Most of us probably have a home remedy we swear by, whether it’s lemon and honey to treat a cold or gin-soaked raisins for arthritis. The Wilen sisters–Joan and Lydia–have collected thousands of such remedies over the years. The authors of the best-selling Chicken Soup & Other Folk Remedies, the Wilens have enlarged and updated their compendium in a new book called Healing Remedies (Ballantine Books), which claims to contain more than 1,000 natural ways to relieve hundreds of ailments. Chances are you’ll find something that helps. If not, you’ll find plenty to amuse.

Reading through the book is a little like exploring an old attic filled with odd treasures. In this case, the trove include instructions for making barley water, herbal baths, and poultices, as well as remedies that range from the commonplace (charcoal capsules to stop diarrhea) to the downright wierd (rubbing a mixture of honey, onion juice and vodka on your scalp to prevent hair loss, a Russian favorite, natch).

Suffering eyestrain? Saturate cotton pads with rosemary tea and place them on your eyes for 15 minutes.

Sex drive sputtering? Try the Wilens’ recipe for libido soup, which contains onions, ginger root, turmeric, chicken stock and cayenne pepper.

Headaches? Two apples a day just might keep them away.

Hiccups? Place a broom on the floor and jump over it six times.

For common ailments, the book lists an almost bewildering selection of potential remedies. The section on diabetes includes 15 pages of suggestions, from the ReBuilder Electronic Stimulator system to treat nerve damage to banana leaf, milk thistle, and salba (a plant belonging to the mint family) to improve glucose control. The advice for snoring and sleep apnea includes the official recommendations to stop smoking, limit alcohol, and lose weight if you’re overweight. But if that sounds way too ho-hum, consider learning to play the didgeridoo, which is supposed to reduce snoring in people with moderate obstructive sleep apnea.

In keeping with the book’s grab bag approach, the authorities cited are equally far-ranging, from Jim Duke, former USDA scientist and acknowledged expert in herbal medicine to the psychic healer Edgar Cayce, credited with the notion that eating at least three raw almonds a day prevents hemorrhoids.

How many of these remedies work? That’s anyone’s guess. Tying a red string around your waist to cure stomach cramps may be a bit of a stretch. But most experts would agree with the Wilens’ advice to keep windows closed during pollen season to prevent allergies and to use a Neti pot to rinse sinuses with salt water.

But even if the Wilens’ suggestions don’t work, they’ll keep you vastly entertained. To prevent motion sickness, they suggest unfolding a brown paper bag and wrapping it around your chest under your clothing. Suffering from chronic runny noses? Plug your iron in, iron a piece of bread crust, and as soon as the crust begins to burn, inhale the smoke for a couple of minutes.

Go ahead. Laugh. All the experts agree that’s one of the best remedies around.

©2009 PDQhealth

Tags: Healing Remedies, herbal remedies, Joan Wilen, Lydia Wilen