Herbal Household Remedies

Calcium and vitamin D are essential in our diet and not so easy to get unless you eat and drink a lot of dairy products.  So have a look at the information provided by the source below, and re-think your shopping list.  If you have difficulties getting enough vitamin D and calcium via foods, especially in the winter time, you might want to consider Nature Made Calcium Tablets with Vitamin D, 500 mg, 300-Count Bottles (Pack of 2) as a supplement to your diet.

Via: BC HealthFile

What is calcium and vitamin D?

Calcium is one of the many minerals that you need to be healthy. Calcium is very important to ensure strong, healthy bones and teeth. It also helps muscles and nerves to work properly. In addition, calcium may help you to manage your weight and blood pressure, and play a role in preventing colon cancer. Vitamin D helps you to absorb and use calcium and has other health benefits.

How much calcium and vitamin D do I need?

Recommended Calcium Intake
Age (Male and Female)
0-6 months 210 mg/day
7-12 months 270 mg/day
1-3 years 500 mg/day
4-8 years 800 mg/day
9-18 years 1300 mg/day
19-50 years 1000 mg/day
Over 50 years 1200 mg/day

Recommended Vitamin D Intake

Age (Male and Female)
0-1 year 400 IU/day
1-50 years 200 IU/day
51-70 years 400 IU/day
Over 70 years 600 IU/day

People with osteoporosis may need more calcium and vitamin D. Check with your doctor.

What foods contain calcium?

Breastfeeding is the best way to meet your baby’s calcium needs. Infant formula provides calcium for babies who cannot be breastfed.

Dairy foods are very high in calcium, especially milk, yogurt and cheese. Other good sources include calcium-enriched orange juice, rice beverages, and soy beverages. For more information, see Food Sources of Calcium below.

What foods contain vitamin D?

There are only a few food sources of vitamin D. Good sources of vitamin D are fortified foods and beverages like milk, soy drinks, and margarine. Check the labels on these foods. Fish, liver, and egg yolk are the only foods that naturally contain vitamin D.

If you do not eat vitamin D rich foods often, you may want to consider taking a vitamin D supplement. Most multiple vitamin supplements contain vitamin D. Breastfed babies under 1 year of age need 400 IU of vitamin D from a supplement each day. People over 50 need extra vitamin D and should take 400 IU from a supplement each day.

More Information and Lists of Calcium and Vitamin D Sources

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.

banana, basil, black or green tea

• a poultice of ripe banana peel, applied to the back of the neck and to the forehead, will relieve even severe headaches or migraines.
• incredible relief from headaches can be achieved with a solution of dried basil and Witch Hazel Tincture 2 fl. Oz., used as a compress and applied to forehead and temples:  Refrigerate the Witch Hazel Tincture. Heat 1 cup of water, add a level tsp of ground dried basil and let steep for about 10 minutes. Strain, and let cool.  When cool, add 2 tbsp of the cold Witch Hazel Tincture, and use this solution for your compresses.
• Since both black and green teas contain caffeine, a very strong cup of tea - 2 teabags of black tea added to 1 cup of boiling water and let steep for 20 minutes, then drunk while still warm - will help you recover from severe headaches and migraines quickly because the caffeine calms the pain by restricting the blood vessels in you head.
• For a caffeine free alternative, an intensive chamomile tea treatment also helps you to get rid of migraines and severe headaches, but it will take longer.  For about 2 weeks, drink a lot of this relaxing tea:  Steep 2 tbsps of flowers ( fresh or dried) in 1 pint of boiling water for about 40 minutes, then strain.  You can sweeten is with maple syrup.  Drink 1-2 cups at a time.