We all get sick sometimes. And this winter might be no different. Weather changes and heating problems can cause us to get sick and stay home for days at a time. We don’t want to be stuck at home without medication.  

Thankfully, there is a myriad of different foods you can eat that cure particular ailments from which you might suffer. We will show you some of the best foods in your kitchen that you can eat to get you on your way to recovery!

Ginger for Nausea

Ginger can help reduce seasickness and the cold sweats that are often associated with it. This is because gingerol and shogaol reduce feelings of nausea and desire to vomit.

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Next time you’re at home suffering from a bad stomach, cut up around 2cm of fresh ginger and make a rich pot of tea. You should start feeling better after only a few minutes. This is particularly helpful for those who are pregnant or suffering from PMS each month.

Applesauce for Nausea (again)

If ginger is too strong for you, then something like applesauce could be the perfect alternative. It is high in fiber and helps the digestive system improve if you suffer from nausea.

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Applesauce is actually part of the BRAT diet, which is an acronym for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast. All four items are used by people who suffer from upset stomachs.

Garlic for Stomach Bugs

Have you eaten bad food and you’re now stuck at home feeling sick? Garlic is known for its natural antibiotic qualities and can prevent bacteria causing stomach problems when it’s consumed raw. But it must be eaten raw!

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The antibiotic, anti-fungal compound allicin is destroyed when cooked so the best advantages are presented in fresh garlic. Just make sure to brush your teeth afterward! Garlic is a strong taste and can hang around for hours after it’s eaten.

Cloves for a Toothache

Cloves contain analgesic properties that reduce painful toothaches. Keep some in your kitchen and apply them to a sore tooth or gum if you are ever in pain. You’ll notice instant relief!

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If you’re feeling particularly creative, you can crush the cloves up and make a paste – perfect for homemade toothpaste! Teeth are incredibly important – they are the only part of our bodies that cannot repair themselves, so it is worth investing in good dental care!

Sesame Seeds for Pain

Whether it’s a large toothache or you have tooth decay or gum infection, you can use sesame seeds to help in pain relief. There are an impressive seven compounds that reduce pains and aches. All you need to do is place four teaspoons of seeds into a cup of boiling water.

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Once they cool to a safe temperature, gargle them in your mouth and wait as you start feeling better! It’s easy to store seeds for a long period of time, so definitely make sure to keep some at home.

Apple Cider Vinegar for Painful Blisters

Blisters can appear out of nowhere, particularly if you’ve been burnt. Resting a blister in water and apple cider vinegar will lower any pain and give antibacterial properties that can prevent further infection.

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Remember the properties of vinegar: it might give a burning feeling, or a sting, but will start its healing abilities and you’ll see your blister reduce in just a small time. It might be a random thing to buy, but it’s the very thing you’ll need!

Kiwis for Insomnia

If you ever find yourself unable to sleep at night, go to your kitchen and grab a nice kiwi. According to studies, eating two kiwis an hour before bed can increase your quality of sleep. Insomnia is linked with low levels of folate and serotonin – things that kiwi fruit is rich in!

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These nutrients are a great way to cure your insomnia. Of course, there are other methods to reduce insomnia, such as avoiding phones and noise before bedtime.

Apples for Fatigue

Apples have a bunch of vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants that will naturally boost your energy levels. These healthy carbs are a better alternative to coffee since they don’t overfeed you with caffeine.

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The natural sugars are generally good for you – leaving you feeling refreshed and awake. It’s true what they say – an apple a day will keep the doctor away! Apples are great to eat as a snack or light dessert and are an essential part of any kitchen.

Pears for High Cholesterol

Pectin is a dissolvable fiber that can be found in pears. This lessens the absorption of bad cholesterol (LDL) in the bloodstream. The fiber blends with the cholesterol to completely eliminate it from your body. A healthy diet will also help reduce dangerous cholesterol levels overall.

High Cholesterol is can be deadly and it’s important to make sure it is maintained in a healthy way. Pear is the perfect way to keep healthy and get control over your lifestyle.

Fennel for IBS

Anethole is an important essential oil and anti-inflammatory that reduces chemical signals released by white blood cells that encourage inflammation. This ingredient is seen in the Fennel herb, which also includes factors that have an anti-spasmodic impact and helps for stomach cramping and period pain.

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Next time it’s your time, you might want to consider stocking up on this. Your boyfriend, husband, or children will thank you! Since this happens monthly, you might want to create a standing order.

Pure Olive Oil for Constipation

Pure olive oil is actually a healthy fat – with the ideal texture and consistency to tackle constipation. By eating a tablespoon of pure olive oil with a splash of lemon juice first thing in the morning, it will stimulate the bowels and digestive system – making you ready to go by lunch.

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Constipation can have terrible effects on a myriad of areas – such as stress, bloatedness, and discomfort. This, and it’s bad to hold on to bad things!

Beetroot for Fatigue and Anaemia

Beetroot has nitrate – something that is transformed into nitric acid when eaten. This, in turn, relaxes the blood vessels to reduce blood pressure. Beetroots also strengthen the ability of the body to replace red blood cells and produce fresh oxygen, giving you more energy.

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By consuming beets, you’ll notice your energy levels rising and you’ll start to feel much fresher throughout the day. It has the same effect as stopping smoking, by pumping more red blood cells.

Horseradish for Blocked Sinuses

You either love or hate horseradish. It is a powerful mix of elements that thin your mucus and clear your sinuses. Try shredding fresh horseradish into a jar and taking a big sniff. Or – if you’re brave enough – you can always eat a tea spoon’s worth!

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When eating sushi, it is popular to consume Wasabi – which is effectively horseradish paste – and can help strengthen your tastebuds. Do you like the taste of it? We bet it’s better than a blocked nose!

Calcium for Menstrual Cramps

It’s so easy to incorporate calcium into your diet that you might not feel menstrual cramps as much as you could! You can level up on some calcium by eating more seeds or almond flakes, dairy, and leafy greens in your diet.

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You can also drink more milk, eat some cheese, or simply keep some nuts nearby. They’re not only a healthy snack but will help you overcome cramps. It’s easy to eat a few of these foods every month.

Turmeric for Heartburn

We’ve all had that burning feeling in the chest that goes all the way up to our neck after having a heavy meal. Next time you might feel like turning to the medicine kit, go to your spice rack instead. Find some turmeric and dissolve it in hot water.

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This minimizes the acid build up and stimulates bile production. This way, your heartburn will quickly go away and you can continue enjoying your meal. Turmeric can also improve symptoms associated with depression and prevent heart disease.

Chilies for Joint Pain

If you’re ever suffering from joint pain, you should go to the store and pick up some chilies. Simply grind them down an add a little oil to make it into a paste. Then, rub it on the affected area and feel your joints loosen and improve.

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The capsicum compound goes into a complicated process to prevent pain signals from going to the brain. It’s a quick treatment for sudden joint pain and can be easily prepared.

Aloe Vera for Burns

Skin that is unfortunately open to a burn can be remarkably painful and susceptible to infection. If you’re at home, you can look for aloes in the garden!

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Simply wash the burnt area under a cold tap and then apply some aloe juice on to the area. Of course, if you don’t have aloes in the garden you can buy juice to store in the cupboard. The natural ingredients will help with pain and skin repair.

Fortified Cereal for PMS

If you regularly eat foods with high thiamine (B1) or riboflavin (B2) vitamin levels, then perhaps experiencing severe pre-menstrual signs might be highly unlikely. When it comes to this time of the month, try to avoid cereals that are high in sugar.

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By eating fortified cereals, you’ll boost your B vitamin levels and will hardly feel the cramps associated with PMS. It doesn’t help with mood swings and emotional bursts of energy, however, so maybe warn your spouse.

Cherry Juice for Sore Muscles

Have you just finished a workout, or overstrained while trying to reach for something too far away? Make sure to drink plenty of cherry juice. It provides instant relief for muscle pain and gout.

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This is because cherries have plenty of anthocyanins, a nutrient that works to improve anti-inflammatory and healing in the body. If you don’t drink it as a juice, you can always just buy a pack from the store – cherries are considered a superfood!

Chewing Gum for Earaches

Earaches can cause headaches, affect your balance, and cause sensitive reactions to noise around you. Usually, they occur for simple reasons but they can be particularly painful if they continue for more than 24 hours.

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Next time you have an earache, pop a piece of gum in your mouth. The rotation of your jaw can help reduce tension and loosen the grip around the ear – causing much-needed relief.

Primose Oil for Eczema

Having eczema can be unpleasent. the itchy, rash-like condition mainly affects young children and some adults and can cause many sleepness nights. Outbreaks can occur through stress, food allergies, or everyday houshold products.

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Even though there is no ‘cure’ for eczema, parents can soothe their child’s discomfort with primrose oil. Although not scientifically proven, some parents have seen improvement due to fatty acids found in its recipe.

Cranberry Juice for Urinary Tract Infections

A few studies have demonstrated that regular consumption of cranverry juice can prevent urinary tract infections. Cranberries contain compounds that specifically target some of the bacteria that causes infection in the intestines.

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If you happen to suffer from UTIs, keep some juice in the fridge and have a glass a day. Women are more likely to suffer from this than men, so it’s something to consider if you live in a house full of girls!

Sleep for Anything!

Sometimes, all we need is a few good hours of interrupted sleep. If you feel yourself coming down with something, the best thing you can do is catch and early night and don’t set a morning alarm!

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A good night’s sleep can help repair muscles, settle a sore throat, clear up acne, or simply clear your mind. We live busy lives: it’s ok to need a few extra hours of rest sometimes.

Avocados for Skin Hydration

Foods such as avocados, olives, and coconuts can do wonders for your skin if you integrate them into your everyday routine. They provide long-lasting moisture that helps heel your skin looking young and fresh.

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It’s important to remember that products that have these foods in them can sometimes leave your skin feeling oily. When you apply them on to your skin, be sure to dampen your face first.

Elderberries for the Flu

If you ever find yourself on the verge of the flu, you know just how disruptive it can be on your health and lifestyle. If you have the energy, make sure to stock up on elderberries.

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They have been shown to speed up initial recovery and actually prevent it in the first place. You can eat them as they come, or even make a hot, delicious, soup! The choice is up to you.

Papaya for Vitiligo

Vitiligo might not be an ‘everyday’ occurance for most people, but it is estimated that 50 million can get it in some form or another. That’s one percent of the population – so many people can benefit from a natural remedy.

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Some studies have shown that consuming papaya can reduce the appearance of Vitiligo over time, but to date, there is no cure for the disease. If you find your pigmentation changing, you can rub a piece of fruit on the affected areas.

Meditation for Cold Relief

We are aware of the benefits that meditation can have on your mental health, but did you know it can help your physical health? According to Annals of Family Medicine, a study showed that adults who meditated for eight weeks had fewer colds than those who didn’t.

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Of course, there are many factors to consider, such as diet and overall lifestyle. But meditation can be a great way to kickstart a healthy way of life that can have good effects in other parts of your routine.

Pomegrante for Sun Damage

Of course, you should be wearing sun protection everyday if you live in a climate with strong UV waves. But if you don’t, you can also incorporate UV protection in your diet.

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Pomegranates have shown signs to reduce the intensity of sun damage and even speed up skin repair. This is because of the high amounts of ellagic acid they have in every 100 grams.

Omega 3 for Allergies

If you’re someone who is more prone to suffer from alleries, it might be time to invest in some omega-3 supplements. Tablets including DHA, EPA, and krill oil are anti-infloammatories and can actually reduce allergy symptoms.

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It’s easy to pop a morning pill every time you brush your teeth in the morning. By including this in your daily routine, you’ll find many allergy symptoms reducing.

Black Pepper Tea for Cough Relief

This is a little known remedy that can help cure the common cold. A stubborn cough can cause you to go crazy, let alone annoy your friends! To make black pepper tea, simply put a teaspoon of black pepper and two tablespoons of honey in a cup.

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Then add boiling water and let it sit for 15 minutes. The sweet and spicy tastes will balance each other out and you’ll be able to notice an immediate effect.

Peppermint for Mosquito Repellent

Mosquitos are attracted to the people with the sweetest blood – making some of us some unfair targets to these pests! If there’s one thing mosquitos hate, its peppermint.

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If you suffer from mosquito bites, invest in some peppermint tea or oils to keep around you. They will happily fly somewhere else and have dinner with someone else! Mosquitos also hate sage, thyme, and rosemary.

Rose Water for Acne

Acne can be a huge pain for teenagers and even some adults. There are plenty of everyday tricks to help curb it. These include drinking plenty of water and sleeping well – as well as a healthy diet.

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Those suffering from bad acne can also drink rose water. It contains high levels of vitamin C and E, which reduce spots and wrinkles. Make sure to have some of this at home or in your office!

Spinach for Eye Sight

Are you sick of being called four eyes? Next time someone points out your glasses, just eat a bunch of spinach and your eyesight will be cured!

Ok, not really! But countless studies show that spinach contains plenty of phytochemical lutein, which is good for your vision. It might not cure your blindness entirely, but it will slow down its deterioration. It is best to eat spinach raw or lightly steamed.

Vanilla for pH Balance

It’s important to balance or pH levels that rest in our body. These levels determine how much acid is in our stomach to help with digestion. If these numbers are imbalanced, it can cause problems.

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If you drink black tea or coffee, you run the risk of ruining the balance of these pH levels. Next time, try add some vanilla extract to your drink and make sure these levels are at a healthy number.

Chocolate for Mood-Boosting

Yes, chocolate really does make us feel better! Ok, so we should probably clarify that dark chocolate is better for us than its milk or white counterparts. The rich levels or cocoa gently lift our moods due to the healthy compounds.

It’s important to remember to limit chocolate intake – it can still be bad for you! But try stay at chocolate with cocoa levels higher than 70% and see how it raises our mood. But we knew all this before!

Tea for Headaches

This might be an obvious one, but it’s amazing how many people could benefit from just one cup a day. Ginger tea, for example, is a particularly strong fighter against headaches and can help you if you spend too much time in front of a screen.

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Other teas include chamomile, earl grey, green, and honey tea. They all have different tastes and textures so conduct a little research and see which one works best for you.

Baking Soda for Whiter Teeth

Over time, you might find your teeth are getting darker. This could be due to the amount of red wine or black coffee you consume in your routine. If you want to whiten your teeth, brushing with toothpaste might not be enough.

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Mix some baking soda with a pinch of sea salt and give them a brush twice a day. It’s a healthy and natural way to add a little shine to your smile – and isn’t as expensive as cosmetic surgery.

Coconuts for Hydration

If you don’t like staying hydrated with water, you might want to consider switching to coconut water. Not only does it keep you refreshed, but it has specific electroytes that can make you better if you ever get sick.

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Next time you feel yourself getting a fever or a cold, buy some coconut water and incorporate it into your diet. It fights oxidative damage and will have you feeling better in no time.

Honey for Immune Systems

We all know that vitamin C can help improve your immune system, but did you know that honey is also a great asset to your diet? It has a high content level of antimicrobial compounds.

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History shows that honey has such a strong effect on our immune systems that even the ancient Egyptians used to swear by it. Next time you’re feeling sick, just squeeze some into some tea and relax!

Spicy Food for Cengestion Relief

If you have a blocked nose, you know how hard it can be to breathe, speak, or sleep at night. With many studies suggested that prolonged usage of congestion sprays can cause damage, it is better to turn to more natural alternatives.

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Next time you have a blocked nose, cut up and eat some spicy food. It can help open the nasal passages and clear out the congested sinuses. It’s important to note that capsaicin – the chemical found in chili – also causes runny noses, so get the tissues ready!

Oatmeal for Bloating

If you ever find yourself bloated, you will want to start incorporating oatmeal into your morning routine. Oatmeal contains beta-glucan, a special kind of fiber that helps decrease inflammation in the gut. Basically, it stops you feeling fat.

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Having a bowl of oatmeal each morning could help you with symptoms pertaining to intestinal cramping, bloating, or diarrhea. It’s also a fantastic way to tackle blood pressure, which you can read about on the next page.

Citrus Foods for Healthy Living

Citrus foods like oranges, lemons, or grapefruits are a great dietary addition if you ever feel sick when you’re at home. The levels of vitamin C can help speed up your recovery progress, as well as avoid sickness altogether.

You should always try and incorporate vitamin C into your daily habit. The easiest way to do this is with a piece of fruit after lunch! Reports have indicated that some children feel better after only three days of increased vitamin C.

Broth Soups for Common Colds

No, your Jewish mother isn’t crazy. Chicken noodle soup is actually scientifically proven to help soothe the symptoms of a common cold. The chicken itself contains an amino acid that thins mucus, and the broth keeps you hydrated.

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In fact, chicken soup is one of the best things you can have when you get sick. It’s easy to store a small pot in the freezer and save it for a rainy day – your mother will thank you!

Crackers For Indigestion

Foods that are naturally high in starch help absorb some of the gastric acids that cause discomfort in your stomach. Next time you suffer from indigestion, grab a cracker – or a piece of bread – and get chewing!

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Starchy foods help satisfy hunger and will ease your pain in only a few minutes. If you eat a few crackers before going to bed, you’ll feel better by the morning.

Greek Yogurt for Protein

If you’re a vegetarian, it can be hard to gain the right amount of protein in your diet. Protein helps restore muscle, keep you fuller for longer, and can make you big and strong! Basically, it’s worth eating at every meal.

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Greek Yogurt is a great way to ensure you eat enough protein without relying on meat or eggs. The yogurt also has a bunch of probiotics that lower the risk of catching a cold. Best to avoid it altogether!

Water for Anything

Sometimes, nothing beats a nice cold cup of water. It is recommended that we drink at least two liters of water a day, but rarely do most of us reach this target. We often get distracted with coffee, soda, or wine.

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A cup of water can hydrate you, clear your headache, repair your skin, and soothe nausea. It’s important to drink a cup of water roughly every hour. It may sound like a lot, but you’ll be feeling better in almost no time.

Oysters for Happiness

Being healthy doesn’t just mean physically. Our mental health can have a huge impact on our happiness and, in turn, our health. If we are sad, we’re more likely to feel sick – even though nothing is wrong with us.

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Thankfully, oysters are not just incredibly delicious, but they’re low in calories and decrease inflammation. Of course, oysters are also infamous for being an aphrodisiac. Next time you’re feeling a bit low, just grab an oyster and cheer yourself up.

Cinnamon for Blood Pressure

Adding a touch of cinnamon into your lifestyle can do wonders for your blood pressure. Studies show that people with Type 2 diabetes saw an improvement in their pressure after consuming two grams of cinnamon.

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The spice can be easily added to your breakfast oatmeal or smoothie in the morning. It’s a helpful spice to keep in your rack at home and throw on sweet dishes when you fancy.

Bananas for Blood Pressure (again)

If cinnamon isn’t your thing, there are other ways to maintain a healthy blood pressure. Bananas contain potassium that helps expand your veins and arteries – improving blood flow and its pressure. Having just one a day can help with your blood pressure and overall health.

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Potassium is also a good hangover cure for the same reason: it is packed with nutrients that make it one of nature’s best snacks. We’ve written more about blood pressure and what foods can improve your lifestyle here.

Bananas (again) for Anxiety

We all get anxious sometimes – and that’s ok. Some musicians and performers have claimed that eating bananas before going on stage calmed their nerves. They’re not crazy to think this; bananas contain an amino acid named tryptophan, which creates serotonin and melatonin.

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These hormones promote a calming effect on the body and help reduce anxiety. If you have a stressful day at work, it can be helpful to keep some at home or at your office in the canteen.