Month: July 2016

Onions Help Sleep May Prevent Asthma Cancer Stroke Heart Attack

Natural Remedies

The healing compounds in the humble onion are truly remarkable. Onions are rich in Vitamin C, Selenium, and other phytochemicals which are thought to prevent cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other maladies. They also do much to help prevent asthma attacks.

The oil of the onion is strongly antiseptic, and also has a soporific quality which will be welcome news to the insomniac. Eating onions in the evening will not just do much to benefit your immunity, they can help give you a sound night’s sleep.

Note:  Habitual lack of sleep leads to poor memory function, poor decision-making, and poorer health in the long run.  Sleeplessness is usually due to anxiety, but it can be that the thyroid gland is not functioning properly.  Extra iodine can help to remedy an overactive thyroid, as well as an underactive thyroid. (see Dr Caroline Shreeve, who recommends using kelp to up your iodine and other minerals)

Get a checkup from your doctor or naturopath to make sure there is no serious underlying cause to your sleeplessness.

A medical book from the early 20th century recommends the eating of raw onions to encourage sleep, and quotes a Frank Buckland, who said: ‘Everybody knows the taste of onions; this is due to a peculiar essential oil contained in this valuable and healthy root.  The oil has, I am sure, highly soporific powers.  In my own case, it never fails.  If I am much pressed with work and feel I shall not sleep, I eat two or three onions and the effect is magical.’

(From The Doctor At Home and Nurses Guide’, published in London and Melbourne by Ward, Lock and Co Limited.  No date, but the book is very old, from early 1900’s.  Some drugs recommended in this book, such as mercurial salves, would be quite toxic, and we would avoid them at all cost. However, the book  makes interesting reading and does discuss some commonsense home remedies such as this onion remedy, which can only do you good)

I find that eating an onion sauteed in butter or oil also enhances sleep, if it is taken in the evening. Even half a raw onion, chopped finely and added to crackers and cheese for supper at night, can be  helpful towards attaining sound sleep.

This old book also advises that ‘tea and coffee taken during the day are particularly prejudicial in the interests of sleep.’  We all know this, but how eloquently put…..

I would try an inhalation of onion:  Cut up half an onion and pour over boiling water.  Inhale the steam with a towel over your head.  This can be used as a therapy for many ills, including sleeplessness, flu symptoms, onset of asthma or bronchitis. Be careful not to get too close to the steam, or to burn yourself.

Other helpful hints in the interests of quality sleep, from various sources:

Homeopathic Remedies: The biochemic cell salt Kali phos (potassium phosphate) can help.  A lack of this mineral in the blood can cause sleeplessness. Constance Mellor advises the dose of two pilules before each meal, dissolved on the tongue, and four pilules to be taken just before bed.

Ms Mellor also suggests having a warm bath or shower at bedtime, but not drying oneself completely.  Instead, wrap up in a warm clean sheet to absorb the moisture, and presumably, go to bed with the wrap still on.  This is a similar remedy found in other writings, where a damp wrap is left on at bedtime:  The effect is to bring an increase in temperature, which can be very useful for sweating out the beginnings of a cold or flu.

Suggested Remedies for Sleeplessness Before Midnight:  Depending on the other symptoms, one of these could be helpful:  Ambra, Arsen alb, Calcarea, Calc phos, CCarbo veg, Coffea, Conium, Kali carb, Lycopodium, Magnesia mur, Mercurius, Nat mur, Phosphorous, Pulsatilla, Rhus tox, Sepia, Silicea, Sulphur. (see Dr Andrew Lockie)

Suggested Remedies for Sleeplessness After Midnight: Arsen alb, Capsicum, Coffea, Hepar sulph, Kali carb, Nux vomica, Phosphoric ac., Silicea.

Onion Pack: The onion pack for pleurisy is worth remebering.  This involves cutting an onion, skin and all, covering with water, and simmering for ten minutes or so.  Soak a flannel or piece of cotton material in the onion water.  Wring out, and apply hot to the chest.  Wrap up the pack well to keep the heat in.  A woolen blanket around the chest works well. Cover up in bed and keep the pack on for several hours if possible.  After several hours, the onion water can be heated up again, and a fresh pack made to put onto the chest.  This treatment should work well to bring about peaceful sleep, as the essential oils from the onion will be absorbed into the skin.

Keeping the feet warm is important for sleeping well.  A hot water bottle in cold weather, and woolen socks, are good recommendations.

Putting a sprig of rosemary, lemon balm, or lavender under the pillow can also be helpful in gaining restful sleep. Dried hops sewn into a wee sachet also work as a soporific.

Simple Solution To Help Sleep And Stop Snoring

Natural Remedy

Loss of sleep due to a persistent snorer can be a very debilitating and harassing problem. Curing it can bring harmony back into the household again.

This novel idea has helped some peope sleep better.  It sounds very amusing, but can be very effective.  Note: You should see your doctor or naturopath for a checkup if persistent snoring is a bother.  Meanwhile, you could try this simple procedure, the account of which a listener phoned into Ewing Stevens’ New Zealand radio show in the 1990’s.

Simply sew a pocket on the back of the pyjama jacket, or night wear being worn.  Make the pocket large enough to hold a tennis ball.  Put in the tennis ball and button up the pocket.  Do not use safety pins to close the pocket, as they could open during the night and injure the person.

The tennis ball will serve to annoy the person each time they roll onto their back, and they should quickly find another position which does not involve lying on the back.  Thus, because of this deterent, snoring, which usually happens when a person is lying face upwards, is less likely to occur.

The tennis ball technique, over time, just could cure the habit of snoring.  In that case, then you can forget about the tennis ball.

Help Sleep With Onions: Another thing to try is eating two fried onions in the evening meal, or just before going to bed.  Onions are a soporific and have the reputation of bringing on peaceful sleep.

Home Made Poultices And Homeopathy For Treating Leg Ulcers

Natural Remedies

Cod Liver Oil Poultice:

This poultice recipe comes from Ewing Stevens’ radio show.  A version of it is published in his 1993 booklet, ‘Ewing’s Phone People’. A Christchurch listener named Adele reported that her troublesome leg ulcer healed within a few weeks after regular applications of this poultice.

Take one dessertspoon of cod liver oil, and one dessertspoon of Vaseline ointment.  Mix these two together with the yolk of one egg.

Sponge the ulcer with saline solution and carefully dry the wound.  Then spread the cod liver oil mixture over clean white cotton or linen, and apply this as a poultice to the affected area.

It is important to keep the ulcer airtight by wrapping either plastic or gladwrap over the poultice. The poultice needs to be replaced each day with a freshly made preparation.  The ulcer can be bathed with salt water and then dried before applying each fresh poultice.

Honey Poultice:

This is a very old-fashioned remedy for a leg ulcer.  Simply spread raw honey over clean cotton or linen, and apply as a poultice in the usual way.  Replace daily or more often if needed.  Wash the ulcer gently with saline solution when changing the dressing.

Megadoses of Vitamin C: Calcium Ascorbate or Ester C: In the case of long-standing ulcers which do not respond to orthodox treatment, I would recommend daily megadoses of non-acidic vitamin C such as either of the above.  Dose between 3000mg to 10,000mg per day, taken in lots of about 2000mg, depending on the severity of the ulcer.  Reduce the dose as the wound begins to heal.

Intravenous Vitamin C: A weekly injection of Vitamin C could be considered:  This could be an effective but perhaps expensive option, since vitamin C injections are not subsidized on our health systems at the time of writing this article.

Homeopathic Remedies For Leg Ulcers:

Dr Dewey recommends homeopathic Mercurius or Nitric Acid, if the symptoms correspond. He claims Nitric acid to be one of the very best remedies for treating ulcers of the leg. These remedies can also be used externally, as well as internally.

Dr E.H. Ruddock makes mention of Calendula lotion for bathing an ulcer, and use of homeopathic remedies which might be chosen from the following:

Arsenicum for indolent ulcers.  Dr Ruddock suggests an external application of Arsenicum lotion for when there is a discharge of any kind. Arsen alb could also be taken internally in homeopathic form.

Belladonna when there is redness surrounding the ulcer.  Internal and external use.

Hydrastis Canadensis – more for ulcers of mucous membranes, but could be useful for other types of ulcer.  Internal and external use.

Kali Bich for internal and external use for leg ulcers with a hard base and overhanging edges.

Rhus tox, internally and externally.

Silicea for chronic cases of ulcer.

The following can be utilized as constitutional remedies to improve the health, in combination with other treatments: Hepar sulph, Calc carb or Sulphur 

Keep Feet Warm:It is important to rest the affected leg, but also to keep the circulation as good as possible.  Regular, gentle massage of the toes and feet could be useful.   Keep the patient warm: socks could be kept on the feet in cold weather.  Put a sprinkle of paprika pepper inside each sock. This improves circulation to the extremities.

Lemon Tonic Recipe And Homeopathy For After Shingles

Natural Remedy

The following tonic recipe was sent into Ewing Stevens radio programme and appears in his booklet ‘Ewing’s Phone People’, published in 1993.

I have not tried it myself in the healing of shingles, but it looks like a good, general tonic recipe, similar to one which Dr John Hilton gave to me about 30 years ago for the purpose of cleansing the digestive system and blood.

In an 8oz glass put two tablespoons of lemon juice or lime juice, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and one tenth of a teaspoon of cayenne pepper.  Top up with warm water and stir to dissolve the maple syrup.  Drink while still warm.

Rangi, who sent in this recipe, recommends taking this dose six times a day for ten days, then leaving for three days, and then repeating the whole procedure for another ten days after the break.

Vitamin E: Readers Digest ‘1801 Home Remedies’ says that Vitamin E can help.  A suggested dose is between 1200-1600 IU per day until the shingles clear up.

Vitamin C is anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and should be considered for helping cure shingles.

Zinc can also help.

Cat’s claw herb is suggested in some herbals for treating viral conditions such as shingles.  Studies on cat’s claw herb show it can inhibit viruses. Take the recommended dose.

Drink plenty of lemon balm tea:  Readers Digest says lemon balm is effective in treating herpes viruses.  They suggest making a tea of two teaspoons of dried lemon balm to a cup of boiling water.  Allow to cool, then bathe the shingles blisters with the cooled herb tea.  Peppermint or spearmint herb can be used as an alternative to bathe the skin.

Drinking  several cups per day of lemon balm tea would also be good.  Lemon balm comes from the mint family, and is capable of inhibiting the different strains of herpes viruses.

Lysine, an amino acid, can help fight viruses.  Recommended dose is 1000mg taken three times a day while the outbreak is in the acute stage.

Note:  Reader’s Digest assures us that shingles are NOT catching, but that a person may develop chicken pox from coming into contact with a person suffering shingles:  This might happen if a person has not had chicken pox previously, and occasionally people do get reinfected, sometimes years after having had the virus as a child.

Shingles: Homeopathic remedies to consider might be:

For more detail on the use of these remedies, read this post http://merrilynhope.com/list-of-homeopathy-remedies-for-shingles-herpes-zoster/

Aconite

Antimon tart

Arsen alb

Bryonia

Calcarea

Graphites

Hepar sulph

Lycopodium

Mercurius

Psorinum

Ranunculus bulbosus

Rhus tox

Sepia

Silicea

Staphisagria

Sulphur