Natural Homemade Remedies that really work.

Twenty Natural home made remedies.

The first thing to remember about natural home made remedies is that they are natural and home made. The clue really is in the name with this one. And that these natural remedies have been around for a whole lot longer than anything you can now buy over the counter. Whenever we feel sick, or down, or have a tumble or fall it is all too easy to reach for the traditional option of the medicine cabinet or visit the doctor or chemists shop, but is it really necessary? We might just have the perfect natural home made/home grown remedy for what ails us at our fingertips, or at least in our own back gardens and yards. Not only are home grown remedies far more natural than the shop bought varieties but they are a whole lot cheaper too and available at any time of the day or night.

Saving money in these hard times is never going to be a bad thing. Natural remedies have been around for thousands of years and a great many of our modern day medicines are derived from plants that our ancestors used. Here are 20 of the best home grown natural remedies that I have personally tried and tested and can say with some degree of certainty that they do work.

1. Reduce the pain and swelling caused by arthritis and rheumatism.

Mix equal amounts of lemon and carrot juice, store in a container in a cool dry place and take a tablespoonful once a day in the morning before food. Make a fresh batch every two weeks. If you are one of those people who have found that citrus aggrevates your condition then try making a tea using fresh ginger root or rosemary.

2. Lower your cholesterol levels.

Crush a whole bulb of garlic in a mortar and pestle and then rub the mash through a fine sieve to produce an oily liquid. Store this liquid in the fridge, make sure to keep it in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid if you don’t want everything to smell like garlic! Drink a tablespoonful of this liquid every day. Wash it down with a slice of bread to take away the taste quickly. This mixture will last for about three months if kept in the fridge.

3.To relieve the pain of a sore throat.

Put half of a peeled white onion into a jar of runny honey leave for at least a week and take a teaspoon every few hours whenever you have a sore throat. I have kept a jar of this for six months in the fridge and it still tasted fine and still worked.

4. When you want to give your immune system a boost.

Put equal quantities of green gooseberries, boiled beetroot and raw carrot into a container. Add a few cloves of fresh garlic and a pinch of sea salt. If you have a food processor blitz the mixture until it is smooth and liquidised, you can do this by hand but it takes forever! Drink slightly chilled and always use up the mixture daily. Brazil nuts are another great immune boosting food, eat a small handfull daily to keep bugs at bay.

5. Feeling a little down, got the blues?

Pick a large handful of fresh basil leaves, wash and then place them in a teapot. Pour on hot water and leave to brew for ten minutes. Have a couple of cups of this tea three or four times and day and you’ll soon be feeling better. Dark chocolate can also have a very good effect on your mood, eat a couple of squares whnever you are feeling down.

6.To lower a high temperature.

Add a teaspoonful of dried sage leaves and a handful of sliced fresh ginger root to half a pint of cold water. Allow to stand for an hour then boil until the mixture reduces by around three quarters. Drink twice a day until your temperature comes down.

7. Menopause.

Drink beetroot juice twice a day and eat a small handful of raw cashew nuts daily. Add a tablespoonful of extra virgin olive oil to your food every day.

8. Unblock a stuffy nose.

Place a crushed garlic clove, four crushed black pepper corns and a large handful of fresh thyme leaves into a bowl. Pour on boiling water, cover your head with a towel and breath in the fumes from the bowl.

9. Upset stomach.

Follow the BRAT diet for two days. Eat only Bananas, boiled white Rice, poached Apples and lightly Toasted white bread. It is pretty boring but it does work.

10. Relieve an annoying cough.

Sprinkle two teaspoonfuls of dried turmeric into a small bowl of boiling water and stir well. Breath in the steam for twenty minutes and follow with a spoonful of honey. This is really helpful last thing at night as it can help you get a good nights sleep.

11. Reduce pain and swelling produced by insect stings and bites.

Tear aloe vera leaves in half and apply to the affected area. If you don’t have any aloe vera then use an infusion of equal parts cider vinegar and fresh rosemary leaves. Tomato juice also works really well, apply it directly to the sting or bite and cover with a loose bandage or clean tea towel.

12. Relieve the pain of toothache.

Rub a few drops of good quality vanilla extract onto the gums near the toothache. Don’t use vanilla essence as it does nothing at all. You can buy vanilla extract at most supermarkets, it does cost a bit more but is well worth the extra expense as a health remedy or in baking. The taste difference between the two products is amazing.

13.To reduce stress levels.

Mix together raw cashew nuts, sunflower seeds and alfalfa sprouts and add to a tossed green salad. Wash it down with a glass of cranberry juice and a couple of squares of chocolate. Sit back and feel all of the days stresses and strains flowing out of your body like a tidalwave.

14.To ease cystitis.

In a small saucepan cook a handful of fresh spinach leaves, some chopped onion and celery and a couple of okra in a little water. Simmer for about twenty minutes then blitz in a food processor or push through a sieve. Eat twice a day until the symptoms clear. Make sure to drink at least six glasses of water a day too. Don't be alarmed if this treatment turns your urine bright green, it's a normal reaction.

15. Cold sores.

At the first sign of the tell tale tingling feeling wrap some ice in a thin cotton tea towel and hold against the lip for at least twenty minutes. Repeat two or three times and you should be able to stop the cold sore developing.

16. Headache

Blend together one ripe banana, some fresh watermelon juice and a few drops of Tabasco sauce. Sit back and rub a cut lime on your forehead as you sip your smoothie.

17. Reduce swelling.

Place a cup of cider vinegar and two teaspoons of cayenne pepper into a small saucepan and simmer for twenty minutes. Soak a clean towel in the hand hot liquid, wring it out and then wrap it around the affect area. Refresh every five minutes and keep the compress on for at least thirty minutes. If the swelling is in the leg elevate the limb to help with the reduction.

18. Puffy eyes.

Lie back and place two cold used tea bags over the eyes, after twenty minutes you’ll look bright eyed again. Cucumber slices work really well too.

19. Indigestion.

Drink a small glass of water to which you have added a level teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda.

20. Insomnia.

Eat a slice of granary or wholemeal bread just before bedtime and drink a cup of camomile tea sweetened with a teaspoon of honey. Place a bag of dried lavender under your pillow to help you drift of to sleep naturally.

Drying your own fresh herbs to use in your natural remedies couldn't be easier, it is so much cheaper than buying them.

Simply pick a bunch, tie them together with some twine and hang on a sunny wall.

If the weather turns wet bring them inside and hang them near your stove top, or in a warm spare room.

Keep herbs of one type in one bunch, don't mix them as they can take differing amounts of time to dry.