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Monday, September 21, 2015

Guest Post: 9 Troubles You Can Treat with Ingredients Already in Your Cupboard

Disclosure: I have not been compensated for this post nor does it contain affiliate links. 

Author: Whitney Hollingshead

Everyday life can present various discomforts and challenges. The next time you encounter the various symptoms of discomfort, you may want to turn to your spice cabinet or kitchen cabinet instead of your medicine cabinet. Many common discomforts can be treated naturally with ingredients that are already in your kitchen. Check out the list below to find natural solutions for many of your everyday physical troubles:

Nausea = Ginger
Several studies have shown that ginger can help to quell everyday nausea, as well as nausea tied to morning sickness in pregnant women. Just put a spoonful of honey in a small cup. Add a pinch of ground ginger and stir. Eat with a spoon. While the remedy should prove helpful in alleviating the symptoms of nausea, ginger should not be used to treat nausea for longer than a four day period.  

Heartburn = Baking Soda
Baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate which makes baking soda an effective remedy for treating the symptoms of heartburn. The pancreas naturally produces sodium bicarbonate to aid in neutralizing stomach acid and baking soda is thought to perform the same function. For adults, mix ½ teaspoon of baking soda powder into water and drink every two hours as needed. For children, consult your doctor concerning the right amount.  

Cough = Honey
A study published with the Natural Institute of Health reported that honey was more effective than common cough medicine at suppressing nighttime coughs in children with upper respiratory infections. Honey has also been shown to be an effective healing agent. The American Academy of Pediatrics also encourages using honey as a cough remedy, especially in children under the age of six. For adults or children over the age of one, try two teaspoons of honey. Never give honey to any child under the age of one for any reason.  


Sore Throat = Salt
Perhaps your mother encouraged you to gargle with warm salt water as a child to ease your throat pain. The Mayo Clinic agrees that gargling with salt water is an effective remedy for your sore throat. Heat a glass of water until warm (not hot!) and stir in ½ teaspoon salt until dissolved. Gargle small amounts of the mixture. Keep in mind that children under the age of six are usually unable to gargle properly.  


Dry Skin or Rash = Oats
Oats are proven to calm inflamed skin and can be used on all skin types, even super sensitive skin. Just fill a sock with whole oats and tie the open end in a knot. Drop the oat filled sock into warm bath water and soak the affected areas for 15-20 minutes.

Sunburn = Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar works as an antiseptic and cools the skin as it evaporates, making it a great remedy for sunburn relief. As explained here, in order to keep your skin from stinging, dilute the vinegar with water. Use the same amount of water as vinegar and apply to the sunburned area with a wet washcloth.

Bee Sting = Meat Tenderizer
One of the enzymes in the seasoning works against the toxic proteins which may reduce the body’s reaction. Just mix meat tenderizer with water to make a paste and gently apply the paste to cover the affected area.  

Bug Bite = Basil
Basil contains eugenol, a chemical compound believed to relieve itchy skin. Boil ½ cup of water in the microwave and add 2 tablespoons of dry basil. Let cool completely. Dip a cotton ball in the mixture and gently apply to bug bite site. If you happen to have fresh basil leaves on hand, you can chop the leaves and place them directly on the affected skin.

Dandruff = Bay Leaves
The antibacterial properties in bay leaves are known to treat scalp skin plagued by dandruff. Simply boil 4 cups water and add a handful of dry crushed bay leaves. Allow the mixture to steep for 20 minutes. Strain the liquid and cool completely. Apply to scalp. You can wait up to one hour before rinsing.

Remember these helpful natural remedies the next time you encounter one of the common troubles listed above. Just remember that if any of the discomforts above is accompanied by additional symptoms, or if the symptoms persist, you should seek the advice of a medical professional.

32 comments:

  1. I had no idea that basil was good for bug bites. I am definitely going to try that one. What an awesome trick that is.

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  2. That is so awesome! I'd much rather use all-natural things to treat small things like this instead of pills or other medications.

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  3. I knew of some of these natural remedies, but not all of them! The apple cider vinegar sound like something I need to try. Hopefully we will not get sunburn, but this will help if we do!

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  4. Great list!! I knew many of them, I didn't know the baking soda helped heart burn!! This is great to know as I get it all the time!

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  5. Great list. I have heard of a few of these but re-reading them always helps. Thank you for sharing.

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  6. Honey is like a miracle cure for so many things! Seriously, I use it for everything!

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  7. Such a great list. Definitely will be bookmarking for future reference.

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  8. Great list. My dad always use Salt and Lemon to heal sore throat. I love all natural ingredients

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  9. We used some of these and they worked great. A few of these I have never tried but will be soon, that's for sure!

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  10. I've been doing these home treatments except for the meat tenderizer, basil and bay leaves. I will print this list. Thanks!

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  11. I think honey is really powerful as it has a lot of health benefits. It can also make skin look radiant and young-looking.

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  12. I did know about nauseau. Some of these others are new to me though, I didn't know about baking soda and heartburn.

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  13. I didn't know about the basil or apple cider vinegar. I always have them both so I'll be adding them into my arsenal of readiness!

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  14. These are great! We also go for the all natural approach before resulting to over the counter medicine! Great tips!

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  15. I am definitely going to try your ginger remedy for nausea. It seems that I struggle with that one more than anything else - and the rx remedies all make me too sleepy to function.

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  16. This is great information that I can use every day! I never realized I could treat all of these problems at home, but I'm going to bookmark this page so I can refer back to it!

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  17. These are some great tips on treating everyday discomofort. I heard about ginger and honey for nausea and cough already but didn't know about any of the others.

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  18. I didn't know most of this! I have most of this already in the house too!

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  19. I have heard about a couple of these but not all of them. This is great, I'll have to print this out.

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  20. Gargling salt water has always help eased my sore throats! Now after I had a tonsillectomy in March, I rarely experience sore throats anymore, though.

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  21. What a great post! I certainly didn't know all of it. Bay Leaves for dandruff and baking soda for heartburn? That's awesome to know.

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  22. It's interesting to know about the bay leaves. We do most of this but would love to try the oatmeal and basil.

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  23. Wow these are amazing and most of which I never knew!! I've never heard of basil for bug bites, now I need to try this!
    xo Adriana - Daily Dose of Design

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  24. These are great ways to treat yourself at home. I always have ginger in the cupboard. It is great for an upset tummy.

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  25. These are all such convenient remedies. I always love using honey for a cough, it works great.

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  26. This is a wonderful post. I'm glad I came across this today because my youngest daughter has been coughing a lot at night. I would love to see if the honey can help her out. It gets pretty bad at night.

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    1. I hope she can find some relief, the honey should definitely help. It'll help coat her throat. Depending on her age, see if she'll drink some warm tea with honey in it. I think I've even read of people just having a hot cup of water with a spoonful or two of honey mixed in.

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  27. I love natural remedies and fully believe in my essential oils!! I find myself using them much more than actual meds.

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    1. I definitely AGREE! I use my EOs all the time!

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  28. These are all great ideas to help with troubles we all have at one time or another. I didn't know about a few of these like using bay leaves for dandruff. Thanks for shairng the information.

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  29. I've been using honey for my cough lately. It's so bad but the honey really soothes my throat at night.

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  30. Some of these I knew about, but there were a few I didn't. I love remedies from things you have at home because basically, I never have anything i need when it in the medicine cabinet!

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