Sunday, April 5, 2015

Home Remedies and Natural Cures - Healthy or Hogwash?

Before I begin, I have to make a confession.

I hate doctors, hospitals, surgery, prescriptions and even lab tests.  My own personal opinion is that the health care industry is primarily driven by the health insurance industry, to the detriment of individuals' quality of life.

Don't get me wrong, I don't believe health care practitioners are bad people and that they don't care about their patients.  Sadly, I feel that they are being boxed into tighter and tighter constraints due to unrealistic requirements and fear of lawsuits and liabilities.

Additionally, living on a boat makes me want to avoid being tied to a specific health care network.  When cruising the islands, you don't want to have to look for a Mayo or Cleveland Clinic for every little thing.

When you combine this with my dislike of seeking professional care, I tend to do a lot of research and try natural remedies before heading to Urgent Care.  And what do you know?  There's quite a few natural cures that actually work!  Even better and faster than prescription drugs, the latter of which may have severe side effects.  Below, I've listed my favorites that I've sworn by for decades.

Since I have to put a disclaimer, here it is.

  1. I am not a doctor, nurse, nurse practitioner, practitioner's assistant or any other health professional.
  2. USE COMMON SENSE when trying these remedies.  If you're allergic to one of these items, don't use it.
  3. DO NOT think that if two tablespoons is good, a cup is 8 times better.
  4. Try a remedy.  If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. 
  5. Don't put off going to the doctor if you experience severe discomfort, especially anything that lasts for longer than a few days.

Anyway, here they are...

  


  1. Malady: Digestive discomfort, even as severe as colitis.  Remedy:  Aloe Vera juice.  Not the gross pulpy stuff you'd get by blending up the plant, but the filtered, tasteless juice you can buy at Whole Foods or other grocer.  There's even a brand with a happy road runner on the label.  Two ounces in the morning, two at lunch, mixed with juice, if you'd like.  Should see relief in a few days.  
  2. Malady: Urinary Tract Infection (UTI).  Remedy: Cranberry capsules.  I used to contract a lot of UTI's; so many that I've had to be dilated (VERY painful) to reduce scar tissue.  After reading that cranberries kept the bacteria from adhering to the urinary tract walls and not having much luck with cranberry juice (too diluted), I bought cranberry capsules.  These are just capsules of crushed up cranberries.  At the first symptom of a UTI, I take a handful of capsules, probably about twelve.  This is repeated every couple of hours along with a glassfuls of water.  Since I've been attacking the attacks with this, I haven't had a UTI last more than about three hours.  Keep in mind that since the dose is extreme, make sure there are no other additives to the capsules such as calcium or other minerals.
  3. Malady: Acid Reflux.  Remedy: Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV).  I know, I know, it's counter intuitive.  But think about it this way.  The primary duty of our stomach is to digest food.  How does it do this?  By producing acid.  What do the acid reflux drugs do?  They neutralize acid.  When the acid level goes down, what does the stomach do?  Produce acid.  The idea behind the apple cider vinegar is to rebalance the stomach acid.  I personally know of a person who suffered so badly from acid reflux that they couldn't sleep at night due to the coughing.  The prescription drugs weren't working and sleep was impossible.  After taking two ounces of ACV in the morning and two at midday for about a week, the coughing went away completely and the person was able to stop taking the prescription drugs.  Why apple cider vinegar specifically?  I dunno...  Please see the disclaimer.  I'm an engineer, not a doctor, Captain...  If you don't want to take the vinegar straight, mix it with apple cider - it just tastes a little more tart.
  4. Malady: Gall bladder pain.  Remedy: Apple Cider Vinegar.  Redundant?  Possibly.  But this stuff is great.  Same treatment as for Acid Reflux until the pain subsides.  I've had severe gall bladder pain that subsided in a couple of hours after taking the ACV.  DO NOT drink mass quantities - you will get sick... 
  5. Malady: Burns.  Remedy: Olive Oil.  I learned this trick from a guy who worked in a pizza parlor.  Pour the oil (must be olive oil, not vegetable, canola, butter or any other kind.  Why?  I dunno...) over the affected area and keep applying until the heat goes away.  I've seen it remove the pain and keep a burn from blistering even if the burn came from a glowing ember (from a barbecue grill) or grabbing a hot pan.  This works even better than Aloe.  Sorry, but it does.   
  6. Malady: Pollen Allergies.  Remedy: Local Raw Honey.  A tablespoon in the morning will relieve symptoms in a few days.  If you can't get true local honey, try to get some from the area that's similar to what is causing your woes.  A few years ago, the pollen count in Boston was so high that my black car was coated with a fine layer of yellow every morning.  I wanted to pull my eyes out of their sockets and wash them, they itched so badly.  I went to a farmers' market and found a vendor selling golden rod honey from upstate New York.  Sorry, all you Red Sox fans, but I was desperate.  The honey was almost gritty, it had so much pollen in it.  Tasted great.  After three days, the itching had completely subsided.  And, how horrible is it to start your day with a tablespoon of honey???
  7. Malady: Vaginal Yeast Infection.  Remedy: Plain Yogurt with Active Bacteria Cultures.  Gross topic, I agree, but anyone who's ever contracted one of these knows how awful it can be.  And the various treatments have never worked well for me.  Just take a big scoop and slather it on the affected area.  Stuff it right up there.  Relief is almost immediate, especially if it's cool from the refrigerator, and it knocks the infection in the head right away.  This is where common sense comes in.  Apply it before you take your shower, wipe away excess, whatever, but don't go wandering around with it dripping.  More confession time - one time I was in agony and the store didn't have plain.  Strawberry worked just as well, but I'd advise getting the cheap brands without whole fruit...

These are my top favorites.  There are probably more and, as I think of them, I'll add them in.  Good luck and good health!

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