Apple Cider Vinegar

Rubbing apple cider vinegar on insect bites and stings relieves itchiness and pain.  Besides, apple cider vinegar can be applied to:

• heal burns:  place a soaked gauze to the injured area
• remove dandruff:  Rinse hair after washing with apple cider vinegar
• eliminate body odors under the arm
• cure athletes foot:  soak sore feet daily ina strong solution

thyme

Thyme is a “natural antibiotic” much like cinnamon or garlic.  With the flu season approaching fast, as well as the threat of swine flu, keeping a decent stock of dried thyme as well as the following recipes handy is well advised.

If fresh thyme is available, use it first.  If no fresh thyme is available, use the CUT dried herb: 2bsp of the dried herb equals 1 handful of fresh thyme.

Any of the following solutions can be used to bath wounds and burns or as an eye wash for red, irritated eyes. Make sure the solution is moderately cool before applying it to the eyes.

• Tea for gargling (sore throat), mouth wash (tooth decay, cold sores) and drinking (common cold, influenza, fever, allergies) :
  Boil 1 3/4 pints of water, remove from heat, add a dozen sprigs of fresh thyme, cover, let steep for half an hour.  Strain and drink 3-4 cups daily.
• For external purposes such as hot compresses on the chest to help break up lung congestion (in cases of asthma, bronchitis, cold or flu) or massage lotions for aching muscles and joints:
  Boil 2 pints of water,remove from heat,  add 1.5 handfuls of fresh thyme, cover and let steep for 40 minutes.  Strain and use.
• For foot- and hand baths (to increase blood circulation, get rid of nail fungus or athlete’s foot, reduce fever) and a douche (against yeast infection):
  Boil 1 1/4 pints of water, remove from heat, add1 handful of fresh thyme, let steep for 25 minutes.  Strain and use somewhat hot for hand and foot baths, but let cool to lukewarm for a douche.

cinnamon, pineapple, thyme

• Cinnamon kills germs “on contact”. A foot bath made of 4 cups of water, brought to a boil, with 8-10 broken cinnamon sticks, will clear up athlete’s foot. Let simmer for about 5 minutes or less, then remove from heat and let steep for 45 minutes. Use while still lukewarm.
• Soaking feet in canned pineapple juice for an hour every day will help to cope with fungi too. Wipe dry afterwards and sprinkle with corn starch, rubbing it all over the feet and in between the toes.
• A solution of 1 handful of fresh thyme, added to 1 1/4 pints of boiling water, covered and removed from heat and permitted to steep for 25 minutes will, after being strained, provide a good foot bath too, while still somewhat hot. The same solutions work against other fungi too.