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Remedies from the Kitchen
Remedies from the Kitchen
By Amy Bielby
They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away and while this may not be necessarily true, there are in fact foods that can help limit trips to your M.D.
So, the next time your child complains of aches and pains, take a look around the house for these home-remedy ingredients before running off to the doc!
Tea
Teabags are an eyes best friend. Placing cold, used teabags over closed eyelids can help eliminate eye infections such as pink eye and sties. Dipping the teabags in witch hazel can also help irritated peepers. Chamomile tea is great for soothing sunburns. Soak a sponge in cool chamomile tea and rub the problem areas, or put the tea in a spray bottle and give sunburned spots a little spritz
Safety Note: if your child has pollen allergies, you should avoid chamomile tea.
Oatmeal
Sure, when you add a little cinnamon to oatmeal, it can be a yummy breakfast food, but oats are also an excellent way to soothe irritating rashes like poison ivy or chicken pox. A great cure for these itchy afflictions is to have an oatmeal bath. Add a cup of oats to bath water (make sure it isnt instant oatmeal, or you will have a very thick bath!) or place oats into a thin fabric bag and wash over the itchy bumps. Afterwards, create an oatmeal paste with oats and milk and apply it to affected areas.
Potatoes
Some like them mashed and others like them baked, but potatoes have another purpose other than just being a side dish. Raw potato can help cure warts. Slicing up a potato and rubbing it on the wart several times a day will help make the bump disappear. Be sure to throw the potato piece away and do not reuse it, as warts can spread easily.
Cloves
Toothaches can be unbearable, but instead of rushing off to the drugstore to buy the latest product that might not work, use ground cloves to ease the pain. Cloves are a popular item in most spice racks, so there is a good chance youll already have this pain-reliever stashed away. Simply crush them up and apply to the affected tooth. Clove oil also works well, but is less common in households.
Powdered Mustard
Mix powdered mustard with flour, add a little bit of water and make a good paste. Spread the paste on a tea towel or cloth. Then, fold the cloth over and place it on your child??�s chest or throat. The burning of the mustard miraculously helps to stop irksome coughing. Be sure to remove the cloth if skin becomes irritated or burns.
Honey and Lemon
Most kids cringe at the thought of having to drink down bitter, awful cough syrup. The cherry and grape flavors in the store arent all that appetizing after all. Instead of the syrupy sweet stuff, give your child some honey with lemon. It tastes much better and helps to eliminate coughs and soothe sore throats. Adding some onion or garlic is always an option (although they may not be as keen on this addition!).
Onions
Though onions usually make you cry, when it comes to bee stings they may actually help stop the tears. Applying a freshly cut onion to a bee sting or other bug bite helps relieve pain. In a pinch, onions can also be used to treat hives. Steeping some onions and honey together makes an effective cough syrup as well. Breathing in the onion fumes as they are boiling can also help to clear up chest congestion.
Olive Oil
When your child comes to you complaining of an earache, some olive oil just might be the solution. Put a little oil in a container and place the container in boiling water to heat it. Place a few drops of olive oil (you can also use garlic oil) on a cotton ball and place it in the ear, or put a drop or two in the ear and cover with a cotton ball. The cotton should be left on for 10 - 15 minutes. The heat will help to draw out unwanted liquid in the ear.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a miracle substance with all kinds of uses. First, its great for cuts and scrapes. Applying a small amount to the latest skateboarding or biking injury will help fight infection and speed up the healing process. Second, using 3 or 4 drops can help clear up swimmers ear a common problem with the younger set. The vinegar will disinfect and dry the ear out, eliminating itching and pain. Finally, placing a little daub of apple cider vinegar onto a cold sore can help heal it. The vinegar should be applied several times a day to assist with healing.
Remedies from the Kitchen
By Amy Bielby
They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away and while this may not be necessarily true, there are in fact foods that can help limit trips to your M.D.
So, the next time your child complains of aches and pains, take a look around the house for these home-remedy ingredients before running off to the doc!
Tea
Teabags are an eyes best friend. Placing cold, used teabags over closed eyelids can help eliminate eye infections such as pink eye and sties. Dipping the teabags in witch hazel can also help irritated peepers. Chamomile tea is great for soothing sunburns. Soak a sponge in cool chamomile tea and rub the problem areas, or put the tea in a spray bottle and give sunburned spots a little spritz
Safety Note: if your child has pollen allergies, you should avoid chamomile tea.
Oatmeal
Sure, when you add a little cinnamon to oatmeal, it can be a yummy breakfast food, but oats are also an excellent way to soothe irritating rashes like poison ivy or chicken pox. A great cure for these itchy afflictions is to have an oatmeal bath. Add a cup of oats to bath water (make sure it isnt instant oatmeal, or you will have a very thick bath!) or place oats into a thin fabric bag and wash over the itchy bumps. Afterwards, create an oatmeal paste with oats and milk and apply it to affected areas.
Potatoes
Some like them mashed and others like them baked, but potatoes have another purpose other than just being a side dish. Raw potato can help cure warts. Slicing up a potato and rubbing it on the wart several times a day will help make the bump disappear. Be sure to throw the potato piece away and do not reuse it, as warts can spread easily.
Cloves
Toothaches can be unbearable, but instead of rushing off to the drugstore to buy the latest product that might not work, use ground cloves to ease the pain. Cloves are a popular item in most spice racks, so there is a good chance youll already have this pain-reliever stashed away. Simply crush them up and apply to the affected tooth. Clove oil also works well, but is less common in households.
Powdered Mustard
Mix powdered mustard with flour, add a little bit of water and make a good paste. Spread the paste on a tea towel or cloth. Then, fold the cloth over and place it on your child??�s chest or throat. The burning of the mustard miraculously helps to stop irksome coughing. Be sure to remove the cloth if skin becomes irritated or burns.
Honey and Lemon
Most kids cringe at the thought of having to drink down bitter, awful cough syrup. The cherry and grape flavors in the store arent all that appetizing after all. Instead of the syrupy sweet stuff, give your child some honey with lemon. It tastes much better and helps to eliminate coughs and soothe sore throats. Adding some onion or garlic is always an option (although they may not be as keen on this addition!).
Onions
Though onions usually make you cry, when it comes to bee stings they may actually help stop the tears. Applying a freshly cut onion to a bee sting or other bug bite helps relieve pain. In a pinch, onions can also be used to treat hives. Steeping some onions and honey together makes an effective cough syrup as well. Breathing in the onion fumes as they are boiling can also help to clear up chest congestion.
Olive Oil
When your child comes to you complaining of an earache, some olive oil just might be the solution. Put a little oil in a container and place the container in boiling water to heat it. Place a few drops of olive oil (you can also use garlic oil) on a cotton ball and place it in the ear, or put a drop or two in the ear and cover with a cotton ball. The cotton should be left on for 10 - 15 minutes. The heat will help to draw out unwanted liquid in the ear.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a miracle substance with all kinds of uses. First, its great for cuts and scrapes. Applying a small amount to the latest skateboarding or biking injury will help fight infection and speed up the healing process. Second, using 3 or 4 drops can help clear up swimmers ear a common problem with the younger set. The vinegar will disinfect and dry the ear out, eliminating itching and pain. Finally, placing a little daub of apple cider vinegar onto a cold sore can help heal it. The vinegar should be applied several times a day to assist with healing.
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