Common kitchen ingredients with natural healing properties -

Have you heard that almonds can relieve PMS or that oats are good for itchy skin? It's true!

Whatever your complaint, you should be able to find simple ingredients in your kitchen that can help to cure you!

From coughs, colds, and sore throats, to dry skin, insomnia, and diarrhea, check out these common home ingredients that can make you feel better, naturally!

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Honey - Honey has powerful antibacterial properties. It can be drunk with hot water, lemon, and ginger to ease a sore throat, or eaten on its own to help suppress coughing.

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Garlic and ginger -

Garlic has natural analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. Boil minced garlic and ginger to infuse and then drink the liquid when cool. This can help cure fever!

Garlic is one of nature's best antiseptics. To help cure a sore throat, gargle an infusion of six pressed garlic cloves in warm water two times a day.

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Black tea - The tannins present in black tea help calm puffy eyes. Just dip a tea bag in hot water for a few minutes to activate these compounds, then cool in the fridge and place on closed eyes for 10 minutes to reduce swelling.

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Ginger - The root is effective in reducing feelings of nausea.

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Ginger - Ginger is also effective in relieving period pain. This is because the root reduces inflammation and boosts blood flow. Try a cup of warm ginger tea next time you get cramps!

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Mint and cilantro - Boiling these leaves and drinking the mixture three to four times a day helps cure a fever, as mint has natural cooling properties and cilantro contains phytonutrients that boost the immune system.

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Aloe vera - Soothe burns and sunburn with the jelly interior of the leaves of this plant, which acts as an anti-inflammatory.

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Coconut oil - Coconut oil is a great moisturizer for your skin, and also brings benefits to your oral hygiene. Oil pulling, which involves swishing coconut oil around your mouth for 10 to 15 minutes, helps to whiten teeth and prevent bad breath.

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Almonds - These nuts contain lots of calcium and should be eaten along with other calcium-rich foods (including dairy, leafy greens, and sardines) to help alleviate mood swings caused by PMS.

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Chamomile tea - Chamomile has anti-spasmodic properties that work wonders for stomach cramps. If you're suffering from period pains or diarrhea cramps, chamomile tea will help.

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Lemon - Bad breath? Gargling with a little cup of lemon juice helps to kill the oral bacteria responsible for odorous smells. Next, eat a bit of plain yogurt as this contains probiotics that compete with and replace the odor-causing bacteria.

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Sea salt - Mixing course sea salt with massage oils creates a natural exfoliator that can be used to treat dry skin. It's best to avoid more sensitive areas of your body though, such as your face.

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Salt gargle - Gargling with a salt water solution three times a day soothes a sore throat as it neutralizes the acidic conditions created by bacteria and viruses. To make, just dissolve 1/4 teaspoon of salt in half a cup of warm water.

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Dark chocolate - The theobromine present in dark chocolate works as an effective cough suppressant.

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Lavender oil - Lavender oil has soothing properties which have led it to be called a 'mothering oil,' according to Jersey Lavender. A few drops on your pillow, or rubbed gently into your temples can aid a good night's sleep.

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Plain yogurt - Yogurt is a natural probiotic which works to balance the good and harmful bacteria in the intestines. If you're suffering from diarrhea, eat this two to three times a day!

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Fenugreek seeds - Adding one teaspoon of fenugreek and one of cumin seeds to yogurt also helps cure diarrhea quickly.

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White vinegar - Smelly feet? Bathing them in a mixture of one part of this vinegar to two parts of water helps eliminate the bacteria responsible for foot odor!

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Cherries - Did you know that eating these berries before bed can help combat insomnia? That's because cherries contain melatonin, which helps your body regulate sleep.

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Egg yolk - Believe it or not, egg yolk is a key ingredient in a traditional Russian/Ukrainian cure for colds! Mixing it into warm milk with a teaspoon of honey creates a concoction that soothes sore throats and promotes sleepiness.

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Milk - Drinking a glass of warm milk helps relax and freshen your mind, aiding a good night's sleep. Adding cinnamon to this can also help lower your blood pressure.

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Olive oil - Applying olive oil to chapped lips and hands helps to moisturize, soothe, and repair them. It also helps to strengthen your nails.

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Prunes - The insoluble fiber in prunes is key to curing constipation and they also contain two natural laxatives: sorbitol and dihydrophenylisatin.

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Turnips - Not only are turnips packed with vitamin C, they also act as an expectorant which means they can help stop coughing and loosen mucus. In Iran, a plate of mashed turnip is eaten to cure colds.

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Apple cider vinegar - If you have a sore throat, acidic apple cider vinegar works as a great antimicrobial gargle. Mix one to two tablespoons in a cup of warm water and feel it work its magic!

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Apples - Eating red apples can apparently help with heartburn, as they contain pectic that helps to absorb stomach acid. Green apples should be avoided though, as they are more acidic.

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Oatmeal - Oatmeal has anti-inflammatory properties that could be the solution to all your eczema woes! Make a paste by blending 1/4 cup of the grain with water and applying to the skin for 10 minutes.

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Turmeric - Turmeric is another one of nature's super anti-inflammatory substances which helps boost the immune system. Mixing half a teaspoon into a cup of warm milk and drinking this twice a day will cure a fever.

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Sugar - You've tried it all: drinking water backwards, standing on your head, being given a shock, but nothing can cure hiccups, right? Wrong! Apparently holding a teaspoon of sugar under your tongue does the trick!

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