BEST MEDICINES in OUR KITCHEN

Not feeling well? Take a trip to your pantry or refrigerator...and you will find the best relief your doctor ordered....same as your mother told you to do!

1. COLDS? Garlic. So it makes your breath a little stinky. Boil 2 cloves in a glass of water, drink it warm and clear up that stuffy head with garlic. The bulb has heart healthy benefits you don't want to miss, and can protect against stomach and colon cancer. A recent study also suggests that adding garlic or onion to your whole grains may help you absorb more of their iron and zinc.

2. UPSET or QUEASY STOMACH? Bananas and Ginger. Bananas will settle an upset stomach. Ginger will cure morning sickness or nausea. Sip some ginger tea. Make your own by boiling a teaspoon of minced ginger in 2 cups of water, strain and share it with your hubby! The chemical compounds in ginger can ease nausea or relieve an upset tummy.

3. HEADACHE? Ginger and Fish. Sip some ginger tea, it reduces inflammation and pain. Eat plenty of fish- fish oil helps prevent headaches. If you're too busy to make a natural ginger tea, use Twinnings Lemon and Ginger flavor tea.

4. DIARRHEA? Eat Apples and Bananas. They are both good for these ailments.

5. CAN'T SLEEP? Drink a cup of black tea with a teaspoon of honey. Honey can be a tranquilizer and a sedative as well. Or drink a glass of milk with honey, works well for my son and me.

6. PMS? Drink milk! Studies show that taking 1,200 milligrams of calcium daily for 3 months can reduce symptoms of PMS by 48 percent. Eight ounces of milk has about 300mg of calcium, unless you are planning to gulp down 4glasses a day! Make sure to add to your diet other high calcium foods like yogurt, cheese and fruits.

7. INSECT BITE, BUG BITE, MOSQUITO BITE? Onion, Sugar, Meat Tenderizer. Try meat tenderizer that has a papain, an enzymes found in tenderizers that breaks down the insect-injected proteins that cause the pain. For maximum relief, mix the tenderizer with water to form a paste, and then lather over the sting. Granulated sugar put over the sting can prevent scarring of a bite wound. Slice of raw onion placed on an animal bite will discouraged infection and draw poison out.

8. INSECT WENT INSIDE YOUR EAR? Olive oil. Tilt your ear toward the sky, then sprinkle a few drops of warm olive oil into the ear canal and return your head to normal position. The bug will suffocate and float out. Johnson's baby oil works as well!

9. ITCHY? Quaker Oats. To relieve itchiness, soak in a soothing oatmeal bath. Oats contain unique anti-irritant/anti-itch compounds that work fast. Try to make your own: Pour 2 cups of raw quick-cooking oats into a knee-high stocking, knot the top, and swoosh the stocking into the bath water for the duration of your bath.

10. BRUISED? To stop bruising, grab a bag of frozen peas. Wrap it in a damp cloth, and press lightly against the injury for 20mins. This would reduce the swelling as well. Repeat 3 to 4 times throughout the day.