Alternative Medicine: Natural Home Remedies

Feeling a little depressed? Before reaching for the Prozac, try this little natural home remedy mood changer: "in the shower, alternate between very warm water for 3 minutes and very cold water for 30 seconds. Repeat until...your mood brightens." I've got to admit it, this would definitely change my mood: from being down in the dumps to being homicidal. But most of the 40 other home remedies offered in this excellent video guide featuring Dr. Jay Gordon (seen on ABC's Home Show) are time-honored solutions to common heath problems. Conditions covered include acne, anxiety, cold, flu, congestion, constipation, cough, cuts, flatulence ("2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in 8 oz. of water;" but I don't know if it works since my dog refused to drink it), headache, hot flashes, insomnia, and sunburn, among others. The segments are presented alphabetically for easy reference, all recipes are shown on the video, and an accompanying paperback covers both the topics in the video and about a dozen bonus subjects (like hemorrhoids, PMS, and warts). I did try the remedy for eyestrain--activated and chilled chamomile tea bags over the eyes for 15 minutes, and I can report mixed results. My eyestrain did go away; however, some of the yellowish tea dripped onto our greenish throw pillows, which caused my wife, Anne, some concern. I, of course, immediately fast-forwarded the tape to the section on "stress." I can report mixed results... [Note: Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide, a whopping reference book covering some 200 conditions and treatments is also available for $59.95.] Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)