I hadn’t heard of apple cider vinegar (ACV) until early this year and now it seems to be all the rage as a home remedy. However, apple cider vinegar has been used for centuries as a food and a medicine. Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, used apple cider vinegar to treat his patients, making it one of the world’s first medicines. Among its many other uses, apple cider vinegar was used to ease pain and to treat wounds and infections.

What Is Apple Cider Vinegar?

Apple cider vinegar, or cider vinegar, is a type of vinegar made by the fermentation of apple cider. Freshly grown apples are crushed and left to mature in wooden barrels. Bacteria and yeast break down the sugar in the apples. This sugar is later turned into alcohol and then vinegar. When the vinegar is mature, it will appear brown in color and contain a cloudy cobweb-like foam called mother which is added to other vinegar to speed up maturity for more apple cider vinegar. If your apple cider vinegar has mother floating around in it, this indicates that your vinegar is of good quality and contains all the beneficial nutrients.

Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid as well as some lactic and malic acids. It also contains vitamins, beta-carotene, pectin and minerals such as potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, sulfur, iron and fluorine.

What Are the Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar?

Acne—first clean your skin and then make a solution of 1 part apple cider vinegar to 3 parts water. Apply solution to the pimple. Be sure to dilute the ACV and NOT to use it at full strength.
Blood Pressure—studies suggest that the acetic acid contained in apple cider vinegar may help lower blood pressure.
Dandruff—mix up a solution of ¼-cup apple cider vinegar with ¼-cup water. This solution may help restore the pH balance of the scalp. Put the solution into a spray bottle, spray on hair and scalp, massage in, leave on until dry and then wash off. Repeat until peeling is gone.
Diabetes—several studies have indicated that apple cider vinegar may help lower glucose levels.

According to WebMD:

…one 2007 study of 11 people with type 2 diabetes found that taking two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before bed lowered glucose levels in the morning by 4%-6%.

Foot odor—soak feet in a tub with hot water and apple cider vinegar.
Headache—boil honey and apple cider vinegar and inhale the steam.
Nail fungus—add a few drops of apple cider vinegar and lavender oil to a warm tub of water. Keep your hand or foot in the tub for 20 minutes daily.
Nausea—combine one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar with half a cup of water and drink.
Warts—mix apple cider vinegar with a crushed onion. Apply on and around the wart and cover the area with a bandage.
Weight loss—vinegar has been used for weight loss for hundreds of years and it’s thought that vinegar helps people to feel full and makes the body burn calories faster.

Risks of using Apple Cider Vinegar

The risks of using apple cider vinegar are low, but if you’re using it in large doses and over an extended period of time be aware of the following:

• Acidity—apple cider vinegar is highly acidic and should always be diluted with water or juice before consumption because it could damage tooth enamel and throat tissue.
• Lower potassium levels—over long periods of use, apple cider vinegar can lower potassium levels and bone density.
• Drug interaction—apple cider vinegar may interact with other drugs. If you have questions or concerns, be sure to consult your doctor.

–Nolan

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Bunions plague millions of Americans and are often described as the big bump on the side of the big toe. They’re painful, annoying and in extreme cases debilitating. There isn’t a cure for bunions (save for surgery and that’s only performed if a bunion is severe) but there are things you can do to get a little more comfort for your feet

What causes a bunion?

In short, bad foot structure. People are simply born with feet that are prone to developing bunions. Curse your parents, not your shoes. Shoes in and of themselves do not create bunions. However, constricting footwear like high heels or narrow-toed shoes can bring on the symptoms of a bunion much more quickly.

Bunions are a progressive disorder. They begin with a leaning of the big toe, gradually changing the angle of the bones over the years and slowly producing the characteristic bump, which continues to become increasingly prominent. Usually the symptoms of bunions appear at later stages, although some people never have symptoms.
–Foot Physicians

Bunion symptoms

• A painful bump on the ball of your foot
• Inflammation at the site of the bunion
• Burning or numbness
• Ingrown toenail
• Calluses on the big toe

Home remedies for bunions

Ditch the heels and dress shoes and reach for a pair of sneakers. Tennis shoes are made of a softer, more pliable material that gives your feet more room. If you can, it’s best to go au natural, since running around barefoot doesn’t have any material for your foot to rub against and cause you pain.

Try some padding on the site of the bunion. Use a square of soft cotton or pick up a some specially made bunion pads at your local drugstore.

Ease the pain with toe spacers. These special spacers fit between your first and second toe, straightening the big toe to alleviate pressure. You can pick these handy little things at somewhere like Walgreens.

Apply heat or ice to the bunion to relieve pain cause by inflammation. You can do this many times during the day to keep the swelling down.

Con someone into giving you a foot massage. Nothing feels better!

If you’re suffering through an unbearable fit of bunion pain, soak your feet in a nice warm Epsom soak. If you don’t have any Epsom salt, a hot soak in regular tap water will do just fine.

-Magdalena

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Losing weight can be difficult, but it isn’t impossible. Fat puts an extra strain on your heart, kidneys, liver and joints. Overweight individuals are at a higher risk for arthritis, high blood pressure, diabetes, gout, liver disorders, coronary thrombosis and other diseases and/or disorders. Think about how much better your body will function when you lose weight and decrease your overall body fat.

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Weight Control Home Remedies and Tips

Try the following tips to manage your weight:

• Drink enough water every day to stay hydrated
• Try 3 drinking 3 cups of green tea per day
• Reduce your salt intake
• Eat low-calorie foods and increase the fruits and vegetables you eat every day
• Avoid food rich in carbohydrates—rice, potatoes and certain cereals
• Reduce foods rich in fat—cheese, milk, butter and non-vegetarian foods
• Exercise to reduce calories—begin with walking and then try other sports such as running, swimming or rowing

If you want to decrease your weight, try to eat healthy snacks and meals that you enjoy. Avoid emotional eating and learn how to limit your portion sizes. Be sure to exercise daily and reduce your stress level as you progress with your diet plan.

—Nolan

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Getting rid of cellulite is a battle for most women. Cellulite affects 95 percent of women. Often it seems cellulite is a constant battle. We fight it, deny it, and cover it up. But we get cellulite anyway and it stinks.

Cellulite is fat that appears as dimpled skin on the thighs, hips and buttocks. Cellulite develops in the subcutaneous fat layers and occurs when fat cells push against the skin while the tough fibrous connective cords are pulling downward. This creates uneven puckering or dimpling of the skin. However, there are natural remedies to help reduce the appearance of cellulite.

Cellulite Symptoms

Some signs and symptoms of cellulite include:
• Appearance of dimpled or bumpy skin—on thighs, buttocks, breasts, lower and upper arms
• Skin has cottage cheese or orange-peel texture
• Feeling tenderness or tightness in the affected area
• Feels the dimpling while standing
• In mild cases, dimpling appears when skin is pinched
• In severe cases, skin an bumpy and has peaks and valleys

You can check to see if you have cellulite by pinching the skin around your upper thigh or buttock. If the skin appears lumpy, you probably have cellulite.

Cellulite Risk Factors

Cellulite affects more women than men because women’s fat is usually distributed around the thighs, hips and buttocks (where we normally find cellulite).

Some factors that play in role in developing cellulite:
• Genetics—cellulite tends to run in families
• Hormones—progesterone and estrogen can led to the formation of cellulite
• Stress—causes more adrenaline to be produced in the body, which is a major cause of cellulite
• Weight gain—makes cellulite more noticeable, but cellulite can be found in lean people
• Inactive lifestyle—this can cause cellulite to form due to poor circulation
• Pregnancy—hormones and fluid retention rapidly increase and lead to cellulite

Cellulite Home Remedies and Tips

Try the following tips to reduce cellulite:

• Drink an adequate amount of water to keep your body hydrated.
• Try a detox diet that is low in fat and high in fiber to help combat your cellulite woes. Eat lots of healthy fruits and vegetables while reducing your intake of alcohol, coffee, pop and cigarette smoke. A high-fiber diet will help to improve your digestive process. Make sure your diet is low in fat, high in fiber and incorporates fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
• Exercise regularly to improve blood circulation while firming your body tissue. Maintain a healthy weight. Those who are carrying around excess weight are more likely to develop cellulite.
• Reduce salt consumption to avoid water retention.
• Relax by taking hot bubble baths or meditating.
• Avoid stress or aggravation in your life.
• Yoga teaches you how to breathe deeply and gives your muscles a good stretch. It helps to calm down your muscles and relax you. Cellulite accumulates when your muscles become tense, which can happen when you’re stressed, so it’s important to stay calm.
• Those who are constipated on a regular basis normally have cellulite. Eat plenty of high-fiber foods like green vegetables and grains to help your meals move quickly through your digestive tract.
• Put your feet up and keep your legs elevated when resting.

To reduce cellulite, you may follow the below listed home and natural remedies:
• Drink several cups of green tea a day.
• Take a bath with 2 cups of sea salt in warm water for about 20 minutes. This will like your skin feeling silky smooth.
• Dry-brush your skin with a soft body brush on damp or dry skin to help improve circulation. Rotate the brush in a circular motion from head to toe or on cellulite-ridden areas. Use long sweeping motions over the affected area and work in the direction of the heart.
• Drink 3 glasses of freshly squeezed lemons in 1 cup water and a pinch of cayenne pepper day. This will also melt away the cellulite.
• Mix rosemary and fennel oils and rub on the cellulite-afflicted area daily.
• Some essential oils such as cedarwood, juniper and patchouli are effective in treating cellulite.
• Grind caffeinated coffee into a powder and mix it with cheap hand lotion. Rub this into those dimpled areas for 60 seconds a day and then rinse off.

—Nolan

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Food poisoning is common. It’s also inconvenient and sometimes even deadly. When food isn’t handled correctly, undercooked or is left out too long without proper heating or refrigeration, there is cause for concern.

There are more than 250 strains of bacteria that can produce food poisoning. However, the most common forms of food poisoning in the US include: Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria and Campylobacter.

How do you get Salmonella poisoning?

Salmonella most commonly comes from undercooked pork, chicken, turkey and eggs. Forget eating raw cookie dough; it could be tainted with salmonella.

Some of the symptoms of salmonella include fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. Salmonella usually clears up on its own within a few days. However a doctor should be consulted when the young, the elderly or immune deficient are suspected of having salmonella poisoning.

How do you get E. coli infections?

According to the Center of Disease Control, an estimated 73,000 cases of E. coli occur in the US every year. E. coli infections commonly result from consuming undercooked ground beef, drinking or swimming in sewer-contaminated water or drinking unpasteurized milk.

The tell-tale sign of E. coli sudden bloody diarrhea. If you suspect you have and E. coli infection see a doctor right away.

How do you get Listeria?

Listeria is a bacteria commonly found in tainted soil, water or manure. As a result, vegetables grown in soil or fertilized with tainted manure can also become tainted with Listeria. Unpasteurized foods, like milk and cheese, can also become infected with Listeria.

Symptoms of Listeria include fever, muscle aches, nausea and diarrhea. If Listeria spreads to the nervous system, symptoms can include headache, stiff neck, confusion, convulsions and loss of balance. If you are pregnant, have a weakened immune system, are elderly or have a serious illness and suspect you have Listeria, see a doctor right away.

How do you get Campylobacter?

is usually transmitted by consuming contaminated food, water or unpasteurized milk products. The most common symptoms include sudden diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain and fever.

Campylobacter usually clears on its own in a few days. However if you suspect you have been exposed to Campylobacter, see your doctor. He may prescribe you an antibiotic to make your recovery time shorter.

How to avoid food poisoning

Always cook your meat until it is all the way done, especially chicken, pork and ground beef.

Don’t consume raw eggs. That means no eggnog or raw cookie dough!

Don’t use the same cutting board for raw meat and vegetables.

Always wash your hands after handling raw meat.

Consume only milk products that have been pasteurized.

If you’re eating at a picnic or any other function where there is a lot of food left out unheated or unrefrigerated, don’t eat any of it if it’s been sitting out longer than two hours.

Don’t eat leftovers more than 5 days old.

Wash your fruits and vegetables before you eat them.

–Magdalena

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