Health Quick Tips
 DIY Remedies

These simple food items can help ease your heartburn, stuffy nose, and much more — and they may already be in your kitchen!

The Problem:
“My nose is stuffy!”
Before you buy any nose drops, make a mix of your own salt solution to ease the sniffles. Non-prescription saline nasal sprays and nose drops are used to keep nasal tissues moist, relieve nasal irritation, and help thick or dried mucus to drain. Try this solution recipe from health.com: mix 1/2 tsp. (2.5 g) salt and 1/2 tsp. (2.5 g) baking soda in 1 cup (237 ml) of body-temperature water (too much salt dries out nasal membranes). Use a bulb syringe and gently squirt the solution into the nose.

The Problem:
“I have heartburn!”
Grab some chewing gum. A study found that people who chewed gum for 30 minutes after eating an acid-inducing meal experienced some relief. Chewing gum stimulates the production of saliva which neutralizes acid in the esophagus.

The problem:
“My tummy hurts!”
Try eating yogurt containing probiotics, friendly bacteria that help with digestion. Look for yogurt with live active cultures, preferably Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium. Probiotics from yogurt attach to the intestines, preventing other bad bacteria from settling in.

The problem:
“I can’t stop coughing!”
Honey helps soothe irritated throat membranes. Take 2 tsp. of honey to ease a cough. For kids ages 6-11 give 1 tsp., and 1/2 tsp. to kids ages 2-5. Don’t give any honey to infants as they can contract infant botulism. One study showed that honey was more effective than cough suppressants for kids.

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