Bits n Pieces

If you know the cause of your acne and you are looking for home remedies that others have tried and found to work, here is a list of some that you can try. The acne home remedies listed here have worked for many people but it does not guarantee for some people. Verify if you are allergic or overly sensitive to the following items: garlic, papaya, glycerin, eggs, orange, or lemons before using.

1. Apply some toothpaste on the acne spots. Don’t apply on skin because it will make it dry. Make sure it is the paste not the gel.
2. Massage the face with the peel of lemon, orange or grapefruit directly to acne spots. Wash with lukewarm water after 10 – 20 mins.
3. Rub raw crushed and dabbed garlic on the acne spot gently. Garlic is very beneficial for acne sufferers. Garlic reduces the inflammation and is also very effective in fading away the scar that is generally left after the acne vanishes.
4. Place ripe tomato pulp on your pimples and keep the tomato pulp up to one hour; then wash off.
5. Apply fresh lemon juice on the affected area overnight. Wash off with warm water next morning.
6. Apply Aloe Vera juice twice a day can greatly speed up the healing of acne lesions. Aloe Vera is not only a great anti-inflammatory agent; it also has anti-bacterial properties which makes it an ideal home remedy for acne.
7. Apply mixed mint juice with turmeric powder on affected area. Leave for 15-30 minutes and wash off with lukewarm water.
8. Apply blended cucumber on your face and leave it for 1/2 hour and then rinse. This refreshes your skin and prevents acne from breaking out.
9. Apply juice of raw papaya (including the skin and seed) on swelling pimples or acne.
10. Mix 1 tablespoon of yeast (dried or fresh) with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Apply it on the face and wait until it gets hard (try not to move), peel or wash with warm water.
11. Mix the vinegar and salt together, before rubbing the mix over the pimples. Leave it there for some 10 to 20 mins before removing with lukewarm water.
12. Blend some nutmeg with milk into paste and apply on affected area. Wash it off after 20 minutes. Pimples disappear like magic without leaving a mark.
13. If you have oily skin apply a paste made by mixing sandalwood and few drops of rosewater on the acne affected area for about an hour and then wash off gently.
14. If you have dry skin, take a piece of sandalwood and rub it on a smooth stone and make a paste using a few drops of raw milk. Apply the mixture on the acne and keep it for an hour and thereafter gently wash with water.
15. Apply fresh mint juice over the face every night for the treatment of acne, pimples, insect stings, eczema, scabies, & other skin infections.
16. Apply grated potatoes as poultice to treat skin blemishes, wrinkles, boils, pimples, blackheads and whiteheads.
17. Apply a paste of ground sesame seeds with water as poultice for inflammation of the skin due to allergies, skin rashes, and pimples.
18. Mix 1 teaspoons of groundnut oil with 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice apply on pimple to prevent formation of blackheads and pimples.
19. Apply a mixture of lime juice and rose water on face and leave it for 15-20 mins. Rinse off with lukewarm water.

Discontinue use immediately if a rash occurs and consult a qualified dermatology professional.

Bananas, containing three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier. Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of haemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine, "eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many illness. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around.

Eat plenty of fish -- fish oil helps prevent headaches. So does ginger, which reduces inflammation and pain.

Eat lots of yogurt before pollen season. Also eat honey from your area (local region) daily.

Prevent buildup of fatty deposits on artery walls with regular doses of tea. (actually, tea suppresses appetite and keeps the pounds from invading. Green tea is great for our immune system)!

Use honey as a tranquilizer and sedative.

ASTHMA? EAT ONIONS!!!!
Eating onions helps ease constriction of bronchial tubes. (make onion packs to place on the chest, helped the respiratory ailments and actually help breathe better).

Salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines actually prevent arthritis. (fish has omega oils, good for our immune system).

Bananas will settle an upset stomach. Ginger will cure morning sickness and nausea.

High-acid cranberry juice controls harmful bacteria.

Bone fractures and osteoporosis can be prevented by the manganese in pineapple.

Women can ward off the effects of PMS with cornflakes, which help reduce depression, anxiety and fatigue.

Oysters help improve your mental functioning by supplying much-needed zinc.

Clear up that stuffy head with garlic. (remember, garlic lowers cholesterol, too.)

A substance similar to that found in the cough syrups is found in hot red pepper. Use red (cayenne) pepper with caution, it can irritate your tummy.

BREAST CANCER? EAT Wheat, bran and cabbage!
Helps to maintain estrogen at healthy levels.

A good antidote is beta carotene, a form of Vitamin A found in dark green and orange vegetables.

Cabbage contains chemicals that help heal both gastric and duodenal ulcers.

Grate an apple with its skin, let it turn brown and eat it to cure this condition. (bananas are good for this ailment).

Mono unsaturated fat in avocados lowers cholesterol.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE? EAT CELERY AND OLIVE OIL!!!
Olive oil has been shown to lower blood pressure. Celery contains a chemical that lowers pressure too.

The chromium in broccoli and peanuts helps regulate insulin and blood sugar.

It works 100% of the time although the scientists at the Canada Research council (who discovered it) aren't sure why.

To stop night-time coughing in a child (or adult as we found out personally), put Vicks Vapo rub generously on the bottom of the feet at bedtime, then cover with socks.

Even persistent, heavy, deep coughing will stop in about 5 minutes and stay stopped for many, many hours of relief. Works 100% of the time and is more effective in children than even very strong prescription cough medicines. In addition it is extremely soothing and comforting and they will sleep soundly.