Readers Tips
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Thanks to everyone who contributes to our Readers Tips. We appreciate everyone who takes the time out of their busy day to send in a helpful tip.

Remember the good old days? Back when Grandma had a helpful tip for all that ailed you?

We've decided to bring back the "good ole days" our visitors are sending us their helpful tips - hints and advice for everything from stomach upsets and bad breath - to staying young and pest control.

Readers tips are just another way to bring you helpful useful information you may be able to use in your everyday life. And it's always nice to hear what other's have to say and what has worked for them and their loved ones.

We read all the Readers Tips you send us. We will print as many as we can. We will make sure you get the credit if you wish. Let us know if you want your name published or just initials and town and country.

Keep in mind: we do not have the resources to investigate and prove beyond a reasonable doubt that these readers tips work. We rely on the good intentions of our readers. We cannot authenticate quoted sources - you will need to research them if you are interested. We will also remove any statements which tell our reader's to stop taking their prescription medications if they are on any prescribed meds - that is between you and your personal health care professional.

Because we reprint a readers tip does not mean that we give it a blanket endorsement. In the following tips, when you see the word ( I ) it will refer to the "Reader" who sent in the tip. We will put in an "Editor's Note" if we at Basic Keys to Natural Health have any input. Please use your own good judgment for the following . . .

This comes to us from a recent popular email in circulation. Here is the email and below that, some info from Snopes that you may find interesting -

"Bacteria are measured in Microns.
1 Micron=39 millionths of an inch, or .000039" undetectable by the human eye.The human eye can see particulates to about 40 microns. A grain of salt is approximately 60 microns.Many filters can filter down to only 5 microns.

Everyone in the cleaning industry has always been told that hand dryers in rest-rooms are not sanitary, they spread germs and bacteria around. I always thought that this just came from the paper companies because they are losing sales to the hand dryers. A couple of years ago, I was working with a rep, and I noticed that after he washed his hands and noticed that there were no paper towels, only a hand dryer, he left the rest-room with wet hands. I asked him about it. He said that hand dryers blow a lot of germs and bacteria around. He also told me to take a look under the hand dryer next time I was in a rest-room. There is a filter underneath the hand dryer that is supposed to be cleaned on a weekly basis. I looked at one and it looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years. It had layers and layers of caked-on gunk (disgusting). Since then I will not use hand dryers in rest-rooms.

Now this is where the story gets really interesting. The schools and universities that have had the H1N1 (swine flue) outbreak this year are being told by the health department that they have to take out all of their hand dryers and replace them with towel dispensers because the hand dryers are spreading disease. "

Here is some of the info we found at Snopes.com ......

"American society for Microbiology studies showed:
97% of females and 92% of males say they wash - of these only 75% of females and 58% of males actually washed - 50% of middle and high school students say they wash - of these 33% of females and only 8% of males used soap while washing hands."

"Paper towels offer a couple of advantages that electric hand dryers do not. Since their use is frictional (you rub your hands with them),the act of drying with them can aid in the removal of some bacteria. Also, given that the four most microbe-laden areas of public restrooms are the toilet, the floor around it, the counter area, and door and flush handles, using a paper towel on the door handle when exiting the restroom rather than handling it directly can keep one from coming into contact with one of microbial 'hot spots' of such venues."

They also quoted the results of a study done on the hand dryers which stated that they 'do indeed' launch germs, microbes, viruses, etc. throughout the air. And the more powerful the dryer, the more intense the effect. However, this study was challenged by the manufacturers of the various hand dryers as being "flawed."

We have received this email from a good friend of ours - she may have gotten in from another website online - but we felt that it was so interesting and potentially helpful to so many ... that we are re-printing it here... If you know the website this is from - please let us know as we would like to give them proper credit and a link to their site !

We do know that the quote below is from www.howtogetridofstuff.com

"Many people swear that a zip-lock bag filled half-way with water and attached over entry-ways will repel flies. No one yet knows how or why it works, but there is speculation that it has something to do with the way the moving water refracts light."

We went with some out-of-town friends to "Sweety Pies" on Sunday for breakfast, and we sat in the enclosed patio section beside the house. We happened to notice a couple of zip lock baggies pinned to a post and a wall. The bags were half filled with water, each contained 4 pennies, and they were zipped shut. Naturally we were curious!

Ms. Sweety told us that these baggies kept the flies away! So naturally we were even more curious! We actually watched some flies come in the open window, stand around on the window sill, and then fly out again. And there were no flies in the eating area! This morning I checked this out on Goggle. Below are comments on this fly control idea. I'm now a believer!

Ann Says:

I did tried the ziplock bag and pennies this weekend. I have a horse trailer with full LQ. The flys were very bad this weekend while I was camping. I put the baggie with pennies above the door of the LQ. NOT ONE FLY came in the trailer. The horse trailer parthad many. Not sure why it works but it does !!!

Danielle Martin Says:

Fill a ziplock bag with water and 5 or 6 pennies and hang it in the problem area. In my case it was a particular window in my home. It had a slight but significant passage way for insects. Every since I have done that, it has kept flies and wasps away. Some say, that wasps and flies mistake the bag for some sort of other insect nest and are threatened by this.

Maggie Says:

I swear by the plastic bag of water trick I have them on side porch (our house entry) and all around the basement door. We saw these in Northeast MO at an Amish grocery store & have used them since. They say it works because a fly sees a reflection & won't come around.

Thanks Robert ! We'll certainly give this one a try, since we live out in the country !

1. Cucumbers contain...
most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon...
put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after ashower?
Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it willeliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4.Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds?
Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool?
Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!

6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache?
Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge?
Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes?
Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge?
Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge,and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don't have timefor massage, facial or visit to the spa?
Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finished a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints?
Take a slice of cucumber from your salad and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a 'green' way toclean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel?
Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm your fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake?
Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!

Thanks to everyone looking for better and safer ways to solve life's everyday problems..

" This was written by B.R. of Indiana (a doctor's wife), and I want to share it with you. She was over recently for coffee and smelled the bleach I was using to clean my toilet and countertops. This is what she told me . . I would like to tell you of the benefits of the plain little Ole bottle of 3% peroxide you can get for under $1.00 at any drug store. What does bleach cost?

My husband has been in the medical field for over 36 years, and most doctors don't tell you about peroxide. Have you ever smelled bleach in a doctor's office? NO ! ! ! Why? Because it smells, and it is not healthy! Ask the nurses who work in the doctor's offices, and ask them if they use bleach at home. They are wiser and know better!

Did you also know bleach was invented in the late 40's? It's chlorine, Folks! And it was used to kill our troops. Peroxide was invented during W.W.I in the 20's. It was used to save and help cleanse the needs of our troops and hospitals.

Please think about this. . .

• Take one capful (the little white cap that comes with the bottle) and hold in your mouth for 10 minutes daily (Editor's note: 10 minutes might be tricky - you could accidentally swallow) -then spit it out. I do it when I bathe. No more canker sores, and your teeth will be whiter without expensive pastes. Use it instead of mouth wash.

• Let your toothbrushes soak in a cup of peroxide to keep them free of germs.

• Clean your counters and table tops with peroxide to kill germs and leave a fresh smell. Simply put a little on your dishrag when you wipe, or spray it on the counters.

• After rinsing off your wooden cutting board, pour peroxide on it to kill salmonella and other bacteria.

• I had fungus on my feet for years until I sprayed a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water on them (especially the toes) every night and let dry.

• Soak any infections or cuts in 3% peroxide for five to ten minutes several times a day. My husband has seen gangrene that would not heal with any medicine but was healed by soaking in peroxide.

• Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water and keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without harming your septic system like bleach or most other disinfectants will.

• Tilt your head back and spray into nostrils with your 50/50 mixture whenever you have a cold, plugged sinus. It will bubble and help to kill the bacteria. Hold for a few minutes and then blow your nose into a tissue.

• If you have a terrible toothache and cannot get to a dentist right away, put a capful of 3% peroxide into your mouth and hold it for ten minutes several times a day. The pain will lessen greatly.

• And of course if you like a natural look to your hair, spray the 50/50 solution on your wet hair after a shower and comb it through. You will not have the peroxide-burnt blonde hairs like the hair dye packages, but more natural highlights. If your hair is a light brown, reddish, or dirty blonde. (Editor's note: If your hair is medium to dark you will probably end up with a shade of orange/red - so beware)

• Put half of a bottle of peroxide in your bath to help rid boils, fungus, or other skin infections. (Editor's note: this works! you can use much more than half a bottle, no worries!)

• You can also add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is blood on clothing, pour it directly on the soiled spot. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary.

• I use peroxide to clean my mirrors. There is no smearing, which is why I love it so much for this.

I could go on and on. It is a little brown bottle no home should be without! With prices of most necessities rising, I'm glad there's a way to to save tons of money in such a simple, healthy manner! This information really woke me up. I hope you gain something from it too. Pass it on! "

Special thanks to: Jacki S. - from Missoula, Montana for sending us these wonderful Readers tips she received in an email from a friend.

" Bet the drug companies won't like this one getting around. Information on honey and cinnamon: It is found that a mixture of honey and cinnamon cures most diseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Scientists of today also accept honey as a "Ram Bam" (very effective) medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without any side effects for any kind of diseases. Today's science says that even though honey is sweet, if taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm diabetic patients. Weekly World News, a magazine in Canada, on its issue dated 17 January, 1995 has given the following list of diseases that can be cured by honey and cinnamon as researched by western scientists . . .

HEARING LOSS: Daily morning and night honey and cinnamon powder, taken in equal parts restore hearing. Remember when we were kids? We had toast with real butter and cinnamon sprinkled on it! "
(Editor's note: you can still have goat butter)

Special Thanks to P. Logan from Hot Springs, Arkansas for her Readers Tips.

Sure - Fire way to get rid of Pests

" The safest way to get rid of pests. The safest and most humane way to get rid of mice and other small creatures is to buy a bottle of pure peppermint oil and soak a cotton ball with it.You can place the cotton ball anywhere it is convenient to you and where you know the scent will reach the mice, etc. you don't want around. For whatever reason, mice HATE THE SCENT OF PEPPERMINT. Spearmint too! So do other small creatures.

I've also heard to keep spiders out of the house in warmer weather, if you put eucalyptus branches in front of doorways - they won't come in - (the spiders, that is).

Boric acid is good to get rid of roaches - etc. - If you sprinkle boric acid around any area where you suspect roaches may congregate, they will get it on their legs etc., and when they stop to remove it - it gets into their digestive system and kills them - it also kills other roaches - because they help clean each other off - Yuk!

Fire Ants If you sprinkle plain old cornmeal around the area - the fire ants will eat it and they will bring it into the ant hill and feed it to others - they can't digest it and they die. "

Special Thanks to: Terri B. from Branson, Missouri for her great readers tips.

Please send in Your Readers Tips - Hints and Advice

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