Friday, October 21, 2011

Grocery shopping for healthy alternatives

 Our lovely fall weather took a turn for the colder, snow on Mt LaConte, an inch they say, its much higher than our mountain. But the chill is being felt. Should warm up again in a few days.
   Before we move deeper into the grocery store, I need to back track. Forgot a very important use for garlic on our last trip. I buy Sally Hansen Hard as Nails  nail polish, and add about 1/4 teaspoon of chopped garlic to the bottle. Yep, its a bit tricky but I like to use the little jars of pre chopped garlic, and just sort of feed it in with my finger. Let this set about a week, then polish clean nails, two coats.  don't remove it during the week, just keep adding another coat every 2 or 3 days. After about a month nails are as hard as acrylic ones, I am impressed with the strength! I do remove  polish once a week.
  Today, lets move to the tea and coffee isle.  Peppermint tea is good for your insides and your outsides. Make it fairly strong by brewing in a covered container for 15 to 20 minutes. You can use the used bags on insect bites, very soothing. Also works on rashes and feet of diabetic folk. Just soak a cloth in the brewed tea and apply. And of course, drink it for tummy upsets. You can add some honey if you like it sweeter.
  Camomile is the next to purchase. This one has so many uses. It's great for children and adults. If you have a teething baby, brew it (per peppermint instructions) and try these.  For Pink Eye, soak cotton balls and apply to eyes, for cold and flu and sore throat, just sip a cup. This is also good to ease gout pain and muscle pain(drink). If you are traveling and need them while on the road, Starbucks has them for sale, but you need to know what to ask for. Peppermint is sold as "Refresh," and Chamomile is sold as "Calm." For little or big people, popsicles can be made to aid upset tummys and diarrhea.  Just brew your tea, use 3 cups and stir in 2 cups of yogurt, 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice and honey to taste. Pour into pop molds or use plastic dixie cups and add a popsicle stick, freeze. You can also freeze a clean cloth with the tea on it and let you teething baby chew on it.
  On to the spice aisle. You all know that salt water is a great gargle for sore throats. But did you know you can make an electrolyte drink, much like the ones you pay so much for  by mixing  a pinch of salt in a glass with lemon and honey? Warm water works best.
   Cinnamon is great for circulation, digestion, fever, blood sugar(put it in your oatmeal)  toothache, and it refreshes your mouth if you sprinkle it on your toothbrush and brush your teeth once in a while. Clove oil is also a great item to use on a toothache. In 1885  cocaine was legal and sold for 15 cents a bottle to use for toothache. If you can't sleep dry bringing a cup of milk almost to a boil and stirring in 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, cover and brew about 10 minutes, add a little honey and drink.
  Sage is good for sores in your mouth(canker) or you can gargle with it, when made as a tea. Or  put fresh sage leaves in a jar ,cover with honey and let sit til syrupy to use for sore throat. I had an infection on a knuckle this last week and brewed up some tea and soaked, it seems to be gone.
  We will wind up today with turmeric. This stuff is amazing.  You can sprinkle it on small cuts to stop bleeding, but my favorite I learned nearly 40 years ago. It's a potent anti inflamatory. My Mom had horrid hands, all gnarled up with arthritis, and very painful. She was a teacher and was put on medicines, likely steroids, to allow her to write on the blackboard and do her paper work with less pain. I went to my Health food store and asked if there was a way to keep from having the same problem as I aged. I was told to take turmeric and ginger supplements. Started then, still take them, as did my husband until his death, and I am now 74 but have no problems with pain in any of my joints. Knuckles are slightly enlarged but that's it.  It also may help ward of cancer, any illness is a sign if inflammation in the body somewhere so what ever you can do to prevent future problems, go for it.
   Hope this gives you a few new ideas, good health to all!

No comments:

Post a Comment