If you’ve got dry skin, try using shea butter or cocoa butter . . . or both . Both are highly moisturizing and relieve dry, itchy skin. Don’t be afraid to glop it on, as long as you will be wearing clothing over the area so you don’t get shea or cocoa butter on everything. Keep in mind that either will be greasy, since they are butter.

A great website where you can find shea butter is www.africansheabuttercompany.com. They have tons of great shea butter products, including shea oil. They used to have cocoa butter too, but I don’t think they carry it at the time being. As far as cocoa butter goes, I use the 100% Cocoa Butter stick made by “Queen Helene.” I found it at Rite Aid . . . don’t know if it is carried anywhere else. You can also find shea and cocoa butter products at Whole Foods Market (”Jason” products are very good).

If your muslces are tired after a long day, or sore from a hard workout, try taking a eucalyptus bath. As the bathtub fills with warm/hot water, put up to 20 or 30 drops of eucalyptus essential oil in the water. Grab a small towel and make a support for your neck and then just soak in the tub for a while. If your muscles are very sore, you might want to do this for a few days in a row.

Just a reminder . . .

As I am not a licensed professional in natural medicine or herbology, please be aware that, although the information is well researched, I cannot be held responsible for personal outcomes. Like all types of medicine (and foods), different people react differently to certian plants (and foods). And so . . . use at your own risk.

Garlic, part of the onion family, isn’t exactly perfume or cologne, but its characteristic smell comes with several healing properties. It purifies the blood and eliminates toxins from the body. Garlic reduces blood pressure, cholesterol, and clotting. It also helps remove stagnant food from the intestines.

Garlic is antibacterial and antiseptic. Its juice (after being crushed and grinded) can be used to disinfect wounds by washing the wound with it.

Garlic also helps cure the common cold and some flus. Holding a clove of garlic in the mouth, between teeth or in the cheeks, (for 15-20 minutes) and then eating it (yes, raw ) will help get rid of a cold, or even a sore throat.

Garlic alleviates respiratory problems. Next time you are congested and have trouble breathing, crush some garlic and inhale the smell in long deep breaths.

Garlic powder is a remedy for athlete’s foot. Sprinkle the powdered garlic on wet feet and let it dry (don’t put socks on until dry).

Do your pets have intestinal worms or other parasites? Try feeding them a clove garlic with their food everyday (for a small pet, try 1/3-1/2 a clove). Garlic has been shown to get rid of worms and parasites in pets, and in people. Garlic, when given with your pet’s food, will also help keep fleas off. Also, if your pet is sick and doesn’t want to eat, put a little garlic in their food . . . they like the strong smell and should eat. Just be careful . . . too much garlic can give your pet an upset stomach.

And, if you don’t mind smelling like garlic, eating raw garlic everyday will help keep mosquitoes away.

Note: For the healing properties of garlic to be potent, the garlic must be used raw. Also, a whole lot of garlic is not always a good thing . . . some say it can damage the liver when eaten excessively.

The stomach is most active between 7 and 9 a.m., and so breakfast should be eaten in that time. One should not eat before 5 a.m. because the digestive organs need rest and the other organs are involved in metabolic functions which should not be interrupted with eating.

You can eat breakfast whenever you want, but this is good to keep in mind.

I love spinach, and I loved watching Popeye while growing up (coincidence?), but is spinach really as good as Popeye says? Well, it might not make you strong enough to break out of cement, but it is definitely good.

The iron and chlorophyll found in spinach builds blood, and if you suffer from an iron deficiency, eating spinach is a good way to build it back up. It also cleanses the blood of certain toxins (skin related).

Spinach can also be used as a laxative . . . if you suffer from constipation, try eating some spinach. Spinach helps with the bowel and urinary movements of the body, and so spinach would be beneficial for those with urinary difficulty as well.

To eat spinach plain, you could steam it, or you could sautee it in a little butter. But a lot of raw spinach makes just a little cooked spinach, so don’t be afraid of how much spinach you have before you start cooking. If you are baking with spinach, it is best to steam it first.

Eucalyptus is a tree, whose leaves have healing properties. Essential oil of eucalyptus is also used for healing purposes.

Getting hold of eucalyptus leaves isn’t easy if there isn’t a tree around, but they would be quite handy for minor wounds. After the wound has been cleaned, wrap up the wound with clean eucalyptus leaves under the bandage. Eucalyptus oil is also said to help if applied to a minor wound, but I would advise against it because it is very potent and may cause further irritation. I would put a few drop of the essential oil in water to dilute it (as best as it can, since the oil will stay separated from the water), then soak a soft cloth in the water and put that on the minor wound.

Eucalyptus also helps to get rid of a cold, a flu, and even helps with breathing problems (that are not too severe); it is antiviral and kills some forms of bacteria. Using the essential oil in aromatherapy is very beneficial, especially during the cold and flu seasons. It helps reduce phlem and congestion in the throat, sinuses and lungs. If you feel like you might be getting a cold, or if your friends are getting colds, you should have eucalyptus aromatherapy at home.

Eucalyptus essential oil in a hot bath is helpful as well, in the case of sore muscles or minor cuts and scrapes (although a hot bath may be very uncomfortable in the event of cuts and scrapes. Just put several drops into the bathtub as it is filling, then soak in it.

Note: Tea tree goes very well with eucalyptus.

Warning: Eucalyptus essential oil should never be taken internally. It is highly potent, and toxic if swallowed and could cause severe complications.

Acne is often the result of a stressed liver. Greasy, fatty foods, chocolate, junk food, and foods with lots of preservatives are all hard on the liver and tend to have acne associated with them. The most obvious thing to do is eat healthy foods, but something else you can do, which I have had personal success with, is drink detox tea once or twice a day for no more than 2 or 3 weeks consecutively . . . If you go too long drinking detox everyday, there may be adverse effects. The tea box will usually also have directions. Detox tea is made with herbs that cleanse and promote the healthy functioning of the liver and kidneys. My acne starts to go away after about a week of drinking detox tea twice a day (it depends on how bad my acne is). Most markets have Detox Tea, although I usually buy mine from Whole Foods. Traditional Medicinals, Yogi, and Triple Leaf have good detox teas.

There are some easy and natural ways that can treat nausea:

Ginger is one of the most popular treatments to help reduce nausea. You can add ginger powder, or fresh ginger root (one or two small, washed cut pieces) to tea, but be careful not to put too much because that can make the nausea worse. Drinking ginger ale (real ginger ale, as in made with real ginger) also helps.

Rice can also be used to reduce nausea. Rice, which soothes the stomach, should be cooked and eaten, but in small amounts . . . you don’t want to throw too much food into an already sensative stomach. You could also add some cinnamon to your rice, since cinnamon also helps.

Peppermint and Spearmint are good as well. Drink peppermint or spearmint tea, sweetened with honey if you need it sweetened . . . do not use sugar. Also, if you happened to have peppermint or spearmint growing in your garden, you can wash a few leaves and eat them.

If you’ve got sore muscles or a stiff neck and need a heat pack, but don’t have one, just follow these simple instructions:

Take a big sock, fill it with (raw) rice, tie off the end, put it in the microwave, sprinkle/spray a little water on it, microwave it for around 1 minute (or until desired heat pack temperature), and you’ve got a heat pack!