pumpkin

chives, ginger, peppermint, pumpkin, squash, watermelon

• If your headaches are due to sinus congestion when you have a cold or flu, a tea made of ginger and chives may give you relief within 20 minutes or less:  chop 1-1/2 tbsps of chives and shred 1/2 tsp of ginger root finely, and add to 1 cup of boiling water.  Cover with a flat plate and let steep for 30 minutes, then strain.  Drink while still lukewarm.
• Likewise, peppermint tea will relieve the pressure of migraines and headaches.  Bring to a boil 1 pint of water, remove from heat,  Then add 2 tbsps of mint, fresh or dried, and let steep for 50 minutes, covered.  Strain and drink cool.  In addition, relief can be achieved by rubbing a little bit of Peppermint Oil – 4 oz. – EssOil on either side of the temples and towards the back of the neck.
• Freshly scraped pulp of pumpkin or yellow or orange squash can be applied to forehead and temples.  Its cooling effect will relieve splitting headaches.  The same pulp can be applied to the side of the face, neck and throat to relive neuralgia.
• If you have a watermelon handy, tie the thick rind around your forehead and temples to relive severe headaches and migraines.

The article I picked these from informs us that ob/gyns have taken to prescribing Prozac against severe forms of PMS… oh well. Read the whole article here:
Choose Nature Instead of Prozac for PMS and PMDD

Here’s what’s known about the effectiveness of some of the more common natural products and remedies used to soothe the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome:
* Calcium. Consuming 1,000 milligrams (mg) of dietary and supplemental calcium daily, such as chewable calcium carbonate (Tums, Rolaids, others), may reduce the physical and psychological symptoms of PMS. Regular, long-term use of calcium carbonate also reduces your risk of osteoporosis.

* Magnesium. Taking 400 mg of supplemental magnesium daily may help to reduce fluid retention, breast tenderness and bloating in women with premenstrual syndrome.

* Vitamin B-6. A daily dose of 50 to 100 mg of vitamin B-6 may help some women with troublesome PMS symptoms.

* Vitamin E. This vitamin, taken in 400 international units daily, may ease PMS symptoms by reducing the production of prostaglandin, hormone-like substances that cause cramps and breast tenderness.

* Herbal remedies. Many women report relief of PMS symptoms with the use of herbs such as black cohosh, ginger, raspberry leaf, dandelion, chasteberry, St. John’s Wort and evening primrose oil.

* Colloidal Gold. Colloidal gold is one of the least known yet most effective mood and mental enhancers.

* Natural progesterone creams. These are derived from wild yams and soybeans. Some women report that these creams relieve symptoms. Combine one handful of chamomile and one handful of dried orange flowers in a cheesecloth or muslin bag and hang from the bathtub faucet. The warm water will release the fragrant oils and relieve PMS discomfort.

Other topics that may be helpful:

Cramping

* Pumpkin Seeds. Eat pumpkin seeds about a week before your menstrual period (a handful – 1/4 of a cup a day) and your cramps should be non-existent. Also eat them as a snack during the period.

* Hot water and ginger. Boil the water and stir in two to three tablespoons of ginger and drink it up. You should feel better in 30-45 minutes.

* Dill pickle juice. Drink a half cup when you feel a cramp coming or as soon as it strikes.
One heaping teaspoon of salt in water (1 to 2 to one glass) may also do the trick if you have no pickle juice handy.

* Yogurt or calcium. Eat two cups of yogurt a day in the days or week leading up to your period and you should not be moody or have cramps when your monthly period comes. If you don’t like yogurt, take a calcium supplement… Continue during the period. With either one, you should see a big difference in your time of the month.

* Oregano and water. Take three tablespoons of oregano and mix with one liter of water, then bring to boiling and continue to boil for five minutes. Strain and drink as a tea. You should feel better soon and continue to feel well for an entire day.

Menstrual Cramps

* It should be no surprise that an herb named cramp bark (Viburnum opulus) would work wonders for menstrual pain. It contains at least six compounds that relax muscles, as well as salicin, the pain-relieving compound from which aspirin is derived. Take one teaspoon of the liquid extract every hour until your cramps subside. If they don’t ease within 48 hours, stop taking cramp bark.

* Supplements. Take 1,000 mg calcium and 500 mg magnesium daily. Calcium and magnesium work together to regulate muscle contractions and the conduction of nerve impulses.

* Ginger tea (for cramps). Grate two to three teaspoons of fresh ginger root and simmer in two cups of water for several minutes. Add lemon and honey to taste. Drink as much as desired.

* Acute cramps. Combine equal parts of ginger, valerian, and cramp bark tinctures, to be taken in half-teaspoon doses every twenty minutes until the symptoms subside.

* Aromatherapy. A couple of days before menstruation begins, massage the following combination into the abdomen once or twice a day, as well as using them in the bath. Blend together equal parts of chamomile, an anti-inflammatory; clary sage, which relieves depression; lavender, a relaxing herb; and tarragon and marjoram, which are anti-spasmodic.

* Hot ginger poultice. Make a strong ginger tea or add a half-teaspoon of ginger essential oil to a quart of hot water. Dip a towel in the water and wring it out, lay it over the abdomen, and place a hot water bottle over the ginger towel to retain the heat. Relax for fifteen minutes.

corncob, mustard, pumpkin, squash

• Corncob tea can be used to treat gout.  After removing (or eating) the corn from 2-3 fresh cobs, cover with enough water to cover the cobs by 2 inches.  On low heat, cook for an hour, strain, cool.  Drink 2-3 cups a day until the problems subside, then reduce to only one cup per day.  Keep refrigerated what you do not use right away.
• Grandma’s Old Time Mustard Plaster still helps for a variety of disorders, gout among them: Mash leaves and stems of fresh mustard plant into a pulp.  Coat the surface of the skin with petroleum jelly (Crisco lard or Vaseline) before applying the pulp to prevent serious blisters or raising welts on the skin.  Bind into place with gauze and adhesive tape and keep on for several hours or overnight for best results.
• The seeds of pumpkin and squash can be used to treat gout, too. Crush a handful of seeds and add them to a quart of boiling water, turn heat to low, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and let steep for an additional half hour, then strain.  Until the desired relief is obtained, drink several cups of the tea each day, as needed.

basil, pumpkin / squash

• Basil tea is a multi-purpose healing tea. To reduce fever, inhale the steam from hot basil tea by placing your head over a bowl filled with the hot tea, and cover your head with a heavy towel while doing so. To make the tea, use fresh basil leaves and unground seed: Bring 2 pints of water to a boil, add 15 basil seeds. Cover, reduce heat, and let simmer slowly for 45 minutes. Remove from head and add 1-1/2 handfuls of fresh or half-dried basil, steep for another 25 minutes.
• Tea made of pumpkin or squash leaves or equal parts for both reduce fever, too: Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil, snip in a couple of double handfuls of pumpkin and/ or squash leaves with a pair of shears or scissors. Cover, remove from heat, let steep for 35 minutes, then drink a cup of the tea every couple of hours. The same tea also helps to fight diarrhea.

corncob, parsley, pumpkin or squash, turmeric (curcuma)

• Corncob tea can be used to treat abdominal swelling, gout in general and edema in wrists and ankles. After removing (or eating) the corn from 2-3 fresh cobs, cover with enough water to cover the cobs by 2 inches. On low heat, cook for an hour, strain, cool. Drink 2-3 cups a day until the problems subside, then reduce to only one cup per day. Keep refrigerated what you do not use right away.
• Parsley tea is a well know remedy for edema, but also treats kidney inflammation and kidney stones as well as issues with urination, be it painful urination or even the inability to urinate at all. In 1 qt. of boiling water, removed from heat, steep one cup of freshly and corasely chopped parsley for 40 minutes. Strain before drinking, and drink a cup of the warm tea four times a day with meals.
• The seeds of pumpkin and squash can be used to treat edema and gout, kidneystones and issues with urination. Crush a handful of seeds and add them to a quart of boiling water, turn heat to low, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep for an additional half hour, then strain. Until the desired relief is obtained, drink several cups of the tea each day, as needed.
• Turmeric, one of the main ingredients of curry, has anti-inflammatory properties. Half a tsp in juice taken both morning and night inhibits edema and can relief arthritic pains too.

pumpkin

The juice from a fresh pumpkin stem, squeezed out and dropped into an inflamed ear, will clear up the inflammation in a short time.