Health Tips -6

Eat Bananas

People whose diets are rich in potassium may be less prone to high blood pressure. Besides reducing sodium and taking other heart-healthy steps, eat potassium-packed picks such as bananas, cantaloupe, and oranges.

 

Love Lavender

To ease stress and prepare for bed, soak in a hot bath spiked with a few drops of lavender essential oil. Play soothing music while you bathe to unwind further.

Keep Capsaicin Cream on Hand

For sore muscles and joints, apply a cream or ointment that contains capsaicin, the active ingredient in chile peppers, two or three times a day. The heat from the peppers has been shown to help relieve pain.

Get a Massage

Certain trigger points -- spots of tension in musculoskeletal tissue -- can cause back pain. Ask a massage therapist or other bodyworker who specializes in myofascial release or neuromuscular therapy to focus on these points during a massage.

 

Go for Garlic

Adding raw or lightly cooked garlic and onions to your meals may help keep you healthy this winter. Both foods appear to possess antiviral and antibacterial properties and are believed to boost immunity.

Try Tea Tree Oil

For athlete's foot, reach for tea tree oil, an extract of the leaves of an Australian tree. It appears to have antiseptic properties and may work as well as or better than over-the-counter antifungal products. Apply a light coating of the oil to affected areas two to three times a day; continue for a week or two after symptoms disappear.

Take Tulsi

Research suggests that this Ayurvedic herb, also called holy basil, may help manage levels ofthe stress hormone cortisol, helping to boost  your mood. Look for teas and supplements in health-food stores and follow package directions.

Eat Avocados

For dry skin, incorporate more avocados into your diet. They're rich in monounsaturated fat and vitamin E, both of which promote healthy skin. Try them on salads and sandwiches, and even in smoothies.

Keep Echinacea Close

If you feel a cold coming on, consider reaching for this age-old remedy. A 2007 meta-analysis showed that the herb can reduce cold symptoms. Aim for three grams daily in tincture or capsule form, starting at the first sign of symptoms.

Invest in a Neti Pot

Plagued with sinus problems? Rinse your nasal passages twice a day to flush out pollen and other irritants. Put saline solution (a 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 cup warm water) in a plastic squirt bottle or a nasal irrigator, a spouted container that allows you to pour water directly into your nose. The solution should fill your nasal cavity and spill out the other nostril. Gently blow your nose afterward.

Health Tips-2

1. Rub your ears to boost energy: Instead of reaching for another cup of coffee, give your ears a gentle self-massage. According to Chinese medicine, stimulating the pressure points in the ears increases blood circulation to all parts of the body, giving you an instant energy boost.

2. Cure hiccups with peanut butter: Chewing and swallowing the sticky spread will interrupt your breathing pattern and force your diaphragm to relax.

3. Use honey to soothe a sore throat: A natural antibacterial and antifungal agent, honey can help coat and soothe sore throats and alleviate minor coughs.

4. Blow-dry waterlogged ears: Put a hair dryer on the gentlest setting and hold it a few inches away from your ear. The increased airflow will help to evaporate the water in your ear.

5. Make warts disappear with garlic: Garlic — which has been shown to have antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties — is thought to be an effective home remedy for warts. Apply a freshly cut garlic clove to the wart, place a bandage over it, and leave the bandage on overnight. Repeat every night until the wart disappears.

6. Blow on your thumb to calm jangled nerves: The thumb has its own pulse, and blowing on the thumb will cool down the thumb and thus calm the heart rate, as cold air can slow down your pulse. This trick might also help simply because the act of blowing forces you to deepen your breathing, which calms the heart.

7. Sniff peppermint to quell a craving: Chew mint gum, sip peppermint tea or take a whiff of peppermint oil. Studies suggest that the scent of peppermint stimulates the brain to release appetite-suppressing hormones and promotes a feeling of fullness.

8. Curl your toes to fall asleep faster: The next time you find yourself tossing and turning, try a progressive muscle relaxation technique. Begin by slowly curling and uncurling your toes. Then, work your way up the entire body, from your toes to your neck, tightening a certain muscle group before releasing it.

9. Smile to make yourself happier: Scientists have found that the simple act of smiling can lower blood pressure and release stress, giving you an instant mood boost (yes, even forced smiles count!).

10. Press your tongue against the roof of your mouth to beat brain freeze: Also referred to as “ice cream headaches,” brain freezes are caused by a rapid increase in blood flow to the brain. After you down a frozen treat, trythrusting your tongue against the roof of your mouth — this will warm up the palate and ease the flow of blood to the brain.

11. Rub Vicks Vaporub on feet for congestion: To temporarily relieve a cough, try applying the mentholated topical cream on the soles of your feet and immediately covering with a pair of socks. There is no scientific explanation for why this old wives’ trick works, but many stuffy nose-sufferers (and even nurses and doctors) swear by it.

12. Use ginger to prevent motion sickness: Twenty minutes before travel, take two capsules of powdered ginger to ease an upset stomach caused by motion sickness.

13. Shake your head to wake up sleepy feet: It happens to all of us — you’re sitting in an awkward position when all of a sudden your foot, hand or other body part falls asleep. To quickly eliminate that uncomfortable tingling sensation, move your head side to side. The movement helps relieve nerve tension.

14. Alleviate nausea by massaging wrist: Relieve nausea by lightly massaging the pressure point on the inside of your wrist, about three finger widths below the base of your palm.

15. Squeeze lemon to erase pimples: Banish breakouts by dabbing a little lemon juice on problem areas — its antibacterial properties will help kill excess bacteria and reduce acne.

16. Dab on clove oil to alleviate toothache pain: Apply a very small amount of clove oil to a cotton swab and gently dab onto the affected tooth area. The essential oil has been shown in studies to have analgesic and antibacterial properties, making it a useful tool in treating bacteria-caused toothaches.

17. Inhale onion vapors for sinus relief: Chop up an onion, put it in 

a bowl and inhale the onion fumes. The vapors help open sinus passageways, providing relief from sinus pressure.

18. Stop mouth bleeds with tea bags: To stop mouth bleeds after oral surgery or injuries, apply a moistened tea bag to the affected area; the tannins in tea help the blood coagulate faster. 

19. Steam to relieve nasal congestion: Steam helps to loosen mucus and clear out the sinus cavities, providing relief from nasal congestion. A hot bath works, too. 

20. Sleep on your left side to prevent acid reflux: Researchers have determined that leftside sleeping helps with digestion and eases heartburn pain.