Home Remedies

So I’ve developed a few hippie-like habits lately that I thought I’d share with you.  This all began when I started searching for a natural cure for allergies.  I have had horrible allergies for years and nothing over the counter seems to work.  Allergy shots seem to help, but I don’t want to spend the rest of my life getting weekly shots.  This prompted me to look for something more natural to help.  I did some googling and found a ton of articles about the effects of apple cider vinegar on allergies.  A lot of people claimed that this exponentially decreased their symptoms and I was intrigued! 

So, I went out and got some and began ingesting it.  In order for it to be effective you have to buy the raw-unfiltered kind from a health food store.  It tastes disgusting so I put 1 tablespoon of the ACV in apple juice and add a little raw honey (I read this has lots of health benefits too) to make it more palatable.  I started to drink this concoction twice a day and I could definitely tell that it lessened my allergy symptoms. ACV has strong anti-inflammatory properties so it relieves my congestion almost immediately after I drink it.  My allergies are much worse in spring than they are in winter, so I’m eager to see how this helps in the spring months ahead. 

In addition to helping with allergies ACV is said to help lower cholesterol.  I have had hereditary high cholesterol since I was a baby, so I’m eager to see if my numbers have gone down next time I’m tested. 

There are numerous other benefits that ACV can offer, and you can read more about them here.

Another thing I’ve been using lately is coconut oil.  I’ve been using this as a moisturizer on my face at night.  It is said to be an excellent anti-aging treatment.  I’m all about preventing aging while I’m young, so I get really excited when I read about the benefits of coconut oil.

Coconut oil is also said to be a very healthy oil to ingest.  It is full of the good kinds of fat, and it is an excellent substitute for vegetable oils when cooking.

 

I’ve become an avid Pinterester as of late, and I’ve seen several people pin things about Detox baths.  I love baths this time of year (mostly because it is so cold that the only place I feel truly warm is in a hot bath).  I have no idea if these are actually good for you or if it’s just an old wive’s tale, but I have fun doing it anyway.  I add 2 cups Epsom salt, 1 cup baking soda and a few tablespoons of ginger to my bath water.  I stir it all together like a potion and then I hop in for about 30 minutes.  The ginger makes you sweat a ton, which I like to think is removing toxins… I’m not sure if it truly is or not… this is one I need to research further.  The downside to this is that I feel like it makes me smell like sushi, because I associate the smell of ginger with sushi. 

My most unsuccessful attempt at a homemade concoction was baking soda shampoo/vinegar conditioner.  We all know shampoo has harsh chemicals and it’s bad for your hair.  Since I’m a bit vain about my hair, I thought I’d try this natural cleansing in hopes to keep it happy and healthy.  I did a ton of research on this and people that have tried it said that it takes several weeks to stabilize and that your hair will be really oily and gross when you first start, but it eventually becomes awesome.  I tried this last fall just prior to what was probably the most important week of my professional life so far… not the best timing in hindsight.  My hair wasn’t really excessively oily and gross, but it was super staticy and tangled ALL OF THE TIME. I was a trooper and stuck with it for about 3-4 weeks to see if it would get better, but it just kept getting worse.  I felt I was ripping half my hair out every time I brushed and I concluded that that was probably worse for my hair than shampooing it. I’ve just accepted that I’m one of those people who damages my hair by washing it with shampoo and highlighting it with harsh chemicals…. You can’t win ‘em all.

I’m not one to take myself too seriously with my home remedies, but I really have enjoyed finding a few little things that seem to be making a difference, and to have ruled out one or two that don’t.