Category Archive: Natural remedies

October 21st, 2009

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Natural Remedies For Coughs And Colds

I mentioned in my earlier posts that everyone in the family has been down with chesty cough (with lots of phlegm) and mild runny nose, including myself. Only the hubs went to the doctor’s to get himself meds. For Sherilyn, I used Baby’s old Aero Chamber to administer the Ventolin on her several weeks ago to get rid of her phlegm. She’s getting better now. Thank God Alycia’s immune system has gotten stronger lately and I only gave her several Esberitox tabs (Echinacea) to treat her mild runny nose. Baby is the only one spared from being bitten by the virulent cough and cold bugs, thanks to mummy’s powerhouse milkie enriched with all the supplements that she’s been taking. Maybe I should also give credit to the E.Excel supplements that I’ve been diligently feeding her with.

To cure myself from my chesty and mild runny nose, I popped Echinacea tabs and garlic tabs 2-3 times a day as soon as I felt the slightest symptoms appearing, to ‘nip the bug in the bud’!
I also gargled my throat with salt water throughout the day and night (after I had woken up to change Baby’s diaper). Other immune system enhancers that I’ve been taking as usual include Bragg’s apple cider vinegar, Vitamin ACE and salmon fish oil (to enhance my failing memory after having 3 kids!). Have also been eating green veggie like a rabbit, drinking freshly squeezed lemon juice and apple cider vinegar, eating chopped raw garlic and munching more on fruits and tomatoes for the extra antioxidants and vitamins.

On top of that, I’ve been boiling luo han guo, barley water and chrysanthemum tea everyday for the entire family. These drinks are known by the Chinese to be good for the lungs, expel phlegm and treat cough, remove ‘heatiness’ from the body and boost the immune system. Barley water is boiled primarily for Baby as it is very good in cleansing the bladder and kidneys. My 2 older girls and the hubs drink it too. And I am surprised that Baby has no problem drinking luo han guo and chrysanthemum tea though they have a slightly bitter taste.

Today is around the 6th day and I am recovering well. Really glad that I’ve once again self-treated myself from cough, cold and phlegm without having to pop antibiotics or other meds.

Garlic consumption is very effective for strengthening the immune system and will even help prevent many colds. Garlic should be used as soon as the initial symptoms of a cold are felt. When symptoms first appear, take a garlic supplement, eat raw garlic or make your own garlic tea. I’ve read that garlic tea can soothe a sore throat and cough as well as boost the body’s disease-fighting strength.

On top of the above remedies, you must have enough sleep, drink enough plain water, exercise, keep stress at bay (I know, easier said than done) and eat healthily in order to have a strong immune system. Once your immune system is strong, your body heals easily and faster from illnesses.

Disclaimer: What I’m sharing with you here is based on my own experience experimenting on natural remedies. They work for me most of the time but may not work for you. So, you may want to use this list as a starting place to do more research on your own on any particular supplement/plant/herb/etc. before taking it. If you have any special medical conditions, or are taking any medications, it’s best that you check with a doctor first.

Cold and sore throat, Cough, Natural remedies

October 16th, 2009

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Luo Han Guo Drink For Everyone

Everyone in the family is down with cough and phelgm. First Sherilyn got it (which was about a month ago and she still has it), then Alycia, next the hubs, then the maid, yesterday I got bitten and Baby is showing signs too. Baby has been throwing up her milk for the past few days each time I’m about to finish spoon-feeding her. It’s an extra struggle to spoon-feed her formula milk these few days. Just now she threw up her Pediasure again when I had just finished spoon-feeding her the last drop. Sigh…. all my time and effort of painfully spoon-feeding her went down the drain. My 3 girls always show signs of rejecting milk each time they are under the weather, especially with an irritable throat and phlegm.

Today I boiled a big pot of luo han guo for everyone. After Baby had puked her milk, I gave her a sip of luo han guo drink to try. To my surprise, she gave me a forefinger’s up sign (thumb’s up – which means she likes it!) and signaled for more. I quickly gave her 2.5 ounces which she happily drank.

I find that boiled luo han guo drink is quite effective in expelling phlegm, if drank on a very regular basis. However, if I have a chronic cough with yellowish-greenish phlegm, then it would take a longer time to see results. Double-boiling fresh olives with lean pork still works the best for me whenever I have a chronic cough. It’s a traditional natural remedy in China. I don’t normally pay a visit to the GP, even when I am down with fever, chronic cough and phlegm, coz I don’t believe in antibiotics. I prefer to let my body heal naturally.

Here’s my luo han guo drink:

I normally crack up 2 tennis ball-sized luo han guo and dump everything into a pot filled with water and boil it for an hour. I don’t add honey dates or rock sugar coz the luo han guo is naturally sweet. The drink tastes really refreshing when chilled.

Here’s a little information on luo han guo:
The dried fruit can be bought in Chinese Medicine Halls, mini marts and supermarkets. They are not very costly, costs about RM1-RM2 each, depending on the size of the dried fruit. The outer surface of the dried fruit is round and smooth, dusty yellow-brown or dusty green-brown. It is covered with fine, soft hair. The fruit is covered by a hard but thin shell. Inside is a partly dry, flexible substance containing the juice, as well as a large number of seeds. The skin, juicy part, and seeds all have a good sweet flavor. Its nature is cool and it has no poison. The fruit helps relieve sunstroke, moistens the lungs, eliminates phlegm, stops cough, and promotes bowel movements.

Cough, Natural remedies

July 13th, 2009

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Oh Boy, How I Hate Those Boils

When I was a young girl (before turning into a teenager), I used to have frequent break-outs of very painful and huge pus-filled boils. I had boils on my buttocks, under my eyes, on my cheek and frequently had them inside, outside and on my nose! Back then, I wasn’t a health freak yet and hated to drink water… and loved feasting on junk food and sweets. That explained the frequent eruption of boils. Oh well, most kids hate to drink water but love junkies, don’t they? When I knew how to care for myself and realized the importance of eating healthily and wanted to have a clear complexion, the boils hardly attacked me but once in a while, I would still get them on my nose. However, those boils were usually not pus-filled.

Lately, I have been getting these boils again – inside and outside my nose, aargh! But thankfully they were not pus-filled, but they hurt like hell. I can only point my finger to the germs from Baby C’s soiled diapers. Ever since Baby C had her first UTI attack at 7 weeks, I have been sniffing her soiled diapers every single day, like 20 times a day! Go find a calculator to calculate how many soiled diapers I’ve been sniffing for the past 14 months. But those soiled diaper-sniffing sessions have been life-saving. At the onset of foul-smelling pee in Baby’s diapers, I would bring her to the pediatric nephrologist and make her drink gallons of water to flush those pesky bugs out.

When I had those painful pus-filled boils with big heads decades ago, my mum would ask me to use a cotton and dip it into a cup of hot water mixed with salt water. This would induce the ‘head’ to erupt and the pus to flow out. Once the pus is evacuated out, the pain would also subside and the swelling reduced as well. But this treatment is frigging painful!

I did a google search and found these home remedies to treat boils from www.home-remedies-for-you.com/remedy/Boils.html :

Garlic and Onions have been proved to be among the most effective home remedy for boils treatment among several other remedies. Onion juice or garlic juice may be applied on boils externally to ripen them, break and evacuate the pus. Juices of both these vegetables can be mixed in equal quantities and applied on the boil for beneficial results.

Bitter Gourd is also an effective home remedy for blood filled boils. To treat boils, a cupful of fresh bitter gourd juice can be mixed with 1 teaspoon of lime juice, sipped on slowly on an empty stomach everyday for a few days.

Milk cream remedy is useful in the treatment of boils. An excellent poultice for boils cure is, to apply a mixture of a teaspoon each of milk cream and vinegar with a pinch of turmeric powder. This helps to ripen the blood boils and heal them without letting them become septic.

Betel Leaves treatment for boils is a valuable home remedy. A betel leaf is gently warmed till it softens. Coat it with a layer of castor oil. Spread the oiled leaf over the inflamed part. Replace this every few hours. After applying a few times, boil ruptures and drains out all the purulent matter.

Cumin seeds are beneficial in the treatment of boils. Cumin seeds are ground to a paste in water. This cumin seed paste is applied to boils for beneficial results.

Margosa leaves have proven effective in treating boils. They can be either used as a poultice, liniment or decoction with positive results. To make the decoction, boil 15 gm of margosa leaves in 500 ml water till it is reduced by one-third.

For boils treatment, steep parsley in boiled water till it becomes soft and juicy. When it is comfortably hot, wrap it in a clean muslin or linen cloth and apply it on the boils as a poultice.

Applying turmeric powder on boils speeds healing process. In case of fresh boils, roast a few dry roots of turmeric, dissolve the ashes in a cupful of water and then apply over the affected areas. This solution aids boils to ripen and burst.

Boils, Home Remedies, Natural remedies

July 3rd, 2009

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Feeding Infants And Children With Coconut Water

Ever since I found out that coconut water is packed with healing properties and can be used to prevent UTIs, I have started to feed Baby C with it. However, I am still doubtful if it’s save for a toddler to drink too much coconut water since the Chinese old wives would say that it is too cooling for the body. I did a google search and found this article from BabyCenter :

Tender coconut water (elaneer / nariyal pani) is one of the richest sources of electrolytes. It is high in chlorides, potassium, and magnesium and has a moderate amount of sugar, sodium and protein. Coconut water is also a good source of dietary fibre, manganese, calcium, riboflavin and Vitamin C.

Coconut water relieves exhaustion by replenishing the natural salts lost by the body. It is ideal for children to prevent dehydration when they suffer from diarrhoea. In the hot summer months, when your toddler is thirsty, coconut water is so much more preferable than the empty calories of packaged fruit juices and aerated drinks. It is naturally sterile so it is perfect for children while travelling since you don’t have to worry about contamination.

Coconut water is a natural diuretic and hence increases the flow of urine; this helps prevent urinary tract infections and cools the body. Coconut water also helps relieve constipation, improves intestinal function and promotes digestive health. It may also help infants suffering from intestinal problems.

Coconut water contains high levels of lauric acid which is what is used by the body to make monolaurin — a disease fighting fatty acid derivative. Babies make monolaurin from the lauric acid in their mother’s breast milk so coconut water is recommended for nursing mothers. Lauric acid has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties which protect young children against various infections.

Coconut water is a nourishing beverage and very suitable for children of all ages.

Home Remedies, Natural remedies

July 2nd, 2009

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Health Benefits Of Coconut Water

One of my all-time favorite drinks is coconut water. I love the juice, drunk directly from the coconut and my favorite is the small coconut that produces fragrant coconut water, which tastes a tad like juice of pandan leaves (screwpine leaves). This type of coconut is slightly costlier than the big regular ones.

There is a coconut stall right outside where I stay and we are regular patrons of this stall. We patronize this stall at least once or twice a week. The Chinese old wives would always tell a woman who has just conceived that she should avoid coconut water as it is very cooling to the body, thus may cause a miscarriage. I don’t know how true this taboo/fact is but I recently found out that coconut water has many health benefits and healing properties. Remember the old movie Blue Lagoon, starring Brooke Shields? In that movie, she didn’t know that she was pregnant and gave birth to a baby in an island. She fed the baby with coconut water and the baby thrived and grew up!

These are some very interesting and amazing health benefits of coconut water, extracted from this website and this website:

* The body retains its coolness and temperature that is proper.

* The body gets orally re-hydrated and contains all the required isotonic beverages.

* It carries oxygen and nutrients to the body.

* The immune system gets boosted.

* Helps in weight loss.

* The body fluids gets replenished naturally after exercise.

* Raises the body’s metabolism.

* Fights viruses and detoxifies.

* Diabetes gets controlled.

* The digestive system gets cleansed.

* Helps the body in fighting viruses such as herpes, AIDS and flu.

* Reduces the risk of cancer.

* Urethral stones and kidney can be treated.

* Improves circulation.

* Contains less sodium.

* Good source of potassium.

* Coconut water is good for the functioning of the kidneys.

* It is useful in the case of urinary bladder problems.

* Useful for re-hydration.

* Contains less fat.

* Contains no cholesterol.

* Natural balance of magnesium and calcium as well as sodium and potassium.

* An electrolyte drink.

* Refreshes and revitalizes on a hot summery day.

* Stabilizes electrolytes.

* A useful source of fiber for diet.

* Can improve good cholesterol (HDL).

* Free from contamination. Useful while traveling.

* Beneficial for those suffering from acidity.

* Heart burn, sluggish digestion during pregnancy can be taken care of by drinking coconut water.

* Drinking coconut water for infants are effective for natural treatment of intestinal worms.

* Coconut water consumption aids in natural destruction for intestinal worms and it is safe for children to administer this herbal remedy on them.

* Coconut water contains natural albumen, thus it is perfect natural SOS drink for cholera affected patients.

Wow, I never knew that coconut water is so therapeutic! Since it’s also beneficial to the kidneys and can treat urinary bladder problems, I started feeding Baby C with some coconut water yesterday. My 2 older gals love chilled coconut water too and it’s an excellent leong sui (cooling drink) for them on a hot day or after a heaty meal of deep fried food or spicy food.

Home Remedies, Natural remedies

June 25th, 2009

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Praying Hard

…. that Baby C does not have anymore Klabsiella bacteria in her urinary tract. More than a week has passed since the last urine culture test was done. I haven’t sent Baby C’s pee for another culture as her purging had stopped, her down under is not sore anymore and her pee looks rather clear. I am praying hard that the Klabsiella bacteria had been flushed out from Baby C’s body through her pee. I am also hoping that after the ureteral reimplantation surgery and all that she had gone through last month, her urinary tract system is now normal and functioning as it should have been. Now that the duplex system is fixed, I hope baby’s body is able to fight off whatever bacteria that is invading her urinary tract. Before the surgery, the urinary tract system is like a yoyo due to the double ureters. I am praying hard that baby’s urinary tract system is A-ok now.

I am still living in fear each day. I still smell and scrutinize baby’s soiled diaper each time I change her. For as long as there is no confirmation from the doctor or MCUG scan that she is free from Kidney Reflux, I am still petrified that what she had gone through for the past 1 year will still happen again. I am well aware that the success rate of the surgery is 96%-100%, so there is a chance that she still has kidney reflux.

In the meantime, I am feeding baby with barley water every other day as I was told by my surgeon that barley water is good for the bladder. I did a google search on barley water and UTI and found out that indeed, barley water, which is diuretic, is effective in treating UTI. Have also been feeding her with boiled lemon grass water. I read that coconut water is also good in treating UTI. Perhaps I should try feeding her with coconut water too. Hopefully with all these natural remedies along with being super clean with her down under, I can help stave off those nasty bugs from attacking Baby C.

Cassandra, Home Remedies, Kidney Reflux, Natural remedies, Urinary Tract Infection

June 17th, 2009

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The Wonders Of Lemon Grass Or Serai

Did you know that the lemon grass or serai or heong mau (in Cantonese) that some people find as nuisance as they tend to grow like lalang have many health benefits? It is anti-cancerous and anti-bacterial and can treat a range of ailments. Recently I have been receiving emails from friends on how effective lemon grass is in killing cancer cells. My relatives have started to make lemon grass drinks and yesterday, I followed suit and made a pot of lemon grass concoction.

Here’s some interesting facts on lemon grass:

Citronella is known for its calming effect that relieves insomnia or stress. It is also considered as a mild insect repellant. But more than scent, tanglad or lemon grass provides a lot of health benefits. Studies have shown that the lemon grass has antibacterial and antifungal properties. Mixed with pepper, it’s a home therapy for menstrual troubles and nausea. Drank as tea, it is an effective diuretic. When it comes to pets, citronella is used to neutralize excessive barking of dogs. Since dogs hate citronella, it is sprayed to dogs to prevent them from barking or just to lessen the behavior.

The Lemon grass is a good cleanser that helps to detoxify the liver, pancreas, kidney, bladder and the digestive tract. It cuts down uric acid, cholesterol, excess fats and other toxins in the body while stimulating digestion, blood circulation, and lactation; it also alleviates indigestion and gastroenteritis. It is said that lemongrass also helps improve the skin by reducing acne and pimples and acts as a muscle and tissue toner. Also, it can reduce blood pressure. Just make a concoction by boiling some lemon grass leaves, let it cool for a while and drink the liquid.

The leaves and base of this tender perennial are used as a food flavoring, particularly in fish and poultry dishes, and its essential oils are used medicinally. Its distinctive flavor balances hot chillies and contributes to the elaborate, multi-layered flavors of many dishes in South East Asian cuisine.

As the long, thin, grey-green leaves are tough and fibrous, the outside leaves and the tips are usually chopped very finely or discarded from the dish before it is served. The base is often ground. Citral, an essential oil also found in lemon peel, is the constituent responsible for its taste and aroma.

Lemon grass, also known as Sweet Rush and sometimes called Fever Grass in the Caribbean, can be used as a remedy for ague, fevers, and colds.

Filipino ingenuity has produced a commercial beverage made from lemon grass. A concentrate composed of lemon grass juice and muscovado sugar bottled in attractive design.

A recent study by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the department of Science and technology ( DOST ) claims that every 100g of edible tanglad when boiled can contain up to 24.205 micrograms of beta-carotene the anti-oxidant that scientists believe can help prevent cancer. Another DOST study shows that lemon grass oil has the potential as a tropical eye medication against keratomycosis, an inflammation of cornea often associated with burning or blurring of vision.

The lemon grass drink that my mil made yesterday. All she did was boiled a pot of water. When it’s boiling, she put in the lemon grass and let it steep in the hot water for about half an hour. You can drink it hot but it tastes better and really refreshing when chilled. My 2 older gals who love cold drinks have no problem drinking chilled lemon grass drink. Even Baby C drinks it and according to the article, lemon grass can detoxify the kidney and bladder, which is good for her. It can even help to stimulate lactation so, it’s good for moi too since Baby C is still breastfed.