Once a year I go through various drawers and cabinets, checking for items that have expired, like spices or medications. This past week I spent time exploring all the medicine cabinets and was surprised at just how many items were past their expiration dates. It was a bit disheartening too at the amount of bottles and tubes that got tossed because they were old and no longer effective, especially with the ones that had never even been opened.

What a waste of money!

I was also upset at myself that I even spent all that money on creams, pills, syrups, and sprays when I know there are natural remedies that do work and that I usually already have. There are so many ways you can use items from the kitchen, like peanut butter, garlic, and even bacon, to help soothe, ease, and cure everyday discomforts.

Of course if you are taking prescription drugs for an illness or disease, these home remedies are not meant to treat those situations. Never stop taking medicines or treatments your doctor has prescribed for you without consulting with him/her first.

But for less serious yet still uncomfortable ailments like heartburn, nosebleed, bug bites, cramps, and hangovers, these natural ingredients can help bring relief. Pantry products such as baking soda, cornstarch, olive oil, and peanut butter are most likely already on your shelves. Chances are you also have items like bananas, coffee, honey, lemons or garlic on hand too. Not only will you save money when you use products you already have or aren’t expensive to purchase, but you’ll save space and not have to deal with all the side-effects medicine can cause.

BACON UP YOUR NOSE?

I have personally tried a lot of these remedies (when I remember to) and they actually do work. One thing I won’t try, no matter how well it works, is using raw bacon as a plug for a nosebleed. Yuck! I am a bit of a freak when it comes to handling raw meats and almost always wear disposable gloves when touching any type of raw meat or poultry. The thought of sticking a pork plug up my nose just seriously grosses me out.

BUT…Michigan doctors who used cured pork to stop a nosebleed won a 2014 Ig Nobel prize awarded by the Annals of Improbable Research magazine. Apparently there are clotting factors in pork and the high level of salt will pull in a lot of fluid from the nose. (But I’ll still pass on testing this out!)

http://time.com/3403537/ig-nobel-prize-2014-cured-pork-nosebleeds/

So before you hop in the car and run to the drugstore for a bug bite remedy or something to ease cramps or heartburn, check out your pantry or fridge for these 16 items which most likely will help.

http://www.rodalewellness.com/health/16-home-health-remedies-from-your-fridge/slide/1