Health

Pep up poor circulation by taking a mustard footbath. Simply add one tablespoon of dried mustard to a bowl of hot water and soak your feet.

If the sore is drying out, dab on a few drops of oil of St John’s Wort. If it’s weeping, brew some lemon balm tea, strain, and apply with a cotton bud.

Taking Echinacea at the first sign of a sniffle often bolsters the system sufficiently to help the body fight the virus. I also recommend tincture or tablets of astragalus, a powerful Chinese herb known to improve immune function. Plus, try my potent ginger-garlic tea to fight off colds and flu. Simmer one teaspoon of grated […]

Peppermint tea provides relief by promoting digestion and helping to expel wind. To make, pour one cup of boiling water over two teaspoons of dried peppermint leaves. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes, then strain. Give the baby half a teaspoonful as often as needed.

My Nanna’s syrup of figs is still the best remedy. Combine half a cup each of chopped dried figs, raisins and pearl barley, and a quarter of a cup of chopped liquorice root (from health food stores) in a saucepan with one litre of water. Bring to boil and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes; strain. […]

Shopping has long been a guilty pleasure of Australian women, but a new survey shows they needn’t feel bad about the habit at all. The UK study, led by Wall’s Solero Exotic, found that women cover the equivalent of seven marathons per year during their shopping expeditions, burning off as much as 15,000 extra calories. […]

Eating disorders and behavioural disorders like autism are two of the biggest health issues plaguing teenagers, and researchers at the University of Cambridge may have found a link between the two. A new study has found teenage girls with obsessions with food and calorie counting share an above-average number of autistic traits — a neurodevelopmental […]

The government’s smoking tax has been criticised as a cash grab, but after losing her grandmother to cancer sticks, Zoe Arnold explains why taxation is one of the most effective tools in the fight against smoking. My Grandmother was the epitome of elegance in her youth. We have a picture of her in her 20s: […]

New research says fennel can do more than flavour our meals – it’s now said to be able improve women’s state-of-mind and wellbeing during their menstrual cycles. The aniseed-tasting herb is said to relieve pre-menstrual syndrome, after a test group of 36 women in Iran who took drops made from fennel seeds reported feeling less […]

More than 100 children with hand, foot and mouth disease were taken to NSW hospitals by worried parents in the latest fortnightly surveillance report. However, NSW Health says the worst of the deadly enterovirus 71 (EV71) outbreak is likely to be over. While the number of children being admitted to hospitals with severe neurological complications […]