These kitchen remedies will keep you from spending more money.
Don't Spend Money at the Drugstore! Best Kitchen Remedies for Everyday Problems
Looking to save a few bucks? Here are the best ways you can remedy any issue with what you already have in your home.
1. Coughs? Sweet Gargles
Indoor allergens, airborne viruses, blustery days … it’s no wonder we’re more prone to coughing fits this time of year. To quell a throat tickle fast, swallow a pinch of sugar or swish sugar water around your mouth. Rutgers University scientists say when sugar touches your taste buds, your brain responds by releasing hormones that calm the cough reflex as effectively as OTC cough-suppressing meds do.
2. Nerves? Call on Cardamom
When you feel down, infuse your home with the warm, spicy scent of cardamom. It may help you shake off the blues in as little as ten minutes thanks to a compound known as cineole that stimulates the nervous system to release the calming, focus sharpening hormones serotonin and norepinephrine. Simply combine 1 Tbsp. of cardamom with 2 cups water in a small pot. Simmer gently.
3. Indigestion? Go Turmeric or Ginger
Researchers from Thailand say working 1⁄2 tsp. of turmeric into your daily diet could prevent bloat, indigestion and heartburn as effectively as medicine. The spice’s curcumin encourages digestive enzyme release, speeds stomach emptying and reduces intestinal inflammation. Try adding turmeric when you’re sautéing greens, roasting carrots and potatoes, making stews or marinating meats. An alternative to turmeric is ginger. Add fresh ginger to your meal. It contains compounds called gingerols that encourage digestive tract muscles to contract.
4. Windburn and Dry Skin? Soothing Sunflower Oil
Harsh winds and dry indoor air increase your risk of irritated skin. Luckily, moisturizing with a few drops of sunflower oil twice daily (it absorbs quickly and doesn’t block pores) erases itchiness in 24 hours. Plus, it improves skin texture and smoothness in one week, Spanish research suggests. Sunflower’s linoleic acid activates healing genes that improve moisture retention and strengthen skin’s protective barrier.
5. Can't Sleep? Say Cheese
Warm milk is a go-to for insomnia, but if you’d rather not fill up on fluids before bedtime because you’ll be running to the bathroom in the middle of the night, eat two ounces of your favorite cheese instead. A Japanese research review of 14 studies reveals that the creamy snack reduces your risk of sleep problems because it’s packed with bioactive peptides that relax muscles and calm the central nervous system.
6. Joint Aches? Time for Thyme
When you’re stiff and sore, soaking in a thyme-infused bath can cut achiness by a whopping 75 percent. And enjoying three leisurely soaks weekly could cut your risk of future pain flares in half. Italian scientists say warm baths relax tight muscles and boost circulation to tender joints. And thyme compounds calm sensitive pain nerves. Just place 1⁄2 cup of dried thyme in a heatproof jar and top with boiling water. Steep ten minutes, strain, then add to your tub.