordifolia

Sanskrit Name
Manjistha

Hindi Name
Manjit

English Name
Indian Madder / Bengal Madder

Parts Used

Root. Each plant has a different therapeutic value and must be prepared in its own way for maximum benefits. This climbing plant is found in the northwest Himalayas and hilly districts of India.

Traditional Ayurvedic Uses

• Manjistha supports the formation of quality nutrient plasma (Rasa Dhatu), blood (Rakta Dhatu), and fat (Meda Dhatu).

Nimb

Latin Name
Azadirachta indica, Melia azadirachta

Sanskrit Name
Nimba

Hindi Name
Nimb

English Name
Neem

Parts Used

Entire plant, leaf, bark. Each part has a different therapeutic value and must be prepared in its own way for maximum benefits. This tree can be found nearly all over India.

Traditional Ayurvedic Uses

• There are several bitter tonics in ayurveda which help detoxification and help enhance the immune system, and Neem is one of the best. Neem helps detoxify the liver and skin and has anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.