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!

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away”

Even though you still may see the doctor from time to time, this quote still has a lot of truth. Apples have many beneficial properties and are used to help treat various conditions. One of these conditions is diarrhea. It is the pectin in the apple skin that is most beneficial in treating diarrhea. The simplest thing to do is eat a raw apple. The only problem with that, is that the raw apple may irritate already irritated intestines. Another option would be to eat a baked apple . . . this will help prevent irritating the intestines. My favorite way however is to peel the apple skin, boil it in milk (preferebly not non-fat), and then drink (when the milk cools a bit) . . . throwing a little bit of white rice with the milk and apple skin may help also. You can even add a little honey to sweeten the taste. Both the honey and the milk will help soothe the intestines. Obviously, if you are lactose intolerant, this isn’t the best way to go .

Apples are also beneficial to the liver and gallbladder. Drinking apple juice (fresh and organic is always ideal) and eating apples (ideally organic), whether raw or cooked, helps cleanse the liver and gallbladder and keep them healthy. It is also said that apples soften gallstones.

Apples can even help relieve swelling and irritation of the eyes (like sunburn). Place a poultice of grated apple (grated apple/apple pulp wrapped in a thin cloth) on the eyes for twenty minutes and it should help.

Insomnia can be caused by several different things, stress being one of the most common. It is also sometimes caused by a combination of things. So if you try one thing and it doesn’t help much, you might want to try something different. Here are a some different suggestions that can help you sleep:

First of all, you need to make sure you are not having any caffeine or sugar before you go to sleep. Also, be sure not to go to sleep right after you eat . . . 3-4 hours is the ideal wait time. When you finish eating is also important. The human body has a clock . . . when you sleep is when the regeneration/healing/repair cycle occurs. If you eat late, your digestion, which consumes the most energy, interrupts this cycle, not to mention putting a strain on your heart because its got to pump a bunch of blood to the stomach and intestines for digestion. The last meal of the day should be eaten between 4 and 7 p.m., and should not be the biggest meal or the most fried meal .

Trouble sleeping can aso be caused by a vitamin deficiency. If that is the case, taking a multi-vitamin daily will help.

Having an irregular sleeping pattern will also cause insomnia. If your sleeping pattern is irregular because of your job schedule, it may not be something that you can help, that is if you have to stick with that schedule. If your sleeping pattern is irregular because of something you can help, such as going out very often and staying out until 4 a.m. and sleeping until 1 or 2 p.m., or waiting last minute to do weekly reports for your boss, all you have to do is make sure you go to sleep at the same time every night (before 11 p.m.), then make sure and stay awake for the entire day. It may take a bit of time for your sleep pattern to readjust, but it will eventually.

Something else you can do is drink chamomile or linden tea every night before you go to sleep. Both chamomile and linden have a calmative effect. You may not see results right away . . . just make sure and drink it regularly before you go to sleep and you will eventually see a difference.

If stress or worry is the culprit, make sure you express it in a healthy way (don’t start yelling at people for no good reason or throw plates into the street for example . . . don’t hold it in because that would just drive you nutty. Don’t be afraid to think about what is stressing you out. I find that doing a specific activity or two when feeling stressed out helps. For me, exercising and gardening help relieve stress and worry.

Relaxation and meditiation are also beneficial. Just take some time every day to just sit and relax . . . play some nature sounds, light some candles . . . whatever helps.

If you have been attacked by mosquitoes recently, you may want to try rubbing lemon juice onto the bite . . . and remember not to scratch!

There are a variety of ways to soothe and help heal sunburn (and minor burns . . . serious burns, especially chemical burns, need medical attention):

Water is very important. Whenever you get burned, the affected skin becomes very dehydrated. And so, making sure to drink plenty of water (at least the suggested 8 cups a day) will help rehydrate the skin and speed up the healing process. An ice water compress also helps. Soak a folded paper towel or a small face towel in a bowl of ice water, ring to get rid of excess water (but not too much), then place it on the burn and repeat when the compress gets warm.

Plain yogurt, the same plain yogurt you find at the market, is very helpful in soothing the burned skin and it is also highly probable that the bacterial cultures found in yogurt help heal the burn. Take a spoonful of yogurt and dab it gently but generously onto the burn and spread, again gently, to cover. Once that round of yogurt dries, reapply.

Aloe Vera, a succulent plant, has fleshy leaves that release gel when the leaves are cut. This gel has healing and moisturizing properties and is very good as a burn treatment. Just cut off a leave of the plant and spread the gel onto the burn. Although fresh from the plant is most potent, one can buy aloe vera gel by the bottle at some stores . . . Whole Foods may have it. Just keep applying the aloe vera gel on the burn.

Potatoe can also be used for burns. Just peel a raw potatoe and cut it into smaller pieces and place it on the burned skin. I’ve never tried this method myself, but I have been told it works.

Honey soothes and helps heal burns as well. Just spread a small spoonful or two (depending on the size of the burn) onto the skin. Just keep an eye on it because honey liquifies when it is heated up.

Cucumber is a cooling food and good for burns, especially sunburn. All you have to do is spread cucumber juice on the burn or cut the cucumber into appropriate sizes and place the slices on the burn.

There are many different types of honey, depending on the type of plant it comes from. Some types include orange blossom honey, clover honey, sage honey, and eucalyptus honey. There are slight variations to the taste of the honey depending on the plant it comes from, but still delicious (if you like honey). Aside from tasting great, honey is also very useful medicinally.

Honey is excellent for sore throats and coughs. Honey is very soothing and kills certain bacteria. A tablespoon of honey, or honey and lemon is very helpful for a sore throat or a cough. Hot tea (such as Chamomile) sweetened with honey or even warm milk with honey (one of my favorites) are also very helpful. Just be careful if you decide on the warm milk and honey; if your sore throat and/or cough is accompanied by sinus congestion or excess mucus, the milk, which increases mucus production (as all dairy products generally do), can make you more uncomfortable. I would stick with hot tea and honey in that case.

The soothing and antibacterial properties also help with simple wounds such as scrapes and scratches. Some cultures even use honey to treat minor burns. The honey, when applied directly on the injury (in a thin layer) will soothe and protect it, and so speed up the healing process. Unfortunately, the honey will melt with body heat, and so you can wrap the injury and the honey with some thin, breathable fabric. The honey can also be mixed with a little bit of flour and then placed on the injury in order to help keep it from liquifying.

Honey also relieves fatigue due to its quickly absorbed sugars. If you need a quick “pick me up” and are not in the mood for something caffinated or chocolate, try a spoonful or two of honey. You can eat it straight or mix it with water.

And last but not least . . . as a tasty snack . . . mix honey with lightly melted butter (honey to butter ratio to taste) and spread it onto a slice of lightly toasted bread (I prefer pita bread, but it is just as good on loaf bread) or a flour tortilla.