Mama's Home Remedies: Discover Time-Tested Secrets of Good Health and the Pleasures of Natural Living
Page 15
than a throbbing one and affect both sides of
The following advice
the head. Some people get tension-type (and
is garnered both from
migraine) headaches in response to stressful
the scientific field and
events or a hectic day.”23
people’s medicine, or folk
medicine. The treatments
FACTS
may be useful in the
Migraine headaches are less common
treatment of headaches
than tension-type headaches. Nevertheless,
of various origins and
migraines afflict 25 to 30 million people
character. Any headache
every year in the United States alone. As
treatment must have not
many as 6 percent of all men and up to 18
only a pain-relieving
percent of all women experience a migraine
effect, but it should also
attack at some time. This equals about 12 perhelp to eliminate the cent of the population as a whole. Roughly three
out of four migraine sufferers are female. Usually
cause of the pain.
migraine attacks are occasional, or sometimes as
If you decide to use these
often as once or twice a week, but not daily.24 By
remedies, do so after
age 15, 15 percent of all teens have experienced
consulting your doctor
a migraine attack. Fifty-eight percent of migraine
or other qualified healthattacks require some bed rest for a total of 112 milcare practitioner. Let your lion migraine-related bedridden days per year for
doctor/specialist guide
the U.S. population. Migraine costs to employers
you in the systematic use
from missed days and impaired work function are
of these remedies.
estimated at $13 bil ion annual y.25 By age 15, 15
Clever Remedies to Outsmart Headaches @ 133
percent of all teens have experienced a migraine attack. Fifty-eight percent of migraine attacks require some bed rest for a total of 112 million migrainerelated bedridden days per year for the U.S. population. Migraine costs to employers from missed days and impaired work function are estimated at $13
billion annually.26
Migraine sufferers say they did not see a doctor about their headache because of misdiagnosis and a belief that their physicians weren’t helping them.27
Migraine
One of the most common headaches, a migraine, is characterized by sudden pain, often accompanied by blurred vision, dizziness, drowsiness, and loss of energy. Headaches might intensify and may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting, as well as sensitivity to sound and light. A migraine can last from several hours to several days. Some scientists believe migraines are the result of poor blood circulation in the brain. Often they are caused by a short-term spasm of the vessels, which increases pressure and pain. “Migraines are felt on one side of the head by about 60 percent of migraine sufferers, and the pain is typically throbbing in nature.”28
People who suffer frequent migraines should seek a doctor’s advice because severe headaches can be a symptom of serious disease. Chamomile, the motherly herb
Look at the night sky full of stars. It looks like a miraculous island of lights. An ancient legend tells us
that one night tiny stars dropped from the sky and fell
to the earth as chamomile flowers.
Chamomile, because of its rich medicinal properties, is used extensively in many natural remedies throughout this book. The Latin name for chamomile
is Matricaria Chamomilla. The name is derived from the Latin word mater, which means mother. A kind herbal healer for the people, chamomile is like a good
nurturing mother and is a favorite, valued folk remedy
in Europe, especially in Russia.
134 ^ Mama’s Home Remedies
I n the mid-nineteenth century chamomile
was displayed in a famous St. Petersburg
botanical garden as a rare flower—30 years later
it grew everywhere in Russia. Chamomile made her
way from America to Russia quite easily. As American farmers harvested their fields of grain, small chamomile seeds were collected as well and inadvertently placed into burlap sacks with the grain into the holding compartments of ships. They were
“bilkers”—passengers without tickets.
Upon arrival in Russia, the grain was moved by rail. Some
sacks were travel worn and ruptured, spilling their contents onto the floors and through cracks where the seeds were sown along the railway. A short time later embankments along the route flourished with the soft, aromatic herb. This is how chamomile seeds passed through several Russian borders undetected and became a permanent flower of my homeland, a staple in our pharmacies, kitchens, and hearts, thousands of miles from America, their native land.
Try the fol owing remedies to ease headache!
r 4. Drink fresh carrot juice.
r 5. Administer an enema mixture of herbal laxative such as chamomile, valerian root, horehound, horsetail, or dandelion for relief of occasional constipation and bowel cleansing.
r 6. Apply a hot water or vinegar compress to the forehead. Clever Remedies to Outsmart Headaches @ 135
r 7. Drink hot Indian tea mixed with Ceylon and lemon.
r 8. Drink hot green tea with jasmine.
r 9. With both hands, massage your head from your forehead to the base of your skul .
r 10. Boil two tablespoons cherries in two cups water for five to seven minutes. Add a pinch of sugar and drink as a hot tea.
r 11. Inhale vapors of a mixture of one tablespoon of camphor and one tablespoon of spirits of ammonia. Or try soothing aromatherapy by inhaling vapors of two to three drops of essential oil of peppermint or lavender added to one cup of water, which has been brought to boiling and removed from heat source.
r 12. Drink one glass of spring water on an empty stomach every morning for two to three weeks.
r 13. In a smal pot combine two teaspoons of peppermint leaves with one cup of boiled water. Steep for three to five minutes, stirring occasional y. Filter and add ½ cup of boiled water. Drink one to three times daily 15 minutes before eating. This tea wil keep in the refrigerator for two days.
r 14. Ease migraines with contrast baths: alternate about six hot and cold water dips for hands and feet.
r 15. Rest your head on a pil ow fil ed with a medicinal herb such as lavender. Try sleeping on it for at least two hours for a luxuriously soothing and simple treatment.
r 16. Drink ½ cup fresh cranberry juice.
136 ^ Mama’s Home Remedies
r 17. Drink one ounce of fresh potato juice.
r 18. Make linden tea and drink it hot. It is a good sedative and pain reliever.
r 19. Before bed take one tablespoon of sugar or honey and wash it down with one glass of spring water. Do this for several days. This helps a stress headache.
r 20. Drink primrose tea.
r 21. Place one teaspoon of primrose (roots,
Note:
leaves, and stems) in a mug. Add boiling water and let steep for 30 minPrimrose should not be utes. Drink two to four ounces twice
daily.
confused with Evening
primrose ( Oenothera
biennis). This tea acts as
Chronic headaches
a sedative and has a light
Chronic headaches of nervous origin
soporific effect. However,
may occur in the head, temples, or forehead.
taken in excess, this tea
Some people experience scalp pain, which
can cause excitability.
may indicate oversensitivity. People who sufDo not exceed
fer from chronic headaches may need rest
recommended dosage.
and/or the following:
r 22. Vitamin C, vitamin B complex.
r 23. To eliminate or ease nervous headache, try Egg Milk. In a small bowl beat one fresh egg and slowly add 3/4 cup scalded milk. Beat together and drink at once. Fol ow this simple method every day for 10 days.
Clever Remedies to Outsmart Headaches @ 137
r 24. With the fingertips apply light pressure to the temples for 10-15
seconds. Release the pressure. Blood wil flow into your head to ease the headache
r 25. Soak feet to the ankles in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes. r 26. Cut a raw potato into thin slices, wrap in two layers of gauze or cheesecloth, and use as a compress on the forehead for 10-15
minutes.
r 27. When you come home after many hours of working on a computer, you may suffer from what I cal brainwork fatigue. To revitalize yourself, try this: Take a warm bath with chamomile. Add five bags of chamomile tea to two cups of boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes, add to bath, and relax in the tub for at least 30 minutes.
r 28. Ease a sudden headache without special symptoms by adding three drops of glycerin to hot, not boiling, water. Place your elbows in the water until your headache decreases (usual y about 20-30 minutes). Add water when necessary to maintain a high temperature.
Headache related to anemia
Because of poor blood circulation, people who suffer from anemia often complain of headaches. You will recognize if anemia is the cause of your pain by several symptoms: forehead becomes cold, pupils dilate, and pulse rate drops. Try this:
r 29. Tie a cotton kerchief around your head and sit up, elevating your feet. It is important that your feet are the same level as your head. Drink a smal cup of strong black coffee or cold raspberry, 138 ^ Mama’s Home Remedies
strawberry, or chamomile tea. Make sure that you maintain a regular schedule for meals to ensure that you do not become constipated. If constipation occurs, you may find it necessary to cleanse your system with an enema. Afterwards relax with a cold chamomile compress to the forehead.
Headache related to flatulence
r 30. Administer an enema of boiled and cooled water (warm or room temperature) or chamomile tea. Then melt in your mouth a cube of refined sugar to which has been added five to seven drops of lavender oil. Make sure to use unadulterated essential oil of lav- endar that does not contain chemicals or perfumes. Fol owing this, you wil begin to feel better.
r 31. Honey tea—Careful, some people are allergic to honey, particu- larly the tropical blends of honey. For those who can eat honey, the fol owing recipe taken two to three times daily can offer some relief from gas. Add one tablespoon of honey and a slice of lemon to a mug of boiling water. Enjoy!
r 32. No fooling! Soak your socks in water. While stil wet, put them on and cover them with a pair of dry socks and a warm blanket. Try this for a few days. It is best to do this before bedtime and keep the wet and dry socks on your feet while you sleep.
r 33. Hot, strong black tea with lemon works wel when combined with a pinch of peppermint. Black tea helps dilate the blood vessels to ease headaches. I have used this simple healing remedy many times and find that it offers relief. However, I advise you to limit your intake of black tea because it is a stimulant like coffee and may disrupt sleep.
r 34. In combination with the tea therapy described in #33, you can try this five-minute exercise. Shake your head (gently) two to Clever Remedies to Outsmart Headaches @ 139
three times up and two to three times down. Shake your head two to three times to the right shoulder, then two to three times to the left shoulder. Relax the muscles in your neck, and then turn your head slowly from one side to the other. After you do this exercise several times, your headache may cease. If not, try again in a few minutes.
r 35. Brew strong Chinese green tea (plain, lemon, lime, orange, or tangerine) with a pinch of mint. Drink one mug.
r 36. Peel one fresh lemon and place wet side of the peel down on the temples.
r 37. Chew a few leaves of feverfew.
r 38. My grandma used a compress of chamomile and strong black tea. Put one teaspoon each of chamomile and black tea in a glass pitcher. Add one cup of boiling water. Let steep for five to seven minutes. Then soak cheesecloth in this liquid, wring it out, and wrap around your head.
r 39. Smear the forehead, temples, and bridge of nose with the juice of a fresh black radish.
The magic of garlic and onions
Did you know that garlic and onion were used as amulets on the battlefield? In Europe during the Middle Ages soldiers and knights put garlic or onion on their helmets and in their armor. They used iron shields to protect themselves and wore garlic and onions around their necks to defend themselves against the enemy swords and arrows. Garlic and onion were found in sarcophagi with mummies of Egyptian pharaohs six thousand years ago. In the sixteenth century garlic was used to protect against the Black Death (plague), as an antidote for poisons, and as treatment for tuberculosis and arteriosclerosis.
140 ^ Mama’s Home Remedies
r 40. Place wet side of onion slices as compress on forehead. r 41. Mash garlic; put it inside three layers of cheesecloth, and use as a compress on your forehead.
r 42. Place a washed, fresh geranium ( Gerania odorius) leaf as a compress on the forehead. r 43. Valerian root, known throughout Europe and particularly in Russia from the Middle Ages, has a pungent smel and a bitter taste. This unique healer calms nerves and reduces the pressure of a headache. It promotes digestion, warms the alimentary canal, and eases mild depression and intestinal diseases.
Nastoykas
Right or wrong, and definitely contrary to the doctrines of Western medicine that promotes drinking at least eight eight-ounce glasses of water daily and limiting alcohol intake, my grandpa rarely drank water. Instead he drank his own homemade wine which he called “Sunny Beams.” Curiously he never was drunk, he never was sick, and he lived to be 89. After he died, doctors told us that his blood vessels were “as clean as an 18-year-old’s.”
Nastoyka is Russian for a specially prepared liquor or infusion. The following are some familiar nastoykas used by my family for years to treat nervous tension (especially anxiety and insomnia), to strengthen the heart, to improve digestion, and sometimes to reduce high blood pressure.
Valerian Nastoyka
r 44. Cut smal pieces of valerian root (one tablespoon) or use 10–15
500-mg powdered valerian capsules. Add five tablespoons of 70percent vodka. Store in a warm place for one week, and shake it occasional y. Pass the liquid through a sieve and the nastoyka is ready to use. Take about 15 drops a day as a sedating brew for sleeplessness and anxiety.
Clever Remedies to Outsmart Headaches @ 141
r 45. Cut valerian root (or 10–15 capsules) into smal pieces to equal one tablespoon. Add four tablespoons of 70-percent vodka. Store for four days. Then add one teaspoon of lemon juice or three drops of peppermint water available from pharmacies to disguise the flavor. Let steep for an additional three days. Pass the liquid through a sieve. You wil have a solution with a yel ow tint. Take 10 drops twice daily as a sedative or for insomnia.
r 46. Add two tablespoons (about 20 capsules) of ground valerian root to a bath. This is an excel ent remedy for nervousness, sleeplessness, headaches, stomach pains, and spasms of the uterus. r 47. Valerian root in 470–500 mg capsules is effective for easing symptoms of pneumonia, migraine, and scarlet fever. Take two to three capsules three to four times daily with eight ounces of water or three to four capsules 30 minutes before bedtime. r 48. Mince two tablespoons of valerian root and place in a mug. Add one glass of cold water. Let steep for six to eight hours. Filter. Take one tablespoon three times daily as a sedative or
Caution:
for insomnia.
It is known that St. John’s Wort takes
Valerian enhances the
action of sleep-inducing
its name from the Knights
of St. John
drugs. Avoid it if taking
of Jerusalem, who used this plant to
this type of medication.
treat wounds of the injured on Crusade
Take Valerian for only two
battlefields. In Russia, St. John’s Wort is
to three weeks without
called a healer of 99 diseases. It is used
a break as continual use
extensively in many herbal concoctions
may lead to palpitations
because of its ability to soothe a wide
and headaches.
range of ailments, such as inflammaDon’t confuse Valerian tions and injuries, jaundice, hysteria,
( Valeriana officinalis) with
depression, anxiety, and irritability, espered “American” valerian cially during menopause. Some plants, such
( Centranthus rubber), a
as raspberries, lose their effectiveness in dried
garden plant, which has
form, but St. John’s Wort is an effective healer
no medicinal properties.
in fresh or dried form.
142 ^ Mama’s Home Remedies
r 49. Place one tablespoon of St. John’s Wort in a mug. Add boiling water. Leave to infuse for 15 minutes. Filter and drink three tablespoons three times a day for anxiety, emotional upsets, and nervous tension.
Elecampane was one of the most important herbs to the Romans and Greeks. By the nineteenth century it was widely used for stubborn coughs and congestion, colds, bronchitis, neuralgia, and skin problems. In Russia elecampane root is called the “nine powers herb.” It is used as a tonic for weakness following colds and to treat headaches provoked by upper respiratory problems. r 50. Slice thinly a smal elecampane root. Boil one teaspoon for 15
minutes in one cup water. Cool, filter, and drink three tablespoons three times daily. r 51. Place one tablespoon dried elder flowers in eight ounces boiling water and steep for 20 minutes. Filter and add one teaspoon honey. Drink two ounces three or four times daily 15 minutes before eating. This tea is best prepared fresh each time you use it. r 52. If you suffer from chronic headaches that occur monthly or weekly, try this simple remedy: Juice a potato and drink two ounces two to three times daily.
r 53. When you are overtired, your “head is swimming,” and you feel giddy from exhaustion, try this: Mix 1½ tablespoons hawthorn berries with 1½ tablespoons hawthorn flowers. Add 24 ounces boiling water and steep for two hours in a warm place. Filter and take one tablespoon three times daily 30 minutes before eating. r 54. Ginseng helps fight fatigue and headache. Cut one tablespoon ginseng root into smal pieces and place in a mug with four ounces Port wine or cognac. Let steep five to seven days. Take 15