Pharmacy in your fridge

A long long time ago, there were no pharmacies. There were no hospitals. There were no doctors, as we know them today. There were no ambulances. There were no nurses. There were no dentists.

Imagine what would have happened to you all those centuries ago if you were ill or injured. While this idea might render some sort of alarm in you, back then, people did not know any different and probably presumed that it was just life running it's natural course. Ignorance was bliss. But ill health would have been hell.

Only this century have miraculous medical inventions occurred. For example; anaesthetic and immunisation.While things such as these have made the prospect of having any type of physical misadventure or getting sick a lot more bearable, some very old-fashioned remedies are still used today. And some things that help prevent or control illnesses may only be as far away as your kitchen.

When was the last time you had the flu and how did you treat it? Eating garlic and honey (not necessarily together) is still a great way to de-bug your system. They have strong anti-bacterial properties that time and time again have been proven to really work.

Honey also serves as a topical anti-bacterial application if you have run out of the old dettol or iodine! Bacteria simply cannot live in honey and it is true that while it will go hard in the jar, you can still eat honey that is a hundred years old! If you suck on it when you have a sore throat, it actually kills some bacteria as it slides down on its way to your tummy, and once there, can give you a much needed energy boost.

Olive oil is one of nature's ultimate moisturisers. It is also a powerful source of mono-unsaturated fats and vitamin E. Remember, your skin is waterproof. When you rub cheap moisturisers on your skin, where the main ingredient is water, you think it is getting absorbed but in fact, most of it evapourates into the air. At best, it just sits on the surface of your skin till you start to sweat and THEN it gets evaporated.

If you can stand it, a tiny bit of pure olive oil on your skin or splashed into your bath water will have your skin begging for more. Oil and oxygen are absorbed deep down to nourish new cells - not water. Try it and see! Olive oil is also perfect for helping scars and shallow burns heal. If eaten regularly in small amounts, it can undo damage from the sun, pollutants and physical stress to a degree.

In your freezer is an amazing product that can aid in the healing of soft tissue injuries, bruises, sprains, first degree burns, hyperthermia and more. It's ice. You MUST keep your ice-trays full and at the ready.

Wrap ice in a plastic bag, then in a tea towel and apply onto skin for 10 to 20 minutes for these injuries. Then rest for 10 minutes before re-applying. For hyperthermia, place under the armpits, the throat, the wrists and groin, while laying down.

For other skin irritations, make some porridge. Don't eat it. Although, eating it is great too because it is complex carbohydrates but is relatively easy to digest. When eaten with mashed apples, it can help ease wind and nausea and other stomach complaints. But back to our skin ... let the porridge cool off, and apply to skin to reduce inflammation from allergies, sunburn and insect stings.

Got an eye irritation or infection? Mix half a teaspoon of salt into a 300ml glass of room temperature pure water and soak a piece of cotton wool in it. Squeeze excess liquid out of the cotton, and wipe your eye with it. For a kick-butt pimple weapon, add a few drops of tea tree oil or more salt and wipe your skin.

If you are very active and/or suffer from muscle cramps or twitches, eat bananas, potatoes and apricots for a huge healthy dose of potassium. Throw the muscle relaxants and litres of sports drinks away and eat three serves a day to get an improvement.

There are also foods and natural products to AVOID, depending on the injury or illness you have. For example, there is a protein found in peanuts that actually works in conjuction with the herpes virus to feed blisters. So, if you get a cold sore, be sure to avoid peanuts and peanut butter.

If you have a yeast infection or thrush, be sure to avoid foods with yeast, white flour or refined sugars in them, which the fungus loves! We all know the dangers to our teeth from eating excess refined sugar but if you have a stomach ulcer or wind, avoid sugar too because it makes it worse - especially in the form of soft drinks and beer.

If you are a migraine sufferer, you should be aware of the triggers to avoid in terms of your diet and lifestyle, but here is a fact that most are unaware of. An enzyme in oranges can make a migraine worse. Best to avoid eating these (and possibly lemons and grapefruits) if you are in the throes of a headache.

I'm always surprised at how many people go to the doctor for things that could have been prevented, or treated at home - for no cost to you in terms of time, money or hassle. However, a qualified doctor is necessary for all serious injuries and illnesses as well as for further information.

Keep your kitchen healthy for a healthy body and get to know yourself better by learning about foods that are right for you.

Why not do a first aid course and also learn more about the healing properties of nature?

Good luck everyone.

Clarification

WE have been asked to point out that the image of May Loch used in last week's Health Weekly was taken at the launch of the Curves fitness centre last year. We are happy to clarify the matter and apologise for any upset caused.