Surprising Uses for Salt

 

Mankind has been using salt for many centuries, in the course of which we've amassed many uses (some speculate thousands) for this amazing substance -- uses that go far beyond mere seasoning. Here are a few of the more practical ones:

 

Pick up a dropped egg. If an egg breaks on the kitchen floor, sprinkle salt on the mess and leave it there for 20 minutes. You'll be able to wipe it right up.

Soothe a bee sting. Wet the sting right away, then cover it with salt.

Eliminate a grease fire. Pour salt on top to smother it. (Never use water on a grease fire.)

Clean up oven spills. If food boils over onto the oven floor, sprinkle salt on top to stop smoke and odor from forming. When the oven is cool, it'll be easy to brush away the spot.

Set color. If a dye may run, soak the garment for an hour in 1/2 gallon of water to which you've added 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/2 cup salt. If rinse water shows color, repeat. This is good for a single-colored fabric or madras. If the item is multicolored, dry-clean it. (Although American-made fabrics are unlikely to run, fabrics from abroad are sometimes iffy.)

Kill poison ivy. Add three pounds of salt to a gallon of soapy water. Spray it onto leaves and stems.

Make cream whip more easily and egg whites whip faster and higher. Add a pinch of salt.

Test for rotten eggs. Put an egg in a cup of water to which you've added two teaspoons of salt. A fresh egg will sink, but one that's iffy will float.

Clean the brown spots (from starch) off a non-stick soleplate (the bottom of your iron). Sprinkle salt on a sheet of waxed paper, slide the iron across it, then rub lightly with silver polish.

Repel fleas. Wash the doghouse with it.

Kill grass growing in cracks in the cement or between patio stones. Sprinkle salt on the grass and pour very hot water over it. Or sprinkle coarse salt on the grass, let stand all day or overnight, then pour hot tap water over it.

Clean a glass coffee pot. Fill it with a quarter-cup of table salt and a dozen ice cubes. Swish the mixture around, let it sit for half an hour, fill it with cold water and rinse.

Halt the mountain of suds from an overflowing washing machine. Sprinkle salt on the top.

Clean artificial flowers. Put them in a bag of salt and shake the bag. Take a look at the color of the salt and you'll see what you've accomplished.

Keep windows frost-free. Dip a sponge into salt water and rub it on windows, and they won't frost up even when the mercury dips below 32 degrees; for the same effect on your car's windshield, put salt in a little bag made of cheesecloth, moisten it slightly and rub it on.

Clean tarnished copper.Fill a 16-ounce spray bottle with hot white vinegar and three tablespoons of salt. Spray it onto the copper, let it sit briefly, then rub clean. (Don't do this to lacquered copper.)

Keep radishes safe in the garden. Salt worms (cutworms) will be repelled if you sprinkle seeds with table salt, then cover with dirt.

Clean coffee and tea stains from china cups. Rub them with salt.

Keep potatoes and apples from turning brown once they're sliced. Put them in salted cold water.

Clean a cutting board. Cover it with bleach and salt, scrub it with a stiff brush, then rinse with very hot water and wipe with a clean cloth. Repeat with each

 

High Blood Pressure

High Blood Pressure

 

The number of people suffering from hypertension is growing at an alarming rate and the culprits are the lifestyles that we lead and the kind of food that we eat. So what is this blood pressure that we keep referring to? The blood circulating in the body exerts a certain force on the walls of the arteries, veins and the heart chambers. If the force increases, then the blood pressure increases and high blood pressure can trigger the formation of plaque in the arteries (arteriosclerosis), which can later lead to heart attacks and strokes. So, high blood pressure needs to be controlled. Let us look at some of the natural remedies that may help to combat this condition.

 

Managing stress, which has become an everyday affair plays an important role in controlling high blood pressure. Breathing exercise like Pranayam, meditation and doing yoga have helped to combat high blood pressure. The benefits of regular exercise cannot be overlooked. It helps to lower blood pressure and decrease the resting heart rate, which is important for the health of the heart. In combination with other techniques, high blood pressure can be controlled.
 
Aromatherapy is now being associated as a remedy for high blood pressure. The oil of blue chamomile is said to be beneficial under stressful conditions when inhaled directly. A combination of lavender oil and olive or sunflower oil with  blue chamomile massaged under the collarbone every night is said to afford relief from high blood pressure. Next to exercise, managing your diet is the next important step towards achieving control of blood pressure.

Consumption of adequate Sodium, potassium and magnesium help to lower blood pressure. The dietary ratio between sodium and potassium and sodium and magnesium has got to be narrowed. This can easily be done. Bananas, melons, grapefruit, oranges, cabbage and cauliflower and other fresh vegetables and fruits are rich in potassium Magnesium is present in nuts, rice, wheat germ, beans, soy and also in bananas. So go ahead and increase your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Supplementing with oral calcium will also help. Celery and celery oil helps in the dilation of the muscles that regulate blood pressure and is considered to be very beneficial. Celery juice in combination with carrot juice and water makes a nutritious and beneficial drink..
 
Cloves of garlic, which we use regularly in Indian cooking, helps to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels and increase circulation of blood. Garlic pills or powder help to make blood thinner but you have to be careful when it is combined with prescription drugs.
 
Ayurvedic treatment of high blood pressure is very common in the Indian set up. The treatment is highly individualized according to what is referred to as"dosha" or in more common parlance one's constitution. A diet low in salt and fat and herbs like Sankhapuspi and ashwagandha are supposed to be cardio protective and help in the strengthening of heart muscles. The bark of the Arjuna tree is said to induce a decrease in blood pressure and heart rate. Hawthorn leaves, flowers and berries are useful in combating mild high blood pressure by improving heart function and in treating irregular beating of the heart and angina. Dandelion is a popular home remedy which more or less acts as a diuretic and thus helping to lower high blood pressure. As there is no loss of potassium and as dandelion leaves are easy to attain, it does seem an easy remedy. Reishi, the Japanese mushroom reduces the amount of bad cholesterol and also helps to combat high blood pressure. Homeopathy is just as popular in India as Ayurveda or Allopathy. 
 
Sound therapy and imagery are gaining in popularity as  natural remedies for high blood pressure. It has been found that listening to relaxing music  for about 20 to 30 minutes a day slows down the heart rate and lowers blood pressure. Just close your eyes, breathe slowly and deeply, lie down in a comfortable position and let your body absorb the sound energy. Use headphones and you will find that the music soothes you and helps you to relax. Imagery psychiatrists say when practiced for 3-5 minutes a couple of times a day does help to combat high blood pressure. Of course it involves visualization of the sense of coolness pervading every pore of your body and imagining it to enter your blood stream and sensing that your elevated blood pressure is being lowered. Reflexology has its share of helping to stablise  blood pressure by focusing on foot reflexes. No one can deny the power of yogic postures. "Shavasana" and the Knee squeeze help in the circulation of blood , relieves tension and both in turn help to combat high blood pressure. Grandma's remedies especially in India still have a following. Equal amounts of melon seeds and khus khus ground into a powder are a favorite. A teaspoon early in the morning and late in the evening is effective.  The juice of curry leaves mixed with water and limejuice has its own potency. It is said that coriander and fenugreek leaves also produce the same effect and as they are harmless it is worth the try. Grandma also says that honey, ginger juice and cumin powder is an excellent natural remedy for high blood pressure. Whatever remedy you choose, the bottom line is this ---changing your lifestyle, managing your stress and controlling your diet are all in your hands.