Old Folks Remedy for Sleep

                    For All those who have trouble sleeping and Im one of them (Im a night-owl, I stay up all night and sleep most of the day.) I ran across this and I hope it will be of help to to those who have sleepless nights (and cold feet.LOL)


MISCELLANEOUS & QUIRKY REMEDIES


Trying to get to sleep can be soooo frustrating, we'll try anything! These are some of the miscellaneous or off-beat remedies we've come across - but one might be 'just the thing' for you - that helps you get to sleep.


TURN YOURSELF UPSIDE DOWN - On your bed, that is. Simply put your pillow at the foot of the bed and turn the covers around, lay your head on the pillow and... nod off - we hope. A friend, who every once in a while hits a bout of sleeplessness, uses this one with great success, she says. It's something she used as a kid and it still works for her. Something about changing the environment - an intriguing, possibly important concept - might work in other ways, too...


HUG YOUR OLD "TEDDY"


If you've still got your beloved security-blanket-teddy from childhood - or a newer version - by all means hug it to you if it offers comfort and peace for your soul.


VINEGAR & HONEY

(We saw this in a book of cider vinegar remedies we thumbed through in our local health food store.) Add 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and two teaspoons of honey to a glass of boiling hot water. Drink. Another version, from Vermont: Mix 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with one cup of honey. Take two teaspoons at bedtime. If needed, take two more an hour later.

These from Katherine A. Albert's excellent book, Get a Good Night's Sleep:


PUEBLO INDIAN REMEDY - Eat mushrooms.


CHINESE REMEDY - Make a mixture of chopped ginseng and orange peel, mixed with honey.



GYPSY REMEDY 1 - Cook lettuce in a half-pint of boiling water with a little salt.



GYPSY REMEDY 2 - Mix lemon juice, orange juice, two tablespoons of honey and hot water. You could also add some grapefruit juice.



SCOTTISH REMEDY - Oatmeal gruel with honey.



BALKAN CURE - Take buttermilk half an hour before bed.



FOLK REMEDY 1 - Raw onion on toast at bedtime.



FOLK REMEDY 2 - A teaspoon of olive oil taken with the evening meal and a second teaspoon before bed.



FOLK REMEDY 3 - Take a mixture of malted milk, olive oil and hot water no less than an hour before bed.(This group was from Katherine A. Albert's book, Get a Good Night's Sleep.)



LAVENDER - A few drops of pure lavender oil placed on the pulsepoints of the wrist and forehead can be calming and helpful. This was reported in the New York Times as being especially effective with older people suffering from insomnia. However, you must use pure lavender oil from a good source. Cheap perfume or complex blends don't do it. Also try sniffing a little fragrant herbal "pillow" stuffed with lavender. Smells great and feels calming. We have three tiny, terry teddy bears stuffed with lavender (that we succumbed to buying for a ridiculous price, as they were cute and also actually on sale) - - and we like to take a sniff before turning out the light. Does it help? Perhaps. But definitely smells great and adds a pleasant touch to the bedtime ritual. We've also read that adding rose scent, and/or rosemary can help, too.



CELERY SEEDS - Inhaling the aroma from a little cloth bag filled with celery seeds is said to help you fall asleep.



CHOPPED ONIONS? - One book of natural remedies says to chop a yellow onion and put it in a glass jar with a lid which you then place near your bed - and every once in a while take a whiff - which is supposed to help. Maybe... - we haven't tried this one yet but we pass it on in case it has some appeal. (Interesting how raw onions also showed up in Katherine A. Albert's book, Get a Good Night's Sleep (see above).)



PUMPKIN - An old folk remedy says to eat pumpkin to cure insomnia - which is a rather pleasant remedy if you happen to like pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins or even pumpkin soup - as we do. Pumpkin soup, in case you've never tried it, can be incredibly delicious. This remedy probably works (we have yet to try it) because pumpkin is a heavy-duty carbohydrate and that helps to promote the flow of serotonin to the brain - a key facilitator of sleep

MITTENS AND SOCKS - This just in from CNN: Put on mittens and socks to help you get to sleep! This warms extremities - hands and feet - and has something to do with blood vessel dilation, body temperature and increased blood flow throughout the body. It's supposed to help and we believe it. We ourself have terrible trouble falling asleep if our hands or feet are cold - getting them warmed up definitely helps. We were once given nice, pink wool bed-socks as a gift - years ago, when we went to school in Vermont and before down comforters were in vogue - and they really helped back then. They had a little tie woven through the cuff - and were from England, as we remember it - where people truly need to warm up their toesies.
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Can Chihuahuas Cure take away asthma

                

The belief that a Chihuahua can "take away" asthma from its owner is still held by some, however medical experts reject the idea that the folk remedy can cure asthma.



For many years, the idea that Chihuahuas can cure asthma has been passed around. Citing personal experience or hearsay from someone else, supporters of this idea believe that the toy breed dog really can take away asthma from its owner. They may claim that the dog should sleep on the chest of the asthmatic person to somehow take in the asthma itself.



Short-haired Chihuahuas may be considered somewhat more hypoallergenic than many dog breeds but the scientific and medical community regards the loss of asthma symptoms in the presence of a Chihuahua as purely coincidental or psychosomatic. In fact, in some cases, some dogs and other pets may even bring on asthma symptoms such as shortness of breath and wheezing.
Origin of Chihuahua as an Asthma Cure
chloasma treatment The most effective melasma trtmnt. View our before and after pictures. Melasma.celibre.comMedications For Fibromyalgia Answers to your questions about Fibromyalgia & other pain disorders www.ivillage.comThe origin of this folk remedy is not clear but several theories can be considered. Although asthma treatment includes medications and other measures, at present, the medical world has no cure for the respiratory disease. The majority of asthma cases are successfully managed but some severe asthmatics, in their search for relief, may be willing to accept, and pass on, unorthodox ideas. At any rate, the folk remedy has been around for many years.
One rumor has it that the superstition may be somehow connected with the Aztecs. In history, Chihuahuas were quite popular with the Aztecs who held the belief that the dog would take on the sins of a dead person and guide him through death to afterlife.

Perhaps seeming to add support to the asthma-cure belief, Chihuahuas sometimes have respiratory problems and may make wheezing sounds similar to asthmatics. Since asthma seems to be most prevalent in children who often lose their asthma symptoms as they mature, it may be easy for some to conclude that the coincidental Chihuahua in the household “took away” the asthma from the child.
Stress and Asthma

Another theory may be that acquiring a faithful companion like the Chihuahua may ease stress and tension in the life of the asthma sufferer which in some cases may relieve asthma symptoms. Dogs and other pets have certainly been proven to lower blood pressure and hasten healing in some illnesses.
Managing Asthma

While a Chihuahua can be a good choice as a pet and loyal friend, the best choice of asthma treatment, according to the Mayo Clinic, is under the care of a physician, generally with long-term control medications, quick-relief medications, possible allergy treatment, and avoidance of bronchial inflammation triggers.
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10 Things You Didn’t Know About Colds

                                                                                                                                                                          




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Photo: © Spike Mafford/Thinkstock

A sniffle, a sneeze—you know all about the common cold, right? Or do you? We scoured the latest research and talked to experts to dig up the most surprising things you may not have known about catching and recovering from the common cold.



1. It takes about 48 hours to infect you and make you sick.

That scratchy throat and runny nose that’s coming on? Think back to where you were 48 hours ago. Chances are, that’s where you picked up your cold bug. Experts say that it takes about two days for a cold to embed into the lining of your cells and produce symptoms. Baffled by whether you've come down with the flu or with a cold? While no one can predict how an infection will progress—and sometimes even experts are fooled by colds masquerading as the flu—you can use this rule of thumb from Ron Eccles, BSc, PhD, DSc, director of the Common Cold Centre at Cardiff University in the U.K.: “Cold viruses do not usually cause fever in adults,” he says. “Sudden onset, fever and cough are the best predictors of influenza.”



2. The best cold-fighting weapon may be your tennis shoes.

Your medicine cabinet may be stocked with the latest cold-fighting medicines, but when it comes down to it, experts say the best way to protect yourself isn’t with a pill, but by breaking a sweat. Appalachian State University researchers have studied how the immune system and viruses are affected by exercise, and the findings are fascinating: Any exercise, however limited, is great. The researchers say that if you really want to ward off colds this winter, you’re best off working out at least 5 days per week—but no marathon-training is required. A brisk 30-minute walk 5 times per week does the trick to cold-proof your immune system. “Mild exercise is good as it moves the blood around the body and also moves the immune white cells around to search for infection,” says Dr. Eccles.



3. Late nights could be contributing to your sniffling and sneezing.

How much sleep did you get last night? If it was fewer than seven hours, you’re three times more likely to catch a cold, say researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, whose study was published in a recent issue of the journal Archives of Internal Medicine. It’s also important to use your time in bed wisely—meaning, when you're in bed, sleep. The researchers call it “sleep efficiency.” For instance, study participants who spent less than 92 percent of their time in bed asleep were at least five times more likely to pick up a cold virus than those who fell asleep quicker and stayed asleep longer. To get more shut-eye, sleep experts recommend banishing the TV as well as night lights, which can distract and impede your sleep cycles.



4. A tall glass of orange juice isn't a cold cure-all.

When you start to feel the first signs of a cold coming on, what do you do? If your first response is to load up on OJ in hopes of boosting your body’s vitamin C levels, you might reconsider. A major review of more than 30 studies conducted by researchers at Australian National University and the University of Helsinki say that for the majority of people, vitamin C does nothing to prevent or reduce the symptoms of a cold.



Disappointing, yes. But there’s a caveat. If you’re under a lot of stress, or are putting your body to the test—for example, training for a marathon—a daily dose of 200 mg of vitamin C may reduce your chances of catching a cold by about half. To get more C naturally, load up on these foods: oranges and citrus, of course, and also papaya, broccoli, tomatoes, red peppers and kiwi.



5. There’s a flower that may help fight cold viruses.

You’ve probably heard of echinacea, a plant with a stunning pink flower, which is believed to help boost the immune system. University of Connecticut researchers put the theory to the test recently, and after studying more than 1,600 people, they reported that not only did echinacea cut the chances of catching a cold in half, but also those study participants who took it reduced the duration of their colds by about 1.4 days.



Should you supplement with echinacea? It’s worth a try, says Dr. Eccles. "As it is a natural product, it is not possible to standardize the medicine, so, like buying wine, get the best quality from [herbal supplement makers] who have been in the business for a while.”



6. A cold virus could make you fat.

Could you blame that extra 15 pounds you’ve gained on the cold you got last spring? It may not be a far-fetched idea, according to researchers at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego. In their study of children, published in a recent issue of the journal Pediatrics, they found that kids who had been infected by adenovirus 36, a common cold virus that causes typical cold symptoms and sometimes gastrointestinal issues, were, on average, 50 pounds heavier than children who hadn’t been infected by the strain, suggesting that a viral infection may cause excess weight gain. While researchers aren’t implying that all cold viruses—even this particular one—cause lifelong weight problems, it's some extra incentive to stay healthy this season, right?



7. Hot drinks can help zap the symptoms of cold viruses.

Your mom was right—tea and hot soup may be the keys to feeling better when you're hit with a bad cold. According to a study published in a recent issue of the journal Rhinology, researchers in England say that simply sipping a hot beverage can provide immediate and sustained relief from your worst cold symptoms, like coughing, sneezing, runny nose, sore throat and fatigue. The researchers tested hot beverages versus room-temperature drinks and found that the warmth in a cup had soothing, feel-good properties. Your new feel-better-fast remedy: herbal tea with a squeeze of lemon and one teaspoon of honey, which has also been proven to soothe sore throats.



8. An ingredient found in breast milk can make you feel better fast.

It turns out that an ingredient in breast milk (that you can find via supplements—whew!), may help your most intense cold go away. “A derivative of lauric acid, monolaurin, is a fatty acid found naturally in breast milk,” explains Tom Bayne, DC, a practitioner with ChicagoHealers.com. “It is known to decrease symptoms of the flu and fatigue.” You can find monolaurin supplements at any health food store or vitamin shop and at most pharmacies. As with all natural supplements, talk to your doctor about the right dosage and whether there are any drug contraindications to keep in mind.



9. The average person gets 200 colds in his or her lifetime.

According to estimates, by your 75th birthday, you’re likely to have suffered through 200 colds—that’s two years of your life sneezing! And while children typically get between four and eight colds per year, older people get a break from them. Experts believe this is due to the fact that most elderly people have already been exposed to the majority of cold viruses circulating. But, adds Dr. Eccles, a new virus can be devastating to the elderly, often manifesting in upper respiratory illness.



10. Colds are really not that contagious.

We hear so much about the dreaded rhinovirus that most people think a mere handshake with a sick person is going to send them coughing. Not true, say experts. Recent research by the Cardiff University Common Cold Centre found that when healthy people were put in a room with cold sufferers, it was “remarkably difficult” to spread the infection from one person to another. In fact, the cold virus has to have the ideal conditions when hitting your body to infect you. “Colds are not very contagious, and most colds are caught at home from kids and partners from prolonged and close contact,” says Dr. Eccles. In other words, no need to don a mask in public—just use common  sense.
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Cell Phones used by Pregnant Mamas could Breed Brats?

   Every day, it seems, some new discovery is unearthed to make pregnant women pause, stress out and worry that the only way they're going to give birth to a healthy baby is to hibernate in a bubble for nine months.
Now comes the news that pregnant moms who use cell phones could increase the odds that their kids will be brats.
Researchers have found that the radiation exposure from cell phones increases the risk of having kids with behavioral problems, Reuters reports.
The study is likely to renew controversy over the safety of cell phones and whether or not they directly cause the behavioral problems, Reuters says.

"It is hard to understand how such low exposures could be influential," Dr. Leeka Kheifets, an epidemiologist at the University of California Los Angeles who led the study, tells Reuters in a telephone interview. "It is just something that needs to be pursued."
The researchers looked at data from 28,000 7-year-olds and their mothers who took part in a large Danish study that has been tracking 100,000 women who were pregnant between 1996 and 2002, according to the news service.
The mothers of about 3 percent of the children said their kids had borderline behavioral problems, and 3 percent showed abnormal behavior, such as obedience or emotional issues, the study showed.
The children whose mothers used cell phones while pregnant, and who also used the phones themselves, were 50 percent more likely to have behavioral problems, the researchers report in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
Children whose mothers used the phones but who did not themselves use mobile phones were 40 percent more likely to have behavioral problems, the study found. Researchers add that the children were no more likely to have epilepsy or delays in development.
About 5 billion mobile phones are in use worldwide, according to reports. However, the World Health Organization and the National Institutes of Health have found no evidence that cellphone use can damage health.                                                                                                                                                           Lilyruths"This and that friendly cottage" Pets welcomed. "Old folks remedies, to cure what ailes you.. find it here. You can leave your COMMENTS, your likes or dislikes,"this and that" Speak about anything is what this cottage is all about! Tell your friends. about "Lilyruths "And SUBSCRIBE to my Readers Feeds: http://feeds.feedburner.com/LilyruthsThisAndThatFriendlyCottageYourPetsAreWelcomed