Natural cures, folk remedies

Readers share their cures for ailments

Dear Readers,

This column is YOUR column with folk remedies sent in by you. Don't e-mail me if your loved one starts to take on the essence of garlic bread or you catch your neighbor digging up your flower bed! — Suzy

The potato prescription

It wasn't passed down from my grandma, but I hope you'll print this anyway because it works. I had severe arthritis and now the pain is almost completely gone. I do two things: The first thing is, I wash a potato and slice it up (keep the skin on); then I soak the potato overnight in a bowl of fresh cold water. In the morning, I drink a cup of the potato juice. I also take baths in sea salt, about a half cup of sea salt added to my bath water. Amazing! — P.E., Lodi

Feet that smell like apples

I had the worst case of smelly feet until someone told me to soak my feet in warm water with some apple cider vinegar. I do that twice a week, and I sprinkle baking soda in my shoes; no more odor. — E.P., Gainesville, Fla.

Cold sore, be gone

This is cheap and easy. When you feel a cold sore coming on, rub an ice cube on the area for 15 minutes. Afterwards, dip your finger in table salt and press the spot for a few more minutes. — K.T., Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Rid yourself of phlegm

If you get a nagging wet cough and have to spit a lot, drink Hyssop tea. Squeeze a little lemon into it, and some honey. This will loosen all the phlegm. — S.C., Decatur, Ill.

I used to have warts and my sister recently got rid of them with marigolds. She had a garden of these plants (I don't know all their names) and she cut the stems, squeezed out the sap and applied it to my warts. Like magic, they eventually disappeared. — N.G., Dallas, Texas

Acne or bad breath?

As a teenager, I had acne. Mom made me rub peeled garlic cloves right on the pimples three times a day. This worked very well, but people thought I had bad breath! — Y.D., Tulsa, Okla.

Ginger tea for everything

I had carpal tunnel pain and I found some relief from you! In a recent column, you gave a recipe for ginger tea (for stomach upset and nausea) and I began drinking this because I had chronic bowel problems. It worked for that, and interestingly, I noticed that I could type again, and even reduce my ibuprofen dosage. Then I started wearing a magnetic bracelet that I bought at the health food store, and now I am 100 percent better!

Here's the recipe for tea: Grate a teaspoon of fresh ginger into hot water with lemon and honey, add 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder spice. Steep it, strain it then drink. — J.P., New York, N.Y.

An avocado a day For bad breath, eat one avocado every day. It's better with salt and lemon on it, if you can't eat it straight. I believe it cleans the liver and stomach. — B.W., Sanibel, Florida