Have a Good Night Sleep: Home Remedies for Insomnia

Insomnia is one of the most common medical complaints seen today among young and old men and women. We cannot call insomnia a disease but actually it is a symptom showing sleep disorder such as Difficulty falling asleep, Difficulty staying asleep and Waking too early in the morning. The result is that insomnia suppress your energy level, mood, you wake up feeling unrefreshed, which hampers your health, work performance and quality of life. Hence this should not be neglected.

Types of Insomnia
Transient (or short-term) insomnia: This lasts for just one or two nights or at the most a month and this is a normal part of life as each of us has or will go thorough this short term insomnia. The cause for this transient insomnia can be anything, may be you have an exam tomorrow, or an important meeting, a minor illness or the excitement of a child's birthday or the excitement of meeting someone etc. As the underlying cause passes, your sleep pattern returns to normal.
Intermittent insomnia: If transient insomnia starts to occur frequently as "on and off", then you are said to be suffering from intermittent insomnia. In a period of time you willfind that insomnia is lasting for slightly longer each time. This is usually a warning sign and should not be ignored.
Chronic insomnia: Here you know that your sleep is being affected on most nights. This is severe insomnia, which is going to impact upon the quality of your life generally and you should look for an insomnia remedy.

However there is nothing to worry about. With proper medication, your problem can be solved. Simple changes in your daily habits can solve insomnia and you don't have to put up with sleepless nights. The easiest remedy is to consult a doctor and take a pill and banish our sleeping problems overnight. But before that it is better to opt for a natural cure for insomnia. So, let's look at home remedies to treat insomnia.


What should you take before going to bed
You can try these diets before preparing to go to bed.

• Honey: Honey is useful in the treatment of insomnia. It has a hypnotic action and induces a sound sleep. Add two teaspoons of honey in a large cup of water and have it before going to bed. Babies generally fall asleep after taking honey.


• Milk: A glass of milk should be taken every night before going to bed in treating this condition. You can add honey also. It acts as a tonic and a tranquilliser.


• Aniseed: A tea made from aniseed is valuable in insomnia. Boil about 375 ml of water in a vessel and add a teaspoon of aniseed. The water should be covered with a lid and allowed to simmer for 15 minutes. It should then be strained and drunk hot or warm. You can add honey to make it sweet or hot milk , whichever you like. This tea should be taken after meals or before going to bed.


• Rauwolfia: This is a valuable medicine, hypnotic action of the herb appears to have been known since ancient times. It has indisputable efficacy as a sedative. The very first dose of rauwolfia will enable a patient with a phlegmatic and gouty nature to go to sleep. Take the root, powder it and mix a quantity of 0.25 gm to 0.5 gm of it with some scented substance like cardamom and give it to the patient The patient will have a sound sleep during the entire night. If there is chronic insomnia, the patient should take O.25 gm twice a day, in the morning as well as at night before sleeping.


• Poppy seed:Extract about 30 grams of the milk from the poppy seeds (Papaver somniferum). Mix with sugar and take this once in a day especially after dinner. This is one of the effective home remedies for insomnia.


• Nutmeg: Take nutmegs and grind it to a fine powder. Take this powder every night before going to sleep.
  
• Banana: Mash a ripe banana and then put roasted cumin seeds into it. Mix both properly. Take this after dinner. It will induce good sleep.

What should you do before going to bed?

• Take a warm bath or hot foot bath before going to bed.


• Massaging the milk over the soles of the feet has also been found effective.
  
• Curd is also useful in insomnia. The patient can massage curd on the head. This will induce sleep.


• Mix bottle gourd juice and sesame oil in 50:50 ratio and massage over the scalp every night. This acts as an effective medicine for insomnia.


• Try ear plugs to avoid noise disturbance.


• You can apply hot packs to the spine before going to bed.

What should be your regular diet to have a good night sleep?

• Vitamin B diet: Eat food rich in vitamin b such as wholegrain cereals, pulses, and nuts. Of the various food elements, vitamin B is of special significance in the treatment of insomnia as it is good for strong, healthy nerves.


• Low salt diet: The patient should take a low-salt diet as salt is said to interfere with a restful sleep.


• A balanced diet with increased intake of fruits and vegetables will go a long way in the treatment of insomnia.


• Avoid white flour products, sugar products, tea, coffee, chocolate, cola drinks, alcohol, fatty foods, fried foods, and foods containing additives etc.

What else?

• 
  Regular active exercise during the day and mild exercise before retiring at night enhances the quantity and the quality of sleep. The exercise stimulates the elimination of lactic acid from the body.


• Yoga provides physical and mental relaxation from one’s disturbing problems. Various yogaasanas that are effective in the treatment of insomnia are shirasana, sarvangasana, paschimottanasana, uttanasan, viparitakarni and shavasana.


• Meditiate


• Eliminate stress


• Take up some hobbies


• Controlled breathing is also effective in inducing sleep


• Stick to a regular sleeping schedule like going to bed at a fixed time every night and getting up at a fixed time in the morning.

Home Remedies for Acne, Natural Remedies for Acne, Acne Treatment Naturally

Home remedies for acne is always good. It is not always necessary to go to a medical store when you have a sudden acne flareup. Some home standbys can always be counted upon in emergencies. Home treatments are often just as good as the expensive stuff on store shelves. By opting for natural treatment, you can do a surprisingly good job of eliminating your acne. ALWAYS REMEMBER: DO NOT SQUEEZE, POP PIMPLES. AVOID TOUCHING YOUR FACE.


Some essential home remedies for acne

Quick home tips using salt : All you can do with salt

Salt can be also be used in many different ways around the home. It acts as a more environmentally friendly compared to harsher synthetic chemicals. It is also very cheap. So you can save money in the process. Presenting here a list of helpful and simple ways to make most of the humble table salt:
Dropped an egg: When an egg is dropped on the goud and it breaks, you find it very messy to clean the area. But dont worry. Just sprinkle salt on the dropped egg and let the egg stay for 15-20 minutes. It becomes easier to clean the area after this.
Food split over in oven: Suppose while cooking in the oven, food spilts over. Now dont panic. Sprinkle salt in ovens where food has split over. This will help to clean the spill faster . Moreover salt absorbs the burnt smell.

Soothe a bee sting: Wet the sting area immediately and then cover it with salt.
How to avoid discolouring of clothes while washing ?: In a buckt of water, add a handful of salt and ½ cup vinegar and soak coloured clothes in the mix. The garment won't bleed and colours will get fastened.
Cleaning glass tea and coffee pots: Salt can be effectively used to clean glass tea and coffee pots. Add some salt to the pot, drop in some ice cubes, swivel the mix and lo, the pot will come out sparkling clean. For removing tea stains in china crockery, rub these with salt.
Cleaning artficial flowers: Artificial flowers can be cleaned by putting them in a bag of salt. The dirt will get transferred on the salt.
Prevent browning of sliced potatoes and apples: Keep potatoes and apples in a bowl of cold salty water.
Mouthwash and gargle:Add a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water. Swish it around your mouth and gargle. This is helpful in dealing with toothaches and throat problems.
Cleaning a chopping board: Salt and bleach mix is ideal for cleaning a chopping board. Rub the mixture on the chopping board and scrub off with a stiff brush. Rinse in warm, running water.
Keep your toothbrush bacteria free: For this soak your tooth brush in hot salt water just once a week.
Removing ink stains: Just apply some salt to the ink stained area and then wipe off with a damp cloth.
Keeping away flies: While mopping the floor, add a pinch of salt to the water. This keeps away those flies.
Give a good shine to stainless steel taps: To clean stainless steel taps, scrub it with tamarind and salt. This gives a good shine.
Salt as fire extinguisher: Keep salt close at hand as an emergency fire extinguisher for grease fires. It makes for a good backup.
More on salt uses

Natural Home Remedies for Stomach Disorders

Dysentery, diarrhea or loosemotion: the three common terms for stomach disorder or stomach upset. When the system fails to digest the rich food, the body rejects it as it is in the form of the loose motion. You can cure your stomach infection initially by resorting to natural home treatment. Dysentery is definitely a very distressing condition and immediate treatment of dysentery is a must. There are many things that can be done at the household level to seek treatment from dysentery. If there is no improvement or if there is severe stomach infection, it is better to consult a doctor. But before that try these treatments:

Loose motion treatment for adults

• Add 5 gms of Isabgol in cold water mixed with about 1 teaspoonful sugar and have it. This will give you instatnt relief.
• If you are suffering from loose motion you must take several glasses of water, with any electrolyte solution available in the market. Or you could simple add some lemon juice in the glass of water with some sugar and rock salt in it. Drinking this helps to maintain the liquid balance in the body.
• Peel an apple and shred it. Keep the shredded pieces for about 20 minutes till they turn brown in colour. Now eat them.
• Garlic (Allium sativum) has amazing curative properties for dysentery and all other kinds of digestive problems. When dysentery occurs, just chomp on a clove of garlic four times a day. The dysentery will clear out within a couple of days.
• Slice the tender unripe bel fruit and dry them under the sun. Powder the slices and take 1 teaspoon along with warm water twice a day.
• Take every night 3 cloves of garlic chopped and boiled in milk.
• 2 or 3 teaspoons coriander seeds soaked overnight in water. Mix it with 1 cup buttermilk and take next morning .
• Mix juice of 15-20 tender curry leaves with 1 teaspoon honey and drink.
• Boil 1/4 teaspoon powdered cardamom seeds in thin tea water and drink.
• Apply ginger juice around the navel.
• Mix 1 teaspoon powdered ginger, powdered cumin and powdered cinnamon with honey and make into a thick paste. Take 1 teaspoon thrice daily.
• Boil 1 teaspoon cumin seeds in a glass of water. Add to this 1 teaspoon fresh juice of coriander leaves and a pinch of salt. Drink twice daily after meals for 2-3 days.
• Drink unsweetened black tea.
• Take two to four grams of ginger. Make a fine powder of it. Then add this powder to a glassful of warm water. This will treat dysentery conditions within a short time.

Loose motion treatment for children

• Ask your child to drink plenty of water. Add a teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of salt in it to guard against dehydration.
• Ripe and sweet apples can be steamed and made into pulp. This can be given as 1-4 tablespoon several times a day.
• Mashed ripe banana with a little salt. This should be taken 2-3 times a day.
• Make a paste of date with little honey. Give this three times a day for regulating the bowels.
• Crush 8-10 curry leaves. Mix with a cup of thin buttermilk and give it to your child 2-3 times a day.
• Mix juice of 1 large pomegranate and I glass of sugarcane juice. Have 4 times a day.
• Avoid raw vegetables and fruits such as orange, sweet lime, papaya, pineapple and spices.

Diet to take

• The diet must be kept as simple as possible. The best food is to have cooked rice in which some water is still retained. Add some curds to this rice and eat. This will help to replenish the lost water content and also provide the strength to the body.
• Another food that is good is khichari. This is an Indian formation of rice gruel in which the moong dal (lentils) is boiled and added to the rice. The two are then properly mixed with the consistence of a batter. This is a very easy-to-digest food. The diet can be kept supplemented with meat and vegetable soups to supplement the lost amount of water.

Precautions to be taken to avoid dysentery

• Never eat any food that has gone stale.
• Always drink clean and filtered water.
• Water that is used for cooking must also be very clean and from good sources.
• Always wash fruits before eating them.
• Do not eat food that has been undercooked. This is especially true in the case of flesh foods.

Easy Bathroom Cleaning Tips

Bathroom cleaning is considered a dirty job by every one. For most of us, cleaning the bathroom is the least favorite cleaning chore in the house. Although the bathroom is the smallest room in the house, there is nothing more tiresome than cleaning it. Scrubbing the toilet, emptying the trash can, cleaning the tiles are not so clean job. But this is one room that needs to constantly be maintained. A complete necessity to keep our families healthy. So dont worry. When you take up bathroom cleaning next time, don't consider it as a dirty job. Just as the other rooms are kept clean, you can also keep your bathroom clean and tidy in a very easy way. A few essential products can make your bathroom look clean and shiny. Here is a list of easy tips on how to clean your bathroom effectively.


Bathroom Tile: If your bathroom has ceramic tiles, rub ordinary car wax into your bathroom tiling and let it remain there for 10-15 minutes. Then use a clean cloth to remove the wax. Look at the shine of your tiles. You can use a typewriter eraser to clean spaces between bathroom tiles.
Cleaning shower heads: To clean mineral deposits from a clogged shower head, boil it with half a cup of white vinegar mixed with water for a while. For plastic shower head, dip the shower head in white vinegar mixed with water and let it soak for about one hour.
Preventing and removing mildew: Before hanging shower curtains, soak them in a salt water solution to prevent mildew. For mildewed shower curtains, wash in hot soapy water, rub with lemon juice, and let them dry in the sun.
Cleaning Bathroom Fixtures: Dip a cloth in kerosene to remove scum and spots from your bathroom fixtures. You can also rub with kerosine.
Cleaning Yellowed Bathtub:You can make your yellowed bathroom white again by rubbing with a salt and turpentine solution.
Cleaning shower mat: Dip a stiff brush in a kerosene and warm water solution to clean the bath mat.
Cleaning Rusty Tile: Rust stains on tile can be removed with kerosene.
Cleaning Shower Doors: Rub glass shower doors with a white vinegar dampened sponge to remove soap residue.
Preventing Steamy Bathrooms: If you run about an inch of cold water before adding hot water in the bath, there will be absolutely no steam in your bathroom.
Cleaning the Bathroom Easily: Or else fill the bathtub wht the hottest water possible. This steam will loosen the dirt faster.
Cleaning the Sink: For light stains in the sink, rub with a fresh cut lemon. For dark stains (like rust) rub with a paste of borax and lemon juice.
Cleaning Toilet Bowl: You can pour 1/4 cub bleach in your toilet bowl and let it stand there for few hours. The cleaning becomes easier and effective. You can keep the toilet bowl ring-free by pouring a half-gallon of white vinegar in it once a month. Let it soak overnight before flushing. To avoid clogging and odors, pour one cup baking soda down the bowl weekly. IF YOU DO USE BLEACH TO CLEAN YOUR TOILET BOWL, NEVER MIX BLEACH WITH VINEGAR, TOILET BOWL CLEANER, OR AMMONIA. Sprinkle baking soda into the bowl, then drizzle with vinegar and rub with a toilet brush. This combination both cleans and deodorizes.

Quit Smoking Naturally

Well we all know the effects of smoking in human body and environment. Smoking is injurious to health. Tobacco use is killing thousands of people a year, and to this day remains one of the leading causes of preventable deaths to humans. So we dont need to repeat it agian and again. But if you are a chain smoker or you are in the habit of smoking, it is better you start quitting smoking. Well it may not sound very easy but with a will and patience , you can do it. Start a natural treatment for quitting smoking.

Natural way to quit smoking

• Drink a lot of water, that will help you to quit smoking and will clean your body from the toxic.


• Every time you have the urge to smoke, put some salt of the tip of your tongue. Repeat for 1-2 month.


• Work out daily.


• When you feel an urge to smoke, take a gum or a candy.


• Replace your cigarette break with an orange juice break.


• Don't just light that cigarette out of habit.


• Increase the amount of raw fruits, vegetables, and fiber in the diet.


• Eliminate saturated fats, processed foods, and refined sugars from the diet.

Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms
Anger, Anxiety, Craving, Difficulty Concentrating, Frustration, Irritability, Elevated Appetite, Elevated Blood Pressure, Headache, Reduced Heart Rate,
Feelings of Restlessness, Stomach Irritability

How to start quitting?
There is no one right way to quit, but there are crucial factors:

• Make up your mind to quit.


• Set a quit date and choose a quit plan.


• Think in a positive manner. You can do it and you will do it. This is not an unattainable goal.


• Don't give up when you have a bad day. You can still quit!


• You may experience some withdrawal symptoms. Take it day-by day, moment-by-moment. Be prepared and have a game plan. Consider meditation, yoga or a dance or exercise class.


• Acute cigarette cravings typically last no more than five minutes. Just control yourself for few minutes.


• Nicotine cravings will become more manageable with each passing success of not smoking.


• Try exercising or taking a walk when cravings occur.


• Avoid other people smoking.


• Avoid stress during the quitting process.

Start noticing the benefits of a smokeless life.

Quick Home Remedies for a Hangover

Well it is rightly said that "too much of everything is very bad". When you drink and merry without controlling your limits then you are bound to suffer the consequences. A hangover is used to describe the effects felt the morning after a night of excessive drinking. It is associated with symptons like a pounding headache, upset stomach, dry throat, redness of the eyes, thirst, fatigue, muscle aches, sweating, bad taste. Mental symptoms such as dizziness, depression, irritability, anxiety and a guilty conscience are also common. If you end up with a hangover, then ofcourse instant recovery is required. More than 75 percent of people who consume alcohol tend to suffer from hangover at one or the other time.

Hangover remedies: Diet for hangover

• Apples: Eat apples on an empty stomach the day after drinking.


• Bananas: One of the easiesta nd quickest way to cure a hangover is to make a banana milkshake sweetened with honey. The banana and milk help calm the stomach and rehydrates your system and the honey builds up the depleted blood sugar levels.


• Fruit Juice: Fruit juices of citrus fruits should be consumed in the morning as Vitamin C increases the alcohol breakdown in the body.


• Water: Drink good amount of water in the morning. It drains the alcohol from the body and combat dehydration.


• Vitamin B: Take vitamin B complex capsules. They decrease the duration of hangovers.


• Fresh Lime Juice: Add 2 tsp of fresh lime juice and 1 tsp of sugar in a glass of normal water. Drink it slowly. This is one of the simple home remedies for hangovers and very effective.

Hangover treatment

• A cold pack applied on the forehead will give immediate relief from headache.


• Take a hot bath in the morning. This will drain away the toxins that are causing problems in the system.


• Take a brisk walk. Take your mind off the way you 're feeling. Yopu can also do some exercises. Exercise helps the liver to recover after an alcoholic binge.

Hangover prevention

• Before having your drinks, make sure your stomach is not empty. It is advisable to eat starchy foods as they slow down the alcohol absorption.


• Drink slowly because less amount of alcohol reaches the brain when consumed slowly.


• Alcohol makes the body dehydrates. Make sure you drink plenty of water before going to bed.


• Eating 6 to 7 raw almonds before drinking helps prevent intoxication.


• Tomato juice helps in reducing the urge for alcohol drink. Make a tangy drink, such as tomato juice miled with little lime juice and drink it whenever you feel the urge to drink.


• Take Vitamin B tablets before going to bed. B-Vitamins help the carbohydrate (alcohol) metabolizing process and in dilating blood vessels.

Natural Home Remedies for High Blood Pressure

A very common disease of the modern age, seen in both young and old, high blood pressure is actually a silent killer, a condition which may not be detected unless and until you go for a routine physical check up or a visit to the doctor. Once it is known that you have high blood pressure, the first and foremost thing is that you should make some serious changes in lifestyle and diet. No doubt your doctor is there for you to prescribe you your regular medicines that need to be taken. But then you can yourself control or reduce your pressure by some home made remedies. Lower your high blood pressure level to a reasonable range and cut the risk of a serious heart condition.

On a regular basis, try these following remedies. Even when your levels go down, you should continue with it. These remedies are highly beneficial to have a healthy living

• Drink water: Make sure you drink 8-10 glasses of filtered water every single day.


• Garlic: Garlic is regarded as one of the most effective home remedy in lowering the blood pressure. Eat two cloves of garlic every morning. Garlic also reduces your cholesterol levels.


• Indian gooseberry (amla): This fruit is another effective home remedy for high blood pressure. One tablespoonful each of fresh amla juice and honey mixed together should be taken every day.


• Exercise: Excercise on a regular basis. Try to do it moderately initially. But remember it is always better to exercise with perspiration. Jog 1-2 miles at least 5 days a week so that you do perspire. Swimming, dancing are other forms of exercises. Just devote half to one hour everyday only for exercises and see what difference it makes to your life. But do not exert yourself much.


• Nutritional food: Try to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. Fruits like lime fruit, water melon, oranges, grapefruit are helpful in toning up the arteries, lowers the blood pressure and safeguard against hypertension. Take low fat diet. No restaurant food. Mostly homemade food which may contain light oily food.


• Avoid salt altogether if you can.


• Lose weight:If you are overweight, then try to lose weight. One effective way to reduce choleseterol and weight is to drink lime juice mixed with honey and luke warm water.


• Try to avoid stress if you can.This is very very important. Stress is one of the main reason for hypertension and high blood pressure. Take your mind off of anything that bothers you. Take on a hobby. The other option is to do yoga to relieve you from mental stress and to relax you.


• Yoga: Yogic asanas such as suryanamaskar, matsyasana, makarasana, vajrasana, ardhpadmasana, pavanmuktasana, shavasana are beneficial asanas If not all these, then just do the simple pranayama.
• Proper sleep: At least six hours of continuous sleep.

DID YOU KNOW ?
Fasting is a good way to control your calorie intake. Fast atleast one time a week. Just east fruits, skimmed milk and have normal dinner. Fasting also help in controlling craving for the food for the rest of the week.

Walking barefoot on green grass for 15-20 minutes daily helps in improving blood circulation. This also helps to maintain the blood pressure at normal. Isn' it this a good and easy high blood pressure remedy.

Water treatment Hot foot or leg bath and hot compress over the heart for 10 minutes have been proved beneficial in high blood pressure treatment.

Other home treatments

In half a cup of lukewarm water, add one teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Drink it when needed.

Grind equal amounts of watermelon seeds and khas khas and keep together. Take one teaspoonful with an empty stomach and one in the evening with water for lowering blood pressure. This can be taken 3-4 weeks.

Take one teaspoonful of fenugreek seeds morning and evening with an empty stomach for 10-15 days with water.

Take four leaves of Tulsi and two leaves of Neem with 2-4 teaspoonfuls of water on an empty stomach atleast for a week. This will reduce high blood pressure.

Take fresh papayas daily on an empty stomach for a month regularly.

Make a powdered mixture of equal quantities of fennel seeds, cumin seeds and sugar. Then add one teaspoonful of this powdered mixture in a glassful of water and drink. Drink this two times a day. This remedy is very effective home remedy for high blood pressure.

Mix half onion juice and half honey. Take 2 tablespoons twice daily to lower the blood pressure.

Baked potatoes are also considered good for lowering the blood pressure.

First Aid Home Treatment For Burns, Burns Relief in Diwali, Remedies for Burns in Diwali

We are all of the opinion that burns are caused by touching hot objects or fire. But burns are also caused due to electric appliances or live wire or over exposure to sun etc. There are different burn degrees depending on the burn severity. A mild burn is a first degree burn which cause a red skin and a mild pain and takes about a week to heal. Second-degree burns may cause swelling, blisters and peel the skin. The most severe type of burn is the third-degree burns that cause white or black charred skin. Such third degree burns damage the nerves as well as the skin layers beneath the top layer. Ofcourse for severe burns, home treatment is not enough. But for minor burns and for immediate relief, some essential home remedies are there which I am discussing below:

Remedies for Burns in Diwali

• Water is helpful for a slight scalding touch of something hot like fire crackers but for serious burning water may cause the burned skin to swell up. Use ice immediately on the burn if it is a small one but do not dip the affected area in water.

• Turmeric is a very good natural antiseptic for burns. On Diwali day, keep some turmeric powder handy so that you are able to administer first aid for burns immediately. 

• With burns, the chances of infection increases and so applying antiseptic is very essential. If you do not have turmeric or any other antiseptic handy then another effective solution is to cut an onion into half and press that down on the burn

• If you are not comfortable using natural antiseptics then use medicinal ones like Dettol or Salvon. 

• If while bursting crackers, the clothes catch fire then do not splash water on them. The water will make the clothes stick to the skin and resulting in more burns. Rather, wrap the person in a blanket immediately or else remove his clothes as soon as you can.

Kitchen Remedies for Burns

First and foremost reduce the temperature of the burnt area. This is done by putting lots of chilled water on the burnt area or dip that body part into chilled water for 15 to 30 minutes.

Another First Aid Burn Treatment which is also considered to be the best first aid for burns is diluted vinegar. Cover the injured area with a cloth, soaked in diluted vinegar of any kind. Vinegar reduces the pain and cool the burnt area. If pains become stronger, change the compress for a fresh one and use as often as needed.

Incase vinegar is not available at home, then apply honey to the wound once you have washed the wound properly. This will heal the wound and prevent infection. Studies have shown that burns treated with honey healed faster and with less pain and scarring.

Papaya contains enzymes that help to remove dead cells from the wound.

You can also soak a flannel in whole milk and apply to the burn.

Herbal Treatment for Burns

Applying lavender oil is also found to be effective for burns.

It is a good idea to grow an Aloe vera plant in the sunny kitchen window. Slice off a small piece of the fleshy leaf, open it, and apply the fresh sap directly on the burn for a burn first aid. Aloe vera has astringent and tissue-healing properties works great for skin burns. Once the wound starts healing, break a capsule of vitamin E and pour the liquid on it. This will prevent scarring.

Apply Calendula infused oil or Calendula ointment; or make a soothing Marigold compress.

An Age Old Technique: Use Cotton Ash Paste The following remedy is according to ancient Indian Yunani healing-art and it works fantastic. Take a large piece of cotton wool (or any kind of pure, white cotton fabric). Burn the fabric preferable in a metal pot. Use the ash of the burned cotton and mix with olive oil. You can also use cooking oil available at home. Make a thick paste and spread this black paste on the burned skin. Cover it with a cling film.The paste making takes a little time no doubt but it is amazing that the pain disappears in seconds. If the pain comes back use fresh paste on the wound and repeat the process. Use the paste for a week or so and you will see that the healing occurs within a week. No other treatment can beat Cotton-Ash Paste for burns. It is simply the best burn treatment.

Smell Good Naturally : Home Remedies for Body Odor

Just imagine the situation. You are on a date with your new girl friend. She comes and gives you a big hug. All of sudden she moves away . Why? Because you stink. You have a body odour. Body odor is the unpleasant smell which comes from a person's body, beacuse of the bacteria growing on it. We have the idea that with perspiration or sweating comes body odor. But this is wrong. It is not perspiration but the bacteria that gets accumulated on the skin that causes body odour. These bacteria grow faster in the presence of sweat and this is why, people smell more when they perspire. Resort to home remedies to cure the problem of body odor naturally.


Remedies for body odor

• Drink a glass of water in the morning, on an empty stomach, along with 500 mg wheat grass. The chlorophyll present in the grass will help in reducing body odor.


• Rub a lime under arms in the morning and see how good you smell all day.


• Clean the underarm and groin area with water and a deodorant soap, at least once a day and more often if required.


• You can also apply baking soda to your armpits as well as to your feet, to reduce body odor. It will soak up sweat and kill bacteria. You can also mix baking soda with lemon juice.


• While taking your bath, add alcohol or white vinegar to a mug of water and use it to rinse the armpits.


• Take showers, at least thrice in a day, in the summer season.


• Wear cotton clothes throughout summer so that the sweat is soaked up.


• Make use of antibacterial soap or deodorant soap.


• During summers, you can apply the baby powder or talc to your armpits, in place of deodorants.


• Pour some white vinegar on a cotton ball and wipe your underarms with the cotton. While the vinegar smell would fade in some time, you would remain smell-free for the rest of the day.


• Turnip juice is also effective in removing body odor. Grate a turnip and squeeze the grated pieces to extract the juice. Apply this juice on your underarms.


• Eat a healthy diet, which have whole grains, lots of leafy vegetables, sprouts, fresh fruits, soy products, raw nuts and so on.


• Do not repeat unwashed clothes, particularly undergarments during summer.


• For girls, wax your armpits frequently.


• Add a few cups of tomato juice to bathing water and soak yourself in water for about 15 minutes.

Make your own deodorant

• One of the easy home remedies for body odor is to put a few drops of rose water in water and take your bath. It will give you a long lasting freshness. This can also act as a good substitute for deodorant.


• Instead of deodorant, one can use apple cider vinegar to reduce the pH of the skin and eliminate armpit odor. Put it in a mug of water and use it to rinse the armpits, while bathing.


• Prepare a homemade deodorant with the juice of about two dozen radishes and 1/4 teaspoon glycerin. Mix the liquids well and pour into a spray-top bottle. Spray this in the armpits to fight body odor. Store the mixture in fridge.


• Mix two drops of the tea tree oil (essential oil) in water and pur it in a spray-top bottle. Use this as a deodorant.

Diet to avoid
There is a straight relation between what a person eats and his body odor. Stay away from white flour, hydrogenated oils, refined sugar, and other processed foods. Avoid red meat. Avoid foods that do not have fiber. Keep away from alcohol, caffeine, cumin and garlic.

Easy and Quick Kitchen Tips (I)

There are many times when you face a problem in the kitchen while cooking. I present before you some very common tips that will make your work easier in the kitchen. More quick kitchen tips coming in my forthcoming posts.

Too Much Salt: If you've added too much salt to a recipe, there are two solutions, (1) add a little sugar. (2) Add a raw potato slice. This will absorb the salt, especially in soups or stews, and (3) a second batch of small quantity can be made, without the salt, and added to the first batch. Combine the two mixtures and freeze half for later.
Too Sweet : Add some salt, or, if the recipe is a vegetable or main dish, a teaspoon of vinegar.
Gravy Too Thick: If your gravy is too thick then add a little more liquid.
Gravy Too Thin: Potato flakes may be added instead of flour to gravy, sauces and stews taht are too thin.
Overdone Vegetables: Put the pot in an pan of cold water. Let it stand from 15 minutes to half an hour without scraping pan.
Fresh Garlic: Peel garlic and store in a covered jar of vegetable oil. The garlic will stay fresh and the oil canl be nicely flavored for salad dressings.
Lemon Juice Tip: When a small amount of lemon juice is needed, insert a skewer into the lemon rind and squeeze juice out. The lemon will stay fresher longer than if it were cut.
Crisp Vegetables:To make your vegetables to remain crisp, cover the crisper section of your refrigerator with newspaper and then use the paper to wrap vegetables. Moisture will be absorbed and your vegetables will stay fresher longer.
Fluffy Rice: Rice will be fluffier and whiter if you add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to each quart of water.
Easily Peeled Tomatoes: Place tomatoes in a bowl, add boiling water and let them stand for one minute. Tomatoes will peel easily with a sharp knife.
Perfect Noodles: When cooking noodles, bring required amount of water to a boil, add noodles, turn heat off and allow to stand for 30 minutes. This prevents over boiling. You do not need to stir the noodles and the noodles won't stick to the pan with this method.
Nutritious Rice: Cook rice in liquid saved from cooking vegetables to add flavor and nutrition.

Try these Home Remedies for Swine Flu

There has been tremendous scare of Swine flu spreading all across the globe in the last few months. Symptoms of swine flu are like regular flu symptoms like cough, sore throat, runny nose, fever, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue, including diarrhea and vomiting. Nearly everyone with flu has at least two of these symptoms. Swine flu is a respiratory disease that is caused by influenza type A virus. It can affect people of all ages. With recent scares of swine flu , many people are suddenly very aware of a certain drug called Tami-flu. But it is never too late to take preventative measures and to start to consider home remedies for swine flu. The home remedies can be used as an alternative to counter medication and can help to reduce the severity of flu symptoms in infected individuals. There are less expensive and natural remedies that work just as effectively to combat pathogens (germs).
Listed below is a list of few things that you should have in your home to avoid swine flu:
Apple cider vinegar (not clear or distilled vinegar): Mix two tablespoons of vinegar, one tablespoon of honey, and one cup of warm water each morning. This may prevent and kill microbes that are trying to infect your body.

Garlic: Garlic has the reputation of being the greatest anti-microbial substance, been known to kill agents varying from tuberculosis, cancer, and pneumonia. When consumed, garlic will also remedy a cold within two days. Many people may not like eating garlic due to the strong flavor. There are, however, garlic tablets available in pharmacies. However it is always better to eat a raw garlic with food or in an empty stomach or before going to bed. Chewing fresh garlic cloves is considered an effective antiviral.

Vitamins and Minerals in diet: A great way to help prevent contracting the swine flu is to include adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals in your daily diet. An adequate supply of nutritional supplements helps strengthen the body’s internal defense system. Vitamin C , Vitamin A, Zinc, Protein can be effective in fighting viral infections. Vitamin A is found in fresh oranges and green vegetables, vitamic c in lemon, amla and other citrus fruits. Potatoes, milk, yogurt are few examples of zinc rich foods. Follow the color theme and include a lot of bright orange and green vegetables like carrots and pumpkins, apricots, mangoes, spinach and cabbage. Take protein ric food like meat, chicken, eggs, fish, milk, pulses, vegetables, nuts, seeds and soy-based foods. Additionally, healthy foods like whole grain and pumpkin seeds are pretty good to build antibodies against swine flu. If one is unable to get all the vitamins one can insist on taking a multivitamin and mineral supplement daily to boost one’s immune system and avoid swine flu.

Drink Lemon Balm Tea: The anti-viral property of lemon balm can treat swine flu. You can drink lemon balm tea twice every day.

Some other tips to fight swine flu or avoid swine flu (Dos and Donts)

• Wash your hands frequently


• Cover your nose and mouth: If someone is sneezing or coughing near you, cover your nose and mouth with the inside of your palms or with your tissue. Or you can wear face mask before going outside.


• Steam Inhalation: Steam inhalation with eucalyptus or chamomile two-three times a day can relieve from congestion from the lungs.


• Stress reduction:Stress reduction can be one of the best home remedies for colds, flu and other infections . This is because, if you are highly stressed, your immune system is compromised and the body finds it more difficult to fight the virus.


• VERY IMPORTANT. DO NOT PANIC. IF YOU HAVE THE SYMPTONS, IF YOU START FEELING ILL WITH FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS DO NOT GO TO WORK OR SCHOOL. STAY HOME AND START TAKING PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES AND CONSULT A DOCTOR.


• Get enough sleep


• Keep hydrated: Drink 8 to10 glasses of water each day to flush toxins from your system and maintain good moisture and mucous production in your sinuses.
  
• Avoid alcohol: Apart from being a mood depressant, alcohol is an immune suppressant that can actually decrease your resistance to viral infections like swine flu. So stay away from alcoholic drinks.
  
• Be physically active: Moderate exercise can support the immune system by increasing circulation and oxygenating the body. For example brisk walking for 30-40 minutes 3-4 times a week will significantly perk up your immunity.
  
• Keep away from sick people


• Avoid crowded areas

It is best to take immediate action and include healthy foods to build up immunity and avoid the deadly disease, swine flu.

Home Treatment of Common Cold & Cough in Children

Common cold & cough are the most common ailments in children. Occurring as an infection to heavy dust or industrial or tobacco smoke, such an ailment affect a child’s food intake, sleep, and energy levels. Below I have presented a few home remedies for common cold and cough derived from many reliable sources and which I have personally tried all on my kids.


Massage: Heat coconut oil to the exten that a child can bear it. Gently massage the coconut oil over the child’s chest and then back for about 5 minutes. The massage should be given just before you put your child to sleep. Do not subject the child to cool or cold conditions after the massage. Hence keep fans and air conditioners off. This simple treatment will soothe the child and will keep the cough away. This massage will also help in getting a good undisturbed sleep.
Garlic treatment: Garlic does a wonder against common cold. De-skin about 5 to 6 cloves of garlic. Make a necklace of the 6 cloves of garlic using a normal thread and needle and put it around your child’s neck when he/she is sleeping. This will unblock the nose of the child and also make him/ her have a sound sleep.
Ginger tea: A magic potion that can be made a routine is that of ginger and tea. 1 teaspoon of regular tea with 3 to 4 drops of ginger juice first thing in the morning will keep your child away from common cold.
Honey:Honey also provides effective remedy for cough and cold. You can take one teaspoon of honey two times a day. Or else, you can mix few drops of ginger juice or tulsi juice with honey and take it two or three times a day (morning, noon and night). Mix half a cup of warm water with one teaspoon of lemon juice and one teaspoon of honey several times a day.
Chicken soup: Do you know chicken soup has anti inflammatory properties that can provide relief in the case of cough and cold ?
Avoid the following food items:If your child is frequently down due to common cold and cough it is best you avoid Banana and milk . Reduce the intake of tomatoes, black eyed beans, peanuts, any items made from chic pea flour. No Water for 20 minutes after consuming any fruit.
Say "NO" to chocolates: Yes, chocolates are some of the worst culprits for cold and cough. So avoid taking them. Sorry Kids :)
All the above mentioned home remedies are simple and effortless and you can see wonderful results without any side effects.

Quick, Easy Stress Relief Tips

No matter what you do, there are times when you feel the stress levels are going too high to bear with, and you just want to unwind and relax yourself. Have you tried that acquarium watching for stress relief, which I wrote in my previous post? Well, besides that, there are other stress relief techniques and products which can help you. If you are really over exerting yourself, if you find everything difficult to cope with, if you feel depressed, then try these easy stress relief tips.



Take a relaxing bath: This is a very easy way to relieve yourself of stress. Close the door and forget about everything else for an hour or so. And if your bathroom has a bathtub, then nothing like it. Add bath salt, some nicely fragrant foam and have a wonderful bubble bath. Add good music if you want. Such a bath helps to increase levels of calmness and the calmer we feel, the less likely we are to get stressed out. This is indeed a luxurious way to find stress relief.
Take a day or two off from your busy schedule: Just go our somewhere for some peace and quiet for a day or better still a weekend or a week. Take a journal, relax and gather your thoughts. If it is not possible to go out, then stay at home only but only to yourself, with strict instructions not to be disturbed by outsiders. Distance from problems can bring clarity. Just sit somewhere quietly , observe the beauty around you, may be the birds, the sky, the flowers or better still a beach and see the calm water. By spending some quiet moments all together by yourself can bring stress relief almost instantly.
What about a massage?: Find stress relief and feel great by indulging in massage. A good massage can help you to get rid of all the stress. It can improve the blood circulation of the body, which also helps to drive away all the pain in the body. Share a massage with your partner. Create a romantic atmosphere by softening the lights and have oils and towels to hand. Or else treat yourself to a massage from a professional masseur.
Aromatherapy: This has been an age-old technique used for combating stress. There exists several aromatherapy products like aromatherapy candles, aromatherapy bath salts and aromatherapy oils like chamomile, jasmine, orange, lemon, sandalwood which are known to have different soothing properties and creating positive emotions. Aromatherapy thus helps in driving away the blues and leaves you feeling fresh and relaxed.
Worry beads / Rosary beads / Jaap mala : This is a very traditional method used for meditation, praying and stress relief. In India, popularly known as jaap mala, made of rudraksh beads in string, it is used by both men and women. You just hold them in your hand so that they encircle you fingers and "count" the beads by pulling them downward with your thumb. It doesn't matter if you count numerically or just say a mantra or affirmation with each count. Usually there are 16, 23, 27, 56 or 108 beads. In Greece, these beads are known as komboloi worry beads. They started as prayer-counting beads for Greek monks but today they have made their way into everyday use around the world. The prayer beads need to be moved in rhythm with the breath and the mantra, and hence both sleep as well as excessive mental distraction are prevented by this action upon the beads.
Spend a week without watching any television: Many think that by watching TV, you are relaxing yourself. But this is not always true. TV can fill your mind with negativity. Violence, war, famines, disasters, murders, soap operas- the list is endless. Continually watching such things will cause you no end of stress! Instead read a book, listen to music, go for a walk, socialize, workout, or try your hand at something new.
Party time : If you are not very calorie conscious, then just get in your favorite nibbles like tortillas, chips, cheese, pizza, chocolate, cookies, ice cream etc. Crack open a bottle of wine or pour yourself a beer or two and spend a full evening watching your favorite funny films . Finding stress relief through laughter will raise your spirits and is a great way to bring down the pressures of modern life.

The above stress relief tips are very easy to implement. Try it. And see how stress levels drop, relieving you from stress, depression and anxiety. Give them a try and watch your mood levels changing in a better way.