Did you know garlic isn’t just for pasta sauce.

 

By Chris Cohan

 

Did you know garlic isn’t just for pasta sauce. This powerful herb has antifungal properties capable of wiping out a case of Athlete’s or Gardener’s Foot. Steep six crushed cloves in a gallon of water for one hour, then soak your tender toes for 20 minutes.

 

Garlic contains Allicin, a natural antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal, antiseptic, and, oh yes, anti-romantic properties.  It also acts as a decongestant and expectorant. So, the next time you have a cold, and yearn for chicken soup add a clove of minced garlic to turbo-charge the age-old remedy. 

 

Did you know that parsley, which is sadly just a punctuation mark on most dinner plates, is capable of reducing bruises? Next time you have an unsightly bruise or have smacked those petulant brats a tad too hard, crush and chop a handful of chilled parsley and apply straight to the bruise. In the same unspectacular but efficient manner that it attacks bad breath, parsley goes to work taking the color out of bruises, many times within 24 hours. 

 

Western practitioners believe laryngitis is caused by a virus or bacteria, while many Chinese healers believe that heat and poison in the lungs are the cause. Either way, depending on the patient, it may be a blessing that needs no attention. On the other hand, Chinese homeopathic treatment consists of licorice and peppermint tea. Some healers suggest adding honeysuckle flower. Like chicken soup, it can’t hurt.

 

At the first sign of a migraine, dip the flattened end of a toothpick into cayenne pepper and sniff a little bit into each nostril. In addition to offering natural pain relief, cayenne pepper is a good source of magnesium, which helps ward off migraines.

 

To relieve hay fever symptoms — runny nose, sneezing, itchy and red eyes — chew a one-inch square of honeycomb. Swallow the honey and continue chewing the waxy gum for 10 minutes, then discard. Buy honeycomb that was collected in your local area, so that it contains the same pollen that is causing you discomfort. To help immunize yourself, start chewing a square a day a month before you’re typically affected.