UWS Sidewalk Medicine Chests, The Sequel
Written by Lydia Wilen
Thanks to the overwhelming response (over 5,000 comments) to my previous article, Sidewalk Medicine Chests at UWS: Safe, Natural Remedies From Bubbies and Other Experts.I have presented (pun intended) a sequel, and I encourage you to stop at your local fruit and vegetable garden for certain products that worry you, or delicious treatments that can help you prevent those diseases in the first place.
You may wonder, “Who can tell me what to eat? I don’t see ‘Dr.’ before his name, or ‘MD’ after it.” It’s true. My sister, Joany and I were raised on traditional medicines that our grandmother (Bubby) brought with her from “the country old”. They worked…most of the time…and they were harmless, inexpensive, and had no negative side effects.
So, Bubby’s healings encouraged us. My brother and I became researchers of new life and collectors of old medicines. This was long before the Internet became everyone’s health advisor. We have discussed and reviewed the work published by homeopathic and integrative practitioners – practitioners who combine traditional therapies with complementary and alternative medicine. They have made sure that everything we recommend is, if not effective, at least safe.
“Chicken Soup and Other Folk Remedies” was our first book, followed by many more, filled with feedback from readers, as well as viewers and radio show listeners. -air-air-air-air-air-air.
Now you know who, why, and how, here is what.
A-Peel-ing Bruise Eraser
Place the inside of a banana peel on the wound or scrape and keep it in place with a bandage. Change the peel every four hours. It will relieve pain, reduce bruising, and speed healing.
Regardless of whether you use the peel of the banana as a remedy or not, the banana itself is a healthy fruit. If you take a diuretic, you may lose too much potassium from your system, which may cause leg cramps. If so, eat a banana or two every day. You may also want to talk to your doctor about weaning you off a chemical diuretic instead of a natural one.
Natural diuretics
For less water retention and bloating (which can happen to some women during menstruation) try one or more of the suggestions below. If you have a persistent problem, be sure to consult a health care provider for guidance. If this is an unusual situation, choose vegetables or fruits that are suitable and tasty.
- Start by taking the leek. (Sorry. The comic writer in me couldn’t resist the call.) Similar to but a bit lighter than scallions, eat green leeks in salads or use leeks in soups and stews.
- Eat a piece of watermelon first thing in the morning and don’t eat anything else for at least two hours.
- Eat celery raw in a salad or cooked in a soup. Because of its high water content, good fiber and low calories, it is a smart snack that prevents dry mouth.
Native Americans used the food they grew to keep themselves healthy. Their corn crop provided them with corn silk as a cure for urinary problems. Because of the silk properties of corn, it can help flush out toxins and bacteria from the urinary system, and can prevent and help heal UTIs.
Between now and September, your local fruit and vegetable stand will have corn on the cob. Pick what appears to be the smallest corn, with silk fibers that are browner than the ones that appear. Peel the bark and remove the silk fibers. Take a handful of corn silk and steep it in 3 cups of boiled water for 5 minutes. Strain and drink the tea throughout the day. Corn silk can be stored in a glass jar. Do not refrigerate it.
Now I Wish I Could Sleep…But I Can’t
If you suffer from occasional insomnia, this remedy may bring tears to your eyes. Cut the yellow onion into pieces and place the pieces in a jar with a lid. Place a jar on your nightstand. Once you’re in bed and having trouble falling asleep, open the jar and take two deep whiffs of onion. Cover the jar again, go to sleep and think positive thoughts. You should fall asleep within 10 to 15 minutes. When my sister and I talked about this cure on television, to help the viewers remember it, we sang these words to The Tokens’. The Lion Sleeps Tonight: “Smell onion, yellow onion.” And you will sleep tonight.” How many of you have just sung that?
It’s Smart to Moisturize
Lately, Dallas esthetician Paul Neimast used to recommend Thompson’s seedless green grapes as a moisturizer. He said to cut each grape in half and gently crush it on your face and neck. Be sure to let the grape juice reach the corners of your mouth and carefully around your eyes. According to Neimast, it is good for getting rid of crow’s feet and small cracks in the mouth. Leave it on for about 20 minutes and then wash it off with warm water and pat dry.
Thompson’s seedless grape season is now, late summer through fall. And grapes can be frozen.
Got a Cold? Remove the Garlic
Of course you know how to eat chicken soup when you have a cold. Be sure to chop the garlic cloves.
Here is another garlic remedy for the common cold:
In Russia, garlic was known as Russian penicillin. It has been reported that colds (and your friends) disappeared within hours – a day – after taking garlic. Keep a clove of garlic in your mouth between your cheek and teeth. Do not chew it. Sometimes release a little garlic juice by digging your teeth into the clove. Replace the clove every three to four hours. The allicin in garlic is the best thing that kills bacteria and bacteria. It’s no wonder that many commercial cold remedies include garlic.
After that treatment, I would be uncomfortable without adding fresheners, which are also available in fruit areas:
- Give me a lemon. If that is too strong, squeeze some lemon juice. add a little honey, then rinse your mouth with it and swallow.
- Chew an orange peel
- Wash the parsley leaves. Its rich Chlorophyll content acts as a powerful deodorizer.
Do you have Gout? Get Bing Cherries All Year Round
In Part 1, bing cherries were mentioned as a cure for gout. Cherry season is coming to an end. If your local fruit shop still has them, buy them and freeze them. Here’s how to do it: remove the stems, then wash and dry them thoroughly. After that, remove the holes. If you don’t have a cherry picker, use the brute method by holding the cherry between two fingers and ripping it in half. Then remove the hole. Or you can place the small end of a chopstick over the stem hole and push the hole out of the cherry. Now for the icing part: pour the cherry flesh onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet and refrigerate the sheet for two hours. Then transfer the frozen cherries to a bag or freezer safe container and put them back in the fridge and freeze them whenever you like.
Also, I’m listing my nearest and dearest fruit chairs, along with what Judy left in the comments section.
- NW Corner of 70th Street at Broadway
- NW Corner of 72ndn.d Street on Broadway
- Westside of Broadway between 73rd and 74th Streets
- SW Corner of 68th Street at Columbus Avenue
- SE Corner of 90thth Street and Broadway across from Chase Bank
We would appreciate it if you could add your payment destinations to the list.
Read the original story: Sidewalk Medicine Chests at UWS: Safe, Natural Remedies From Bubbies and Other Experts
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