Month: November 2017

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Natural Remedies to get rid of a sore throat, including Ginger Tea and Honey Toddy.

You know that feeling when you wake up, with a rattly throat and every swallow feels like broken glass searing down your gullet?  You instantly know you have some sort of a bug or two, or possibly the dreaded Strep throat, caused by the group A streptococcus bacteria.  What do you do now?

Although most sore throats are caused by colds and we can treat ourselves at home, if your throat seems to be Strep throat, see a GP.  Strep throat is contagious, and children are more at risk.  Breathing can be affected and diagnosis requires a throat swab.

For the rest of us, and our gritty sore throat caused by generally being unwell or having a cold, it’s a case of working through the options until we feel better.

Let’s not be shy here.  A sore throat can hurt like the devil, and then some, with every mouthful of saliva causing dread to fill our boots, as we know we have to swallow it.  In the past, I’ve found myself gargling milk, just for the soothing sensation for a few seconds, and there are some natural remedies we can try at home, to get rid of a sore throat.

I’ve spent several decades listening to the elder women in  my family, so I thought it was about time to share their remedies before I forget them.

1 – Salt Water Gargle

This has always been my  mother’s go to.  Every time I’ve been ill, I used to get the evil eye and pointed towards a glass and salt bottle.  Now with her, it wasn’t some scientific salt to water ratio.  She just grabbed a pinch, added it to boiled water and let it cool.    I have dread memories of the gargle and avoided it like the plague, but that’s not to say it was a daft remedy, as loads of people report that it does indeed work for them.  Who am I to argue with that?  This is pretty much what we do, usually every couple of hours or so.

Salt Water Gargle Recipe

  • Add 1 level teaspoon of salt to a small glass of water.
  • Stir until dissolved.
  • Gargle the liquid for sixty seconds if possible, or a minimum of 30 seconds.
  • Spit out the water once you have finished gargling.  Do not swallow.

2 – Honey Toddy 

This one belongs to my grandmother.  She’d add a tot of whisky and make it a whisky toddy though.  My mum, not liking the taste of alcohol, always preferred it without the tipple added.  I’m never quite sure how drinking something that burns on the way down could soothe a sore throat myself.

Ok, for the honey, it is said to help fight infection and help with pain relief, and the sweetness also helps make things taste better.  Check with a doctor or nurse before giving to children.

Honey Toddy Recipe

  • 100ml water which has been boiled and allowed to cool slightly.
  • Add one tablespoon of honey to the water and let it dissolve.
  • 1 slice fresh lemon as garnish and drink.

3 – Ginger Root Tea

This is nothing to do with my family, but as a spice with antibacterial and anti-inflmmatory properties, it might help a sore throat.   You can buy ginger tea ready made, or you can make it yourself as it’s so easy to do.

Ginger Root Tea Recipe

  • Peel a couple of inches of fresh root ginger and add to a pan.
  • Top up with a couple of mugs of fresh water.
  • Bring to boil and let simmer for 10 – 20 minutes, depending on how strong you like your tea.
  • Remove from the heat and add honey and either half a lemon or lime squeezed into the liquid.
  • Stir and drink the fluid.
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Why it’s important to keep flies out of your kitchen?

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Flies can be a real nuisance in our homes.  They’re frustrating and annoying, with that constant buzzing noise around your head, and that’s not to mention the potential for spreading disease.  The spread of disease is something you want to avoid, especially in the kitchen, where our food is prepared on a regular basis, and good hygiene routines are essential.

Saying all that, getting rid of flies from your kitchen should form part of any hygiene routine we have in place, but it’s not easy to get fly control perfect, as those little flying things have a knack of escaping even the most energetic of fly swatters.

Disease.

That says it all really.  House flies are not fussy about spending their time in clean areas. In fact, they prefer mucky filth, and revel in the internals of a rubbish bin, and we’ve all seen them swarm around dog poo.

After all that, they fly in through an open window or door, and flit around, from room to room inside our homes, spreading their lovely germs as they go.  If we don’t get rid of them straight away, they’ll land on our kitchen work surfaces, tables, and any uncovered food left lying around, or set out for the next meal.  Salmonella has been potentially linked to house flies, which are known to be carriers of more than 200 types of bacteria, so getting rid of flies should be a priority in our homes.

How to help stop flies invading your home.

We can’t actually avoid finding flies in our homes, especially from spring to autumn, but we can reduce the risk in our homes by taking a little action.

  • Make sure that any gaps and cracks in the exterior walls of your home are sealed up.
  • Make sure that debris is cleared away from the exterior of your property.
  • Keep outside rubbish areas clean and tidy, with lids on.  Open rubbish tends to attract flies and the closer they are to your house, the easier it is for them to get in.  Wash your outside bin with hot soapy water.
  • Consider hanging screens on windows and doors you leave open frequently, to make it harder for flies and other insects to get inside.

What if flies do invade?

Let’s face it, you only have to open a door, and flies can get into your kitchen. You need to make sure that you get rid of them straight away, so that they do not have chance to spread disease in your home.

Taking preventive measures can help reduce the amount of flies that get into your property. But, you need to look out for those that do get in, and make sure that you get rid of them straight away.

  • Make sure that food is kept in the fridge or covered up.
  • Dispose of waste products properly and keep it outside, eg cat litter and nappies.
  • Clean your sinks and hobs regularly with hot soapy water.  Any food residue will attract the flies to your home.  Remember that flies can breed in dirty mops and cloths, so don’t leave them lying around.
  • There are several home remedies that you can use, to help you get rid of flies. You can also opt to use a fly spray, or a UV-A lamp which attracts flies and then kills them.
  • Grow insect repelling herbs, such as mint, rosemary and lavender on your window sills, to deter them coming in.
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10 Ways To Get Your Kids Drinking More Water

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Everyone who reads my blog, knows my mother is now pretty much bedridden after a stroke, but she still knows what she likes and what she doesn’t.  I spent my whole childhood being told that I needed to drink more water, and even my own kids have been at the sharp end of the grandparental water police, but there she is, now only eating and drinking what she likes, and not what she thinks is good for her, and unless it’s a glass also filled with ice, water isn’t ever going to be her go to drink in future.

I think if we’re realistic, we all relate water to our mother figures and being coerced into drinking something we’d rather not.  I was determined not to be part of the water police when my kids were growing up, but I still wanted them to take in as much of the good stuff without too much sugar being added.

It started one breakfast time, when my kids got up, poured glasses of milk, gulped them down and left for school.  Milk turns to food in the stomach, so technically, they’d had nothing to drink, and no water.  I couldn’t blame them though, as straight from the tap, water tastes pretty horrible.

Here are my tips to getting the water intake up.

1 – Drink it yourself.

Our kids often end up being mini versions of ourselves.  If we want them to drink water, we have to be a good example and drink it ourselves.  My morning drink of choice used to be a diet soda, so I cut that one out and started having a glass of water with lots of ice while the kids were still at home, and it’s satisfying on a hot day, but doesn’t tickle my taste buds at all.

2 – Cool bottles.

When sports bottles began to become popular among kids, I paid attention.  It might cost me £10, but with the right bottle, my kids would take bottles of water out with them as they play with their pals, for football sessions, and just to look cool.  Don’t underestimate the power of cool…..

3 – Ask schools to help.

Our local schools were very proactive.  They banned soda and high sugar drinks, and only allowed kids to have water bottles on their desks, to sip from during lessons.  Being able to have a drink during class was a huge proactive campaign that worked a treat.  More schools should do this.

4 – Chart incentives.

With my middle child with learning difficulties, chart incentives worked great.  I pinched the idea from school and created a water chart based on glasses of water a day.  This is how we worked it.

  • One glass of water a day for 7 days =  new pencil.
  • Two glasses of water a day for 7 days = pick a sweetie from the shop.
  • Three glasses of water a day for 7 days = movie night with mum and dad.

5 – Jazz it up.

There are lots of ways to do this.   Some of the following are my favourites.

  • Add fruit for an infusion.  Lemon and lime slices, berries or much more.
  • Add sugar-free cordial to disguise the taste.

6 – Make it a smoothie.

There are different opinions on this, but mine is that any water is more beneficial than no water.  I love to take blueberries, strawberries, mango, raspberries and many more base ingredients, freeze them, then add the frozen fruit to a blender with water.  Blitz it up for a healthy smoothie that’s both good for all of us and is packed full of water too.

7 – Make it available.

As daft as it sounds, choosing water might be the last option kids will go for, if there is an alternative in the cupboard or the ridge.  If all that’s available is water, then they’ll drink it.  Use filtration systems to remove the icky tap water taste.

8 – Keep at it.

Two of my kids try to thwart me at every turn when it comes to drinking the H2O these days, but as teens, they have choices, though I am very proud that my middle child picks water as his drink of choice, several times a day.  He’s developed a very healthy relationship with his beverages.

9 – Choose it out and about.

You know the routine.  For a change, you visit an eatery and the first thing you do, is order a soda.  Replace the first drink with a glass of water.  Not only will you save money on the bill, your health will love you for it too.

10 – Make soup.

What!  Well, we all know that home-made is always best.  As well as hiding lots of vegetables we can’t get kids of all ages to eat, and that goes for my mother too, a pot of soup can contain a nice serving of water, used to add the liquid content of the soup.  This is one of my biggest tricks of my life.  If you make it yourself, for every 1.6 litres of soup, there could be approximately 1 litre of water.  That’s nothing to sniff at.

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6 Foods That Aid Restful Sleep

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We all need our sleep. It’s a fact. Because there’s a lot more to a great night’s sleep than the benefits of beauty, let me tell you!

Sleep deprivation can lead to all kinds of physical and mental repercussions, from obesity and heart disease to anxiety and depression. So it should come as no surprise that, in this fast-paced, stressful world, as a society we’ve never slept worse.

There are lots of ways to ensure a better night’s sleep. Paying attention to what the experts say is one – and you’ll find handy tips to improve your sleep on The Sleep Advisor website. Practising mindfulness is another and whether it’s doing a guided meditation before bed or simply relaxing your body and mind with a nice bath before you settle down, this can work wonders for your sleep cycle.

And since the food we eat is basically fuel for the body, there are certain foods we can try to help it shut down when it needs to.

Foods to help you sleep

1. Bananas

It may sound counter-intuitive – aren’t bananas supposed to give us energy? Well yes, that’s true…but they’re also a source of magnesium and vitamin B6, both of which promote feelings of happiness and calm. Plus, alongside magnesium, the potassium that stars in a banana’s make-up is actually a muscle relaxant – so chowing down on a bedtime banana can actually make you feel calmer and physically relaxed. Bonus.

2. Kiwis

The next superfruit of the bowl is New Zealand’s finest export. Nope, I don’t mean the delicious rugby team – I mean the humble kiwi. It packs a powerful protein punch for something so cute and furry. And researchers in Taiwan found that eating a kiwi – or even better, two kiwis – an hour before bedtime increases the chance of a good night’s sleep. Something about the high levels of serotonin and anti-oxidants, I’m sure they know what they’re talking about!

3. Almonds

With muscle-relaxing magnesium and calm-producing serotonin, this is one nut you should – ahem – go nuts for. Sorry. Have a handful before bedtime to ward off any night time cravings or, for something a bit more substantial, spread a dollop of almond butter on a piece of wholegrain toast. Mmm.

4. Sweet potatoes

For another tummy filler that won’t keep you awake all night, include some sweet potatoes in your evening meal. Their complex carbohydrates keep you fuller for longer and prevent a rumbling tummy from disturbing your snooze fest. Oh, and they have potassium in them, too. Your dreams will never be sweeter.

Tip: Try making sweet potato wedges with tahini on its own, or hummus made with tahini. The sesame seeds within it contain tryptophan, an amino acid that’s linked with aiding sleep. It takes an hour or so to kick in though, so enjoy it as an early evening snack or as part of your dinner rather than dipping in before bedtime.

5. Turmeric

Turmeric has been proved as having a whole heap of benefits. In terms of helping you sleep, it reduces your blood-sugar levels, it boosts your immune system and it eases your digestive system. All of these things can prevent you from falling into a deeper slumber so turmeric kindly removes these obstacles from your path to Snoozeville.

Tip: Add a helping of ground turmeric to your evening meal or stir a teaspoon into some hot milk of your choice. Add half a teaspoon of ginger and sprinkle with cinnamon – they call it ‘Golden Milk’ in India; I like to think of it as a hug for your insides!

6. Yoghurt

Dairy products are rich in calcium. And research suggests that being calcium deficient may make it hard to fall asleep. So having a yummy yoghurt before bed can actually improve your sleep – good news all round.

Now, I’m not giving you an excuse to have 10 bowls of ice-cream with that Netflix series you’re binge watching. Because sugar isn’t known as the most relaxing thing in the world! And lay off the cheese while you’re at it. It may not have been proven as a nightmare enhancer but it can lead to heartburn, indigestion and other unwelcome bed companions.

So stick to yoghurt instead, or if you’re not a fan of dairy, try other calcium-rich foods, like dark leafy greens.

Tuck in and get tuckered out

Next time you’re reaching for a bedtime snack, avoid the coffee and biscuits and whip up a turmeric latte with almond butter toast instead. Sounds like too much effort? Have a banana!

Trust me, you’ll be glad you did come morning.