HEALTH&BEAUTY
24
March 8th to 14th 2013
SUR IN ENGLISH
Mother nature knows best t do us any harm Old wives’ remedies may actually work, and they are unlikely to A book about oldfashioned remedies touches on everything from arsenic to gin and other ‘cures’ used by our ancestors :: PAF When UK TV presenter Lauren Laverne’s son had a nasty cough recently, she turned to her Twitter followers to seek some good oldfashioned advice from fellow mums on how to treat it. Laverne isn’t alone in looking to the wisdom of other mothers to help treat everyday illnesses. Most families have at least a couple of old wives’ tale remedies, passed down through the generations, that they use or swear by. When GP Dr Rob Hicks wrote Old
for your sp spice rack and ply it to nana and apply dip into int one of the your skin! hardes hardest-work“Plus, there is ing roo roots in ittle, if often little, the kit kitchen. any,, re“Ginge “Ginger is rch besearch rare as an d these hind o l d old remewives’ diess but rem remedy they’re in tthat generthere iis a l l y actual actually mless harmless research and worth around its trying if you anti-i anti-inflamwantt someLeft to go brown, apples can matory beneatural.” thing natural.” help with diarrhoea. :: SUR fits,“ say says Hicks. Here’s a round“It has been used to ’s favourup of Hicks’s treat morn morning sickness, d fixes. ite old-fashioned travel sickness as a well as nausea, as Ginger it’s thoug thought that the ginger oils reIf stomach cramps and travel sick- lax the stomach muscles, which in ness are blighting your belly, reach turn help ease the symptoms. “My grandmother used to use crystallised ginger, which is something I never liked as a child but has now become one of my favourites.” Ginger’s anti-inflammatory qualiAll new Dicton ties can also be helpful for other ailHearing Aids can ments. “If you have a cold, I’d suggest adding gratings of fresh ginger be fitted with a into hot honey and lemon (mixed Tinnitus Masker. with hot water to drink), so that you then have the vitamin C in the lemon and the antiseptic properties in the honey, as well as the anti-inflammatory qualities in the ginger,“ suggests Hicks.
Fashioned Remedies: From Arsenic To Gin, his own family were a rich source of inspiration on natural ways to soothe common ailments. “My interest in all of these remedies came partly from seeing the female members of my family using everyday products to treat common ailments,” says Hicks. “For instance, I’d see my aunty with bicarbonate of soda in her water and ask why she had done that.” While old wives’ tale remedies may not always be suitable (or practical!), Hicks reckons it’s always worth trying some of these cheap and natural cures that our mothers and grandmothers have used. “These treatments are readily available and generally harmless so they’re worth a try if it’s convenient for you,“ he says. “Understandably there are going to be times when it’s not convenient to mash up a ba-
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Cabbage leaves Eau d’cold cabbage leaf might not be your scent of choice but the whiffy greens can lift breast tenderness and period pain. “Cabbage leaves can be very helpful in relieving breast tenderness after you’ve had a child,“ says Hicks. “They can also be effective in easing period pain. You can put the
cooled leaves in your bra or apply them directly on your stomach. If that’s too cold, I’d recommend warming them slightly in the microwave.”
Bananas Get more out of your banana by using it to help lighten a headache. “If you have a headache, mash up a bit of ripe banana peel and apply it to the area affected - as long as it isn’t in your hair!” says Hicks. “Alternatively, place chilled banana peel on the painful area.” Banana skin can help soothe a vexing verruca too. “There has been no scientific research as far as I’m aware into this treatment and it could just have been coincidence, but I have seen a few cases where a patient has applied banana peel to a verruca and the verruca has then gone,“ says Hicks. “What I’d suggest is to cut a piece of banana peel big enough to cover the verruca and then tape it (with surgical tape from the pharmacist) to the area overnight. You could do this during the day, but it’s less likely to come off your foot when you’re in bed and don’t have stockings or socks and shoes on. “Another person told me she rubbed the peel onto the verruca for about 15 minutes every day, so again that’s worth trying.”
Bicarbonate of soda If you’re struck by a spell of cystitis, raid your kitchen cupboard for a tub of trusty bicarbonate of soda - it could make going to the loo less painful. “To help with cystitis, just add half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda to a pint of water and drink it,“ says Hicks. “It’s thought that the bicarbonate of soda reduces the acidity in the urine, which will then ease the symptoms of cystitis.”
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Ginger has been used for centuries to relieve sickness. :: SUR