In this section I will be continually adding my holistic health tips and advice for minor common conditions that can be safely and easily treated at home.  The name of the condition will be listed first and will be posted in alphabetical order.

If there is something not here you would like advice on please feel free to ask via e-mail on my contact page.

Remember to visit this page frequently as i am always adding to my top holistic health tips.

Acne - Pour boiling water over a handful of lettuce leaves and allow to steep to make a decoction which can be used externally as a lotion.  If the leaves are steeped in olive oil it  makes an external application to help boils and abcesses.

Arthritis – The principle of this dietary advice is to produce an alkaline diet where over acidity is thought to play a part.  Great care should be taken when changing diet especially if your diet is very unbalanced.  Sudden and drastic change to diet can make you feel quite ill; any change to diet should be gradual.  Quite simply, if you are prone to arthritis you may try reducing red meats and diary products especially cheese and increasing citrus fruits and green vegetables. The age old cider vinegar cure is often helpful too.  Take one or two teaspoons of organic cider vinegar in a glass of water once or twice a day 15 minutes before meals.  The quantity of water is not crucial and if taste is a problem the cider vinegar can be made more dilute.  Optionally this can be followed by taking a teaspoon of honey which also helps balance an acidic metabolism.

 Bloating - Parsley has been shown to help expel sodium, known to cause bloating, from the body.  Chop roughly and add to fish or poultry dishes.

 Bunions - An inflammation and swelling of the small membranous sac which secretes lubricating fluid at the metatarsophalangeal articulation of the great toe.  A distortion of this joint is usually associated with a bunion.  A helpful home treatment for the inflammation is to soak a wad of cotton wool or similar pad in a solution of epsom salts: three tablespoons into a pint of water.  Squeeze to wring out and apply to the affected part.  Cover this with a thick piece of woolen material and keep this compress on all night.  In the morning throw away the wad of cotton wool and apply fesh compress each night for a while until the infalmmation settles.   Also see under 'feet' for useful exercises.

Cancer - The National Institutes of Health (NIH) ran a 7 year health and diet study into the affects of calcium intake on the incidence of cancer.

The study concludes that calcium for non-dairy sources are the best choice in this light. So what foods shall we look to to increase our calcium intake? In total adults between 19 and 50 need 1000 mg a day, and those over 50 need 1200 mg a day.

 Blackstrap molasses has 400 mg in just 2 tablespoons
Fresh green Kale has 179mg in 70g of cooked kale
Cooked soya beans have 175mg in 100g (try the timmed soya beans for convenience)
tahini has 128mg per 2 tablespoons full
tofu, edamame beans, fortified soya and rice milks, sesame seeds and tahini are all great sources of non-dairy calcium too. By including a selection of these in your diet you can be topping up your calcium levels.

Research shows that women getting 1300mg of calcium a day did show a 7% reduced risk of cancer. The research also concluded that calcium supplements do help. This is the lazy way to keep our calcium levels high.

If you fall into this category select a calcium supplement which combine calcium with magnesium for a better balance in the body, or those that include a Vitamin D in the formula. Vitamin D helps the absorption of calcium.

Dolomite which is a naturally forming crystal mineral which has been made into a food supplement. This again is dairy free, suitable for most allergies and gives you a dose of calcium and magnesium in just the right, naturally occurring dose.

Blackstrap Molasses is formed in the production of sugar from either sugar cane or sugar beet. It is the product of the third boiling of the juices which have been extracted from the sugar cane or beet. Although Blackstrap Molasses is mostly sugar by calories, by this third boiling most of the sugar has gone and this black syrupy goo is packed with mineral nutrition including calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron. IN fact just one tablespoon gives you half your daily RD

Blackstrap Molasses is indeed good for us, but how do we use it?

Try a Molasses shake:

1 Tablespoon of blackstrap molasses
One slurp of boiling water from the hot kettle
3/4 cup milk, soya milk or nut milk
4/5 ice cubes

Put the molasses into a blender, add just enough hot water to cover the molasses. Stir until dissolved. Add 4 or 5 ice cubes ice and then top off with either milk, soya or nut milk. It is really great with vanilla or chocolate soya milk.

Molasses has a distinctive rich flavour tinged with a liquorice taste, this makes it suitable for both savoury dishes such as stews and casseroles, and sweet recipes like dark cakes where it can replace some of the sugar content.

Common Cold -  Colds occur most often when to immune system is weakened, by overwork, stress or emotional issues.  A strong immune system can shrug off a cold in about 6 days but it is wise to take to your bed for a couple of days even in a mild case. 

The following remedies are useful.

1)  Keep a few tissues in a resealable plastic bad with a liberal sprinkling of lavender, tea tree oils and eucalyptus essential oils.  These can be used to place over your mouth and nose to inhale the vapours.  Lavender and tea tree oils are both highly antiseptic and offer good protection especiallt if people are sneezing around you.

2) Use this simple concoction to relieve the symptoms.  A small handful of fresh thyme, a couple of star anise, a few slices of ginger, a sprig of rosemary and a few slices of lemon.  Boil the ingredients up in enough water for about 4 cups and simmer for about 30 minutes.  Its a good idea to put this into a thermos flask and drink a cup at intervals throughout the day.  Taken early it may shorten the duration of a cold.

3) Make a chest rub using aromatherapy oils.  Mix Lavender and tea tree essential oils with eucalyptus, menthol or camphor oils in equal parts.  Dilute with a base oil such as sweet almond at one drop of essential oils mix to one millimetre of base oil.  Rub this also on soles of feet.  The mix can be dropped undiluted onto a corner of the pillow at night for inhalation.

4) A therapeutic hot toddy: pour boiling water over lemon, honey, clove and whisky and allow to infuse while sipping slowly wrapped in a warm blanket.  OR cider vinegar, honey, a clove of garlic and a few slices of ginger root with hot water.

5) A very simple and cheap cough syrup can be made by mixing honey, cider vinegar and golden syrup together - very soothing!

6) herbals and supplements come in many forms.  It can all be a bit confusing unless you do your research.  They can be taken as tea infusions or capsules.  The main ones for colds are: Goldenseal; Echinacea; Cats Claw; Astragalus Root; Colloidal Silver; Vitamin C; Zinc; Grapefruit Seed; CoQ10; Garlic Capsules; Licorice Root tea (for coughs).

7) A remedy costing absolutely nothing, that can boost the immune system is that old fashioned cure: a bowl of hot water to soak the feet in.  Nothing else required just make the water as hot as your feet can tolerate.  Do this in a warm room, in warm clothing or wrapped in a blanket.  After a good hot soak dry your feet well and put thick socks on to keep them warm as toast.  Never walk with bare or stocking feet on a cold floor surface when you have a cold.

8) Take homeopathic gelsemium or a cold combination formula at the firsat sign of a cold to lessen its symptoms and speed recovery.

Cuts - For small cuts, granulated sugar can form a paste with the blood to help stop bleeding and prevent bacteria from entering the wound.  Calendula oil helps blood to clot and stop bleeding.  A small amount can be applied on a piece of gauze dressing.

 Feet: The following exercises, specially designed for the feet may prove helpful for bunions, flat feet, aching feet etc.  They should be performed without shoes or socks.

1. Walk up and down a room on the outer edges of the feet with as little of the sole and heels touching the floor as is comfortable.  You may feel that you’re walking rather bow legged.
2. Stand with the feet parallel i.e. close together, raise the toes from the ground keeping on the outer edge of the heel and part of the foot: repeat until tired.
3. Slow walking ina room, carefully observing that the feet are placed straight in front.  Toe and heel movement as in a ballet walking i.e. the toe is placed down first with the heel raised.  Do not allow the inner side of the feet to touch the floor.  If each foot can be placed directly in line with the other, as in the walk of the North American indian, so much the better.
4. To build up the arch in the case of flat feet, place some socks around your armchair and practice picking them up and moving them from place to place using your toes.
5. Is is very healthful to follow foot exercises with a hot foot soak to which a handful of Epsom Salts have been added: then bathe in cold water for a minute.

Grey hair - may be darkened by the homeopathic remedy Lycopodium 200: Three pills taken three times per day.  The homeopathic remedies Phosphorus 200 & Arsenicum Album: 4 pills of each remedy twice daily.  A good balanced diet is all important for good hair quality.  Supplements of Vitamin B complex, B12 and Zinc may also help and a homeopathic preparation of these will help increase absorption.

Hiccoughs - Forget holding your breath or drinking water upside down.  This remedy works like magic and can be especially helpful if acompanied by a feeling of getting food stuck with pain in the epigastric region.  This can be very unpleasant and can cause nausea/vomiting in some cases.  Place a drop of vinegar (either malt, cider or wine) on the back of the tongue, close your mouth and breath deeply and slowly and you will feel the symptoms subside as the sharp taste of vinegar spreads across the back of the tongue.

Insect Bites - The sulphur in onions neutralises the chemicals that cause the itch.  Slice a white onion in half and rub the cut side on the bite.  If you need to do this again just cut a fresh slice and reapply.

Insomnia & Sleeplessness - There are many remedies for this  problem and in severe cases requires a consultation to get to the root cause but a simple and cheap home remedy is to take a heaped desertspoon of honey before bed.  Other usefull additions to the diet are: sunflower and sesame seeds that are rich in magnesium, important for healthy muscles.  Topping up low levels may help fight the involuntary twitches that keep you awake.  Banana is carbohydrate rich and can help increase the brains levels of tryptophan - this in turn increases serotonin, helping induce sleepiness.  Nutmeg contains an active ingredient, myristin, a chemical known to increase drowsiness.  Grate a small amount over some warm milk and drink before bedtime.   

Irritable bowel syndrome (spastic colon) - Also known as functional or nervous diarrhoea, colon or vegetative neurosis, or mucosal colitis; main symptoms are alternating constipation and diarrhoea, occasional cramping pains in lower abdomen and sometimes pain on defecating. The homeopathic approach to IBS is constitutional and should be under the direction of a homeopath.  Self help comprises elimination of suspect foods from the diet for four days then reintrodiuce it and see if problems recur.  Flax oil will help symptomatically and reduce bloating.  5 mls should be taken with a meal once per day. The oils once opened should be kept refridgerated.  The oil is more effective than capsules when symptoms are severe.  If the taste is a problem the oil can be added to fruit juice.

Menstrual cramps - Gentle massage of the lower abdomen using a calendula base oil: calendula being a natural analgesic. 

Migraine -  A self help acupressure massage approach.  Reach behind your head and apply gentle pressure along the bone edge of the base of the skull.  You will find two points either side that will be particularly sensitive: it will feel like pressing on a bruise.  These are acupuncture points that are commonly used for migraine.  You can stimulate them yourself by applying firm pressure as you massage them with finger tips. 

Premenstrual Syndrome – A constellation of syndromes, physical and emotional, which affect many women in days leading up to the period. Some 25% of women are affected by PMS.  Suggested causes include allergy, hormone imbalances, nutritional imbalances and psychological factors.  In severe cases GP’s prescribe hormone treatment, tranquillizers or diuretics.  Homeopathic treatment is constitutional.  The simplest home remedy to take which many find effective is homeopathic vitamin B6.  This often works where the supplement bought from a health shop doesn’t.  This is because its the absorption of B6 that is affected and that’s what the homeopathic version works on.  Start taking 3 pills 3 times daily before symptoms are due to start if possible.  Continue taking the remedy for about one week after the ‘danger period’ has passed.  You will find that after several cycles you will require less and less of the remedy as your body becomes more efficient at absorbing the B6 from your diet.

Mosquito Repellent - mash the herb Robert, also known as cranesbill into some vaseline

Mouth Ulcers - For those prone to mouth ulcers, a simple remedy that increases resistance to these painful horrors is a heaped teaspoon of honey every day.

Restorative - This restorative tea made from nettles which are high in iron and vitamin C, can help keep your immune system healthy.  Wearing gloves, take a handful of nettle tops (the first 4 leaves) before they flower.  Place in a mug or teapot.  Cover with boiling water and leave to stand for 10 minutes.  Then strain and drink at least two cups daily.  A tea made in the same way from meadowsweet is a natural anti inflammatory and can be used for stomach upsets and headaches.

Skin - A soothing skin balm: can be used to help the skin heal and for nerve related conditions such as itching, cold sores and shingles.  This oil / ointment is made from St Johns wort flowers which should be picked just before they open in the morning, so there're not dried out.  Put them in a small glass jar and cover with sunflower oil (preferably cold pressed).  Seal with an airtight lid and leave in the sunlight for 7-10 days.  Turn the jar daily so the sun hits it evenly.  The oil will turn a beautiful red as the volitile oils are released.  The oil can be rubbed directly onto the skin.  To turn this oil into an ointment, melt 5g beeswax into each 50ml of oil by warming in a bowl placed in a pan of hot water.  Once the beeswax has melted, put into a small pot and leave to cool.  Put the lid on when the mix is cool.

Varicose Veins - A nice soothing balm can be made by heating up some almond oil, not to boiling point but just to the point it starts to steam.  Add a handful of blackberry leaves to the hot oil.  Twenty minuted later the mixture can be strained and beeswax added (5g to each 50ml).  Give the potion a good stir and leave to cool.