The Kitchen Medicine Chest

Forget the medicine cabinet - next time you're feeling ill, just head straight to the kitchen for some natural healing treatments:

Headaches and Migraines - drink a large glass of water as headaches are often caused by dehydration. Low blood sugar can be another cause, so eat little and often, and don't miss meals.
Stomach Ulcers - A dessertspoon of Manuka honey after each meal and one at bedtime can help heal stomach ulcers and kill the H.pylori bacteria that cause them.
Mouth Ulcers - Eat natural "live" yoghurt, high in acidophilous bacteria. The bacteria in the yoghurt will help heal the ulcer. Let it sit in your mouth for a couple of minutes before swallowing
Cystitis - Cranberry juice prevents the bacteria that cause Cystitis from sticking to the walls of the bladder. Drink 350-500ml(1/2 litre) of juice per day. Avoid tea, coffee and alcohol
Constipation - Prunes contain a substance, which stimulates the bowel muscles and acts as a gentle laxative. Alternatively, drink prune juice.
Morning Sickness - sucking on piece of crystallised ginger, drinking ginger ale or ginger tea will help relieve the nausea of morning sickness.
High cholesterol - Eat soya beans and soya products like tofu and soya milk. Recent studies have shown that eating 25g (1oz) of soya protein per day can lead to a reduction in both total and LDL cholesterol.

For more tips on the kitchen pharmacy go to the Healthy Nutrition series

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