Health Hacks

Health hacks have been around for years, often passed down to us by our elders.  When I was growing up, my grandmother would offer her advice on how to handle some of these problems, and thought she had no idea what she was talking about because the remedies seemed a bit silly.  I chalked them up to old wives’ tales, but as it turned out, she was quite right.  

Let’s take a look at some hacks that can solve every day, minor health issues.  Using these solutions will make your life so much easier!

 1. Cure a Headache Without a Pain Reliever.  One of the most common reasons people get headaches is due to dehydration.  The next time you get a headache, instead of reaching for acetaminophen or ibuprofen, reach for Gatorade. 

 Consuming two glasses of Gatorade will stop your headache quickly, and will actually address the reason why you got a headache in the first place rather than just mask the pain. The electrolytes and carbohydrates in the Gatorade allow the fluid to be absorbed more efficiently in your body than just drinking water, instantly rehydrating you.     

2. Relieve Minor Sunburns Naturally.  If you have a minor sunburn and don’t have any aloe vera, you can relieve your burn by applying tea bags to your skin.  Soak black tea bags in warm water.  Drain some of the excess water from the tea bags and place them in your freezer for 20 minutes.

 Apply the chilled tea bags directly to your sunburn. The tea’s tannins and anti-inflammatory properties will help soothe your skin and activate the healing process quickly.  If you don’t have black tea in your home, you can substitute chamomile tea.  

3. Sleep Smarter.  We all know that getting quality sleep for 8 hours a night maximizes our effectiveness and mental state the following day.  Sometimes it’s hard to get the full 8 hours, but let’s look at the most effective ways you can get the best quality of sleep. 

Stop drinking beverages with caffeine in them at least six hours before you go to bed.  Shut off your television and stop looking at “screens” (computer, phone, etc.) an hour before you go to bed.  The release of melatonin helps you fall asleep at night and it has been proven that looking at the light on our gadget screens actually suppresses that natural release. 

Avoid hitting your snooze button, as it causes your REM sleep to be disrupted, resulting in you feeling even more tired.  If you are tempted to hit the snooze button like I often am, move your alarm so you are forced to get out of bed and shut it off. 

4. Make Your Own Flexible Ice Pack.  Instead of spending $10-$15 to purchase an ice pack at your local pharmacy, you can make one with ingredients you already have at home.  Simply take a gallon zip top bag and fill with three parts water to one part rubbing alcohol and place it in your freezer. 

The alcohol will prevent the water from completely freezing and will allow the mixture to be flexible for better application.  Once you are ready to use it, take it out of your freezer and wrap in a towel and apply to the affected area. 

 5. Soothe a Sore Throat Naturally.  If you have a sore throat or a persistent cough you can calm it down with items you have at home in your pantry.  Create a soothing syrup by combining a ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon of honey and 2 tablespoons of water.  Mix together until you have a thin, smooth consistency and drink.

 6. Ease Bloating.  We’ve all experienced the discomfort of bloating when eating more than we should have at a delicious meal.  When our body breaks down food, some carbohydrates cannot be digested in the small intestine, so it moves along to our large intestine in its undigested form.  This causes gas to build, resulting in the body feeling bloated.

Drinking a few cups of dandelion tea will help purge excess water in your body and will stimulate bile that will cause the undigested food in your large intestine to break down quickly, relieving the bloat.

 7. Banish Toenail Fungus.  Fungal infections under your toenails can be treated effectively with Listerine.  You can soak your feet in Listerine twice a day until the infection clears up, or you can apply a small amount of Listerine directly to the affected area twice a day with a Q-Tip or a small brush. 

You can also mix one part Listerine and one part white vinegar and soak your feet in that mixture.  The antiseptic properties in Listerine will help disinfect your toenails and the white vinegar will make the environment too acidic for the fungi.  This acidic environment kills off the fungi.

 8. Stop Ice Cream Headaches. Ice cream headaches, often called “brain freeze” occurs when we eat something cold too fast.  When the roof of our mouth feels the cold sensation, it causes a dilation of the blood vessels in our head, which causes a sharp cold headache. 

 When you feel the headache start, press your tongue on the roof of your mouth (this is where the nerve center is located that is causing your blood vessels to enlarge and cause the headache) this will soothe the nerves and the heat from your tongue will signal to the brain that it isn’t as cold.