My post on Goji Berries has inspired me to explore more on Chinese Medicinal Soup and Beverages. It is absolutely amazing how Chinese herbs can do wonders to the body.

Since the influenza season is near, I am sure that you would want to prevent yourself from the flu. With that, the traditional Chinese medicine that is often use to to aid in recovery from influenza is the Chrysanthemum Tea. Because of its “cooling” properties, this tea can also aid in the prevention of sore throat and promote the reduction of fever.

To prepare the tea, you will need:

• 10 – 20 Golden Chrysanthemum Tea
• 1 – 3 teaspoon of honey or rock sugar
• 3 cups (850ml) of water

Method:

1. Wash and drain chrysanthemum flowers.
2. Add 10 – 20 yellow chrysanthemum flowers into teapot.
3. Add 1 – 3 teaspoon of honey or rock sugar. ***
4. Pour boiling water on to content.
5. Allow tea to stand for 5 minutes.
6. Pour tea into cup and allow to cool slightly before drinking.

*** To add a bit of variation, you can add a few Goji berries into the tea too. This would definitely increase the medicinal value of this tea

There are home remedies you can use for genital warts, but doctors often recommend against self-treatment. These remedies often contain chemicals that can irritate or damage the skin if not used correctly. Usually, the effected area is a sensitive one, and these chemicals can hurt.

Here are a few of the home remedies that have been found to be effective against genital warts:

- Fill your bathtub with just a couple inches of warm water. Sit in the water and soak the affected area for fifteen minutes.

- Using a plastic bottle to apply warm water to your affected areas will relieve discomfort and help keep clean.

- Use a heat lamp to dry the affected area. A hair dryer will also work. Because it will be hot, hold it at least a foot and a half from your skin to avoid irritation.

You can use oil that contains vitamin E on the parts of your body that are infected with warts. Then, crush up garlic and put that on as well. Cover both up with tape. It has been said that this will make the genital warts fall off in just under a week.

There is also a solution you can make with onions and salt. Slice an onion and cover the slices with salt and leave it overnight. Put this solution on the warts 3 times a day until they are gone.

You can also use fig juice or apple cider vinegar in the same way. These contain acids that help boost your body’s immune system.

For many years, people have used aloe to fight genital warts. You can either use aloe cream or aloe straight from the leaves of the plant. Aloe will definitely help the itching and other irritation, and it may help remove the warts.

Diet also has an effect on your genital warts. Changing your diet can help them disappear. In particular, beta carotene and folic acid help fight warts. These are found in abundance in radishes, mangos, squash and tomatoes. Red, orange and yellow fruits and vegetables often contain these acids. Leafy green vegetables also help. A diet with lots of cabbage or spinach is good for getting rid of warts. Caffeine and cigarettes are bad for you immune system and may keep your warts from going away.

After you have successfully treated your warts with a home remedy such as this, the warts may reappear in the future. Remember that you will probably experience more outbreaks, and treat those accordingly.

Most doctors advise against these types of home remedies. If you plan to use a natural treatment option, talk to your doctor to get their advice. They may be able to help you understand the risks and benefits.

You can also find more info on HPV virus and genital warts and Dr. Scholls remedy for genital warts. TreatGenitalWarts.org is a comprehensive resource to help individuals with genital warts to identify symptoms, prevention and treatment options.

by Benjamin Wise

When you get something as uncomfortable as a nail fungus infection, the best thing to do is to take action as soon as you can starting with home remedies for nail fungus. Of course, there are a lot of different treatments available, but it is always best to opt first for home remedies.

A lot of people prefer home remedies for nail fungus as a result of the fact that many people in the past have benefited from opting for natural remedies.

What you want to do first is soak the nail that is affected in a solution that mainly consists of the following, chlorine bleach, then some Listerine mouthwash, you can add vinegar or you may also opt to add hydrogen peroxide. Do this on a daily basis. Be advised that it may take several months for the nail to be restored.

1/ Vicks Vaporub – apply this along with essential oils to the affected area. What you want to do is have the nail filed first, that way the treatment works more effectively. Make sure that you rub it into the top of the affected toe nail. This way you make certain that the Vick’s is where it should be.

If you continue to do this for several days at a stretch, you can be sure that the eucalyptus that is in the Vick’s will wipe off the fungus on the nail faster than any kind of in store anti-fungal.

2/ It may help you a lot to apply pure oregano essential oil. The benefit from this oil lays in its ingredients as it comes power packed with antiseptic, anti fungal and analgesic properties that would keep the fungus at bay.

3/ One of the other recommended essential oils for nail fungus is tea tree oil, which can be found in any of the stores around your area. It has been noted the there is scientific evidence which points to the antifungal action of this oil. Remember in order for it to be effective you need to do this on a daily basis.

4/ Vinegar that you generally store in your house is recommended highly. Household vinegar is known to work as one of the best home remedies for nail fungus. Make it a point to apply vinegar directly on the affected area at least twice a day.

If you want step by step guidance to prevent nail fungus once and for all select one of the links below.

Home Remedies For Nail Fungus

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Blackheads are a type of acne that appears as tiny, easily visible nasty projections on skin. These are predominantly found on the face, ears, neck, back and chest. We can say that these are the gift of puberty for oily skinned teenagers. At this age hormonal changes or imbalances can cause the oil glands to secrete excessive amount of oil that clog the pores. Black comedones, as the lesions are commonly known as, result when a pore is only partially blocked, allowing some of the trapped sebum (oil), bacteria, and dead skin cells to slowly drain to the surface. The black color is not caused by dirt and can not be washed away. Rather, it is a reaction of the skin’s own pigment, melanin, reacting with the oxygen in the air. A blackhead tends to be a stable structure, and can often take a long time to clear. However, the fact is that it does clear itself. At the same time new lesions continue to appear so a person may not feel any change. It is due to this reason that one may need to remove these unwanted lesions manually.

Most blackheads sufferers keep asking others about tips and remedies to remove them. Here are few remedies to remove blackheads easily and quickly.

STEAM
The best home remedy for black comedones extraction is steam. Take steam for five to ten minutes, it will loose the blackheads so they can be later easily extracted with a mechanical remover or simply by rubbing with your finger tips. However results are better with a commercial comedone extractor. You can use steam with water alone or may add some additives like;

• Soda bicarbonate about 2 teaspoons OR
• Boric powder about 1 teaspoons.

VINEGAR WITH CORN FLOUR
Again vinegar is an easy acne home remedy. Make a thick paste of vinegar with corn flour; apply it to the affected area for some time till it dries out. As you remove it with very gentle rubbing it will take out the dirty lesions along with dirt and oil.

COCONUT WATER
Make a granulated paste of coconut water with sugar and use like a scrub over infected area. This helps to eradicate blackheads and clear skin.

SIMPLY WET SKIN
After washing your face do not wipe off your nose and rub it with your finger tips. This will also help in getting rid of blackheads.

The original article also includes home remedies to Prevent blackheads, Cure blackheads as well as Masks for blackhead skin. To view the original article visit http://www.skintutor.com

You’ve probably seen ads for a bunch of different sleep aids. They’re all over TV and in many magazines – some are by prescription only, others are over the counter. If you don’t want to take chemicals to help you sleep, however, there are some alternatives.

One of the more popular alternatives to medication are herbs. There are a number of natural supplements that can help you to relax and sleep better at night. While many of these remedies haven’t been clinically proven to improve sleep, they have been used for many years in various other cultures with excellent results.

The following are 5 of the most effective herbal remedies for improving your sleep:

1. German Chamomile
This is probably the most widely recognized herbal sleep remedy currently – chamomile tea. Simply brew yourself a cup of this tea and drink it before going to bed. Plus, you can drink it during the day to help unwind, something that most medications can’t offer.

2. Catnip
It may sound kind of crazy but this herb that causes cats to get hyper can actually help calm you down. It contains chemicals similar to those in valerian root, another herbal sleep remedy. It can be brewed as a tea or taken in the form of a liquid extract.

3. Valerian Root
One of the oldest herbal sleep remedies, valerian root is somewhat unique in that it has been the subject of several trials that have shown it does help people get a better night’s sleep. It can be found in pill, liquid or tea form.

4. Lavender
Lavender is quite powerful, in fact it has been shown to reduce and even reverse the effects of caffeine in some people. This herb can come in the form of a tea or as an essential oil that can be used in a bath, in potpourri or even used as a massage oil.

5. Lemon Balm
This herb is often grown in gardens for its lemon scent but it is also quite effective at calming your nerves. It is available as a tea, in capsules or as a liquid extract.

Are you suffering insomnia, restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea or some other sleeping disorder? Join the community at the Sleep Serpent website to find sites that other people have found helpful and add your own recommendations to the list. It’s free to join and you’ll find lots of helpful information – check it out at http://www.sleepserpent.com

In Hilary Jacobson ‘s Mother Food for Breastfeeding Mothers, barley-water is used to help mothers with chronic low milk supply.

Taken for a week or two, mother can increase their milk supply naturally. Make a pot in the morning and drink it throughout the day, warming each cup and sweetening it with a natural sweetener as desired.

Barley-water can be made with whole grain or pearl barley. Barley flakes can also be used, though these have been processed and are possibly less potent than the whole or pearled grain.

Preparation:

• Quick-and-easy: 1/2 cup of flakes or pearled barley can be simmered in 1 quart of water for twenty minutes.

• Long-and-intensive: 1 cup of whole or pearled barley is simmered in 3 quarts of water for up to 2 hours. About half the liquid should cook off. Some recipes call for only 1/2 hour cooking time. However, the longer the barley simmers and the more pinkish (and slimier) the water becomes, the more of the ‘cream’ will enter the water and the stronger the medicinal effect will be.

• If the barley water becomes too thick to drink comfortably, add in more water.

• When finished, remove from the stove and sieve off the water. The grain is now tasteless and can be thrown out.

• Add 1 tablespoon of fennel powder or steep 2 – 3 teaspoons of fennel seeds for ten minutes in the barley-water before drinking.

• The traditional recipe calls for fennel seed, but powdered fenugreek seed can also be used.

PMS can be treated using aromatherapy. Taking time out to lounge in an aromatic bath or getting a massage with a fragrant oil helps most women tremendously.

Aromatic PMS Bath Oil

The Aromatic PMS Bath Oil is ideal to relieve PMS symptoms. In this bath blend, you will use geranium, marjoram and lavender essential oils.

The geranium essential oil is excellent for PMS because it helps to balance the hormones, reducing fluid retention, hot flashes, and depression. Geranium is also suitable for all skin types as it balances sebum, keeping skin smooth, supple and youthful.

Marjoram essential oil is known to relieve constipation, flatulence, stomach cramps and indigestion. It is also useful for alleviation painful and irregular menstruation. On top of that, Marjoram has a warming and comforting effect on the emotions, easing grief, sadness and depression and relieving all states of anxiety.

The lavender essential oil has remarkable balancing effect on the nervous system, relieving anxiety, depression, and encouraging calmness and serenity. Lavender is incredibly versatile and has beneficial effects on all the systems of the body. Lavender also provides pain relief, soothes inflammation in conditions such as muscular aches and pains, arthritis, cramps and strains.

To make this anti-PMS bath oil, simply mix the following into your warm bath:

• 2 drops pure geranium essential oil
• 2 drops pure marjoram essential oil
• 1 drop pure lavender essential oil

Every evening, soak yourself in a warm bath with the aromatic bath oil to relive your PMS symptoms.

PMS Massage Oil

You can prevent some of the PMS symptoms before it starts. Fourteen days to a week before your period is due, massage the stomach each day with a little of the following oil:

• 30 ml grape seed oil
• 5 drops pure marjarom essential oil
• 3 drops pure lavender essential oil
• 2 drops pure geranium essential oil
• 4 drops pure bergamot essential oil

The bergamot in this blend is used for its uplifting qualities, making it ideal for all states of anxiety and depression.

On the other hand, the grape seed oil has shown to have increase circulation to the brain, thus it is good for PMS and migraines.

If you are an organic skin care lover like me, you would love the Aloe Vera and you would love to own one too in your garden.

The Aloe Vera plant is a succulent plant filled with a bitter, watery, gel-like substance. It is this filling that gives you a world of organic skin care uses from this plant. The multitude of things offered all come from use of the gel found within the leaves. For wounds and burns, Aloe Vera has incredible healing powers as well as natural antibacterial properties and chemicals that work with your immune system.

There is less scarring with fresh Aloe Vera treatment and burns don’t blister as much. Inflammation, irritation, and itching are easily relieved by applying this natural skin care treatment, making it great for acne as well as psoriasis and eczema patients (provided they are not allergic to it; test a small area first). Insect bites are usually very responsive to the healing qualities of the plant and few people show allergies to fresh Aloe Vera gel.

The Aloe Vera can make very good moisturizers too. The Aloe Vera gel is very emollient, hydrating and a profound healer for the skin. You can use it daily for four months to make any age spots disappear. It is amazing! Recent studies indicate that Aloe Vera has the ability to accelerate cell growth in the skin. This also means that with regular use, you can gain skin firmness and elasticity.

Basil is known to contain antibacterial properties. When used in natural skin care products, basil is one herb that can help stimulate sluggish and congested circulation of skin, thus making it an excellent cure for acne and minor skin infections. It is also reputed to have antiseptic value and to neutralize the toxins of bites and stings.

If you are suffering from acne skin, you can enjoy the benefits of basil by making the basil acne tonic.

Basil Acne Tonic

You will need:

• 3 tablespoons dried basil leaves
• 1 cup of boiling water

Method:

1. Place the three tablespoons of dried basil leaves into a sturdy mug and pound lightly with a pestle to bruise the leaves and release some oil.

2. Pour in a up of boiling water, cover the mug and let the tea steep until it is a clear grass green colour. This may take about twenty minutes.

3. Strain and discard the leaves.

4. Splash your face with the basil tonic just before applying your moisturizer.

Your face will appreciate it, especially if the air you live in is polluted.

This concoction is so easy to make that you can ever use it on flight! If your skin and hair lose their luster when you travel, pack up some dried basil and take it will you. Pour about a cup of hot tap water over two teaspoons of dried basil, cover, and let sit overnight for use in the morning. Very nifty huh? ;)