Got a bad headache that won’t go away? Feeling a bit nauseous? Or are you fighting a bout of heartburn? Rather than opening your medicine cabinet to fix the problem, you may want to head to your kitchen. Certain foods have healing properties that can help ease common ailments.
Hydrate a headache
The first thing to do if you get a headache is to drink one or two tall glasses of water. Dehydration is a common cause of headaches. Nibbling on an apple and a handful of walnuts may also help because of the combination of carbs, healthy fat and protein. That prevents a dip in blood sugar, which is another headache trigger.
Snack yourself to sleep
If you’ve been having trouble sleeping, you may have already tried warm milk, but studies suggest kiwi fruit which are rich in folate, a ‘B’ vitamin may help the brain produce sleep-inducing chemicals. Eat two kiwis an hour before bedtime. The fruit’s high antioxidant content may also be a factor in the kiwi-sleep connection.
Battle heartburn with fruit
If you suffer heartburn and acid reflux you can try stopping the burning sensation by eating a banana. Some research suggests banana may act as a natural antacid. Another remedy: chew sugarless gum. Studies have found it may decrease reflux after a meal.
Calm nausea with ginger
Extensive research has found ginger is a potential remedy for nausea, especially during chemotherapy and pregnancy. To make yourself some ginger tea, steep 1 ½ teaspoons of grated ginger in 1 ½ cups of boiling water and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then strain the ginger out before drinking. Add honey if you want to sweeten up the concoction.
Feed a cold
Although no foods have proven to shorten a cold, chicken soup and frankly, any soup can hydrate you, in helping your lymph system flush out the virus. You may also want to avoid sugars when you have a cold. Some studies have shown sugar weakens the activity of certain virus-fighting white blood cells.
Zap garlic breath
It’s also good to know you can zap garlic breath by eating lettuce, an apple or raw mint leaves. All three destroy sulfur compounds and neutralize the odor garlic causes.
