Commercials on television give you the impression that alcohol does nothing but make you happy, young, and attractive. The truth is much more sobering. Alcohol can act as a depressant or lead to aggressive behavior and have you waking up with a painful hangover which can include sensitivity to noise and light, a throbbing headache, upset stomach, achy muscles, nausea, and a host of other uncomfortable conditions. For hangovers, you’ve probably heard of the remedy using a Bloody Mary drink. There is some truth to tomato juice being useful, mostly because it’s a fluid that helps repair your dehydration. But here are some better suggestions that really work for cures and prevention. For more home remedies and tips from nature using herbs, foods, spices, and lifestyle choices, please refer to my series of natural remedy booklet/CD combos and my special seminar collection entitled Renew Your Life. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Create a Nature’s Medicine Chest in your home and include some or all of these surefire remedies below.

If you'd like to hear Susan talk about natural remedies to prevent and heal hangovers, click HERE.

A Slimming, Energizing Healthy Concentrate

“Health comes from the farm, not the pharmacy,” as I write in The Curative Kitchen.

When I was barely 17, I learned the secrets to living a healthy, balanced life from grandmother, Fritzie. At that time in my life, my diet was deplorable. Meat, sweets, and white refined-flour breads were my daily pleasures and my health sorely suffered as a result. I was rarely without allergies, and I carried copious amounts of tissues with me everywhere to wipe my runny nose, deal with my sneezing and to take care of all the extra mucus that I was coughing up. It was not a pretty picture and my physician apprised me that I would have to live with this condition forever.

One day when I was visiting with my grandmother, telling her what I learned from my doctor, Fritzie told me that if I followed her healthful guidance and suggestions 100 percent, she guaranteed that not only would my allergies and sinus problems clear up within 30 days, my entire life would also profoundly change for the better: my acne would clear up, my energy would soar, the extra weight I was carrying would fall away, and my attitude would change from negative to positive. Needless to say, she had my attention, and for the next several hours and days (and eventually years), I learned a variety of health practices that—even though they sounded weird and strange at that time—still touched a responsive cord in my heart. That well-known adage, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear,” was definitely true for me with my grandmother’s loving support. I was ready and my entire life would change for the better because of that wonderful, memorable day with Fritzie—when my new approach to healthy living was engendered.

Along with comprehensive guidance on the healing power of natural, plant-based foods, herbs and spices and the importance of cultivating a positive attitude, she taught me the specifics of taking great care of my body so that my body would be better equipped to take great care of me—in other words, how to live a sacred, balanced vibrantly healthy life. One of the health foods she encouraged me to take every day was raw apple cider vinegar. She had me put one to two tablespoons into a glass of water (about 10 – 12 ounces) and drink it down at least once daily. Within days of consuming this new beverage, I began to feel better, and it’s been part of my healthy living program for decades — that is until a few months ago when I discovered a fantastic liquid herbal concentrate called Slender Cider. (Refer to my healthy eating and living books — Health Bliss, Be Healthy~Stay Balanced, Recipes for Health Bliss and The Healing Power of NatureFoods — for detailed information on healthy foods/recipes and living with vibrancy.) From my grandmother’s loving guidance, I chose my life career; my passion for alternative and holistic heath was born. And because of her holistic health teachings, I have never taken any prescription medication in my life. Instead, I choose to live close to Nature and listen to my body’s whisperings. To learn more about my favorite apple cider vinegar~herbal concentrate, continue reading.

What gives ballpark mustard its bright color and Indian curry its exotic flavor? Turmeric, the deeply hued orange-yellow spice, has long been revered in Southern Asia for its saturation of color (used to dye textiles), its characteristic taste, and its plethora of health benefits.

Today, the root is a hot topic among scientists. Turmeric's active compound, providing many of the health benefits of turmeric, is curcumin, which has proven to be a powerful anti-inflammatory, offering relief for those suffering from conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

Regular curcumin consumption may reduce bowel symptoms and the need for medications in patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. It can also lessen swelling and stiffness in arthritis sufferers. In India, diseases such as prostate and colon cancers and Alzheimer's are extremely rare, possibly due to a diet rich in turmeric.