Placing a block of camphor under the mattress sometimes helps prevent night cramps. Make a massage oil by combining six drops each of clove and rosemary oil with 30ml plain vegetable oil, shake well, and use to massage the length of the muscle when a cramp starts.

The next time you need an antibacterial ointment for a cut or wound, apply unprocessed (unheated and unaltered) honey. It contains a natural antibiotic that has proved effective against organisms that cause infections.

Cut up one onion and three cloves of garlic. Place in a bowl and cover with honey, then leave for three hours. Strain. Sip a teaspoonful of the resulting syrup throughout the day.

Add one bunch of parsley to 500ml of water. Bring water to the boil in a covered pan, turn off heat, and cool. Parsley is a natural diuretic and helps to flush out the micro-organisms that cause the infection. After every visit to the toilet, soak a clear cottonwool pad in water to which you’ve […]

Combine one tablespoon each of dried nettles and dried rosemary with two cups of apple cider vinegar. Bring to the boil, remove from heat, cover, and let it sit overnight. Strain. After shampooing and rinsing your hair with plain water, pour the herbal rinse carefully through and leave in.

Peel and grate an apple into a bowl. Wait until it goes brown – approximately 15 minutes – then eat it.

An oatmeal skin wash is good for dry skin. Add one tablespoon of finely ground oatmeal to a bowl of warm water and use for rinsing face and neck.

Add two drops each of lavender and chamomile essential oils to a cup of spring water and mix well. Soak two cottonwool pads in the liquid, squeeze out the excess water and place a pad over each eye, then lie down with feet elevated higher than your head. Take bilberry tablets – they help strengthen […]

Crush two cloves of garlic into two tablespoons of olive oil and warm gently over low heat. Strain. Drip a few drops into the ear and wad with cottonwool. (Note: Do not attempt this if you think the eardrum could be perforated, or if there is discharge from the ear.)

Blend 10 drops of marjoram, 15 drops of may chang (Litsea cubeba) and five drops of peppermint oil with 30ml of a base oil, such as almond. Put a few drops on a tissue and inhale to pep you up. Try taking Siberian ginseng – this herb helps the body adapt more easily to both […]