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Health & Fitness

Allergies

• Here's a helpful hint if you have children with allergies who suffer from anaphylaxis. You will already know that life-saving Epipen or Epipen Junior is very expensive. They are absolutely essential but not subsidised by Pharmac, and through your GP or local pharmacy they cost close to $200. The Epipen expires after a year, whether it has been used or not, and has to be replaced. If it is used during an anaphylactic attack, you must dispose of it and purchase another. I have just discovered that you can purchase one for $144.90 from www.allergypharmacy.co.nz including courier delivery. I ordered online and it arrived two days later in perfect condition i.e. protective wrapping and temperature controlled. Parents of allergy sufferers, especially those with anaphylaxis, are under a lot of stress, so even a small saving on essential products cheers you up. The site also sells a range of other products for allergy sufferers. Check it out! - D.W.

Burning feet

• Burning feet (which usually happen at night in bed and can keep you awake) - put each foot on a cake of soap. - Jude

Burns, treatment

• For minor burns and scalds use fresh aloe vera. No need to buy ointment, just have a couple of these plants growing in the garden or in pots. After cooling skin with cold water, cut off a fleshy leaf and dab on the sticky juice. Apply repeatedly, slicing the leaf back and using fresh juice each time.  - Thirties Depression Baby, Auckland.

Exercise

• Use a push mower instead of a petrol driven mower. They are cheaper to buy, cheaper to run, create no pollution, and will keep you fit.
  
  

• Avoid an expensive gym membership and get variety in your workout by having a buddy system. If you have a friend who has different exercise equipment/dvds etc to you then organise a swap, or better yet take turns visiting each others house (change of venue can increase motivation). This means you can get variety in your work out, catch up with your friend for free and if you have children you can take turns watching each others children and save on creche fees. Having a buddy also makes you more accountable. - Sam, Auckland.

Flu

• A very bad sore throat can sometimes be stopped in its tracks by chewing garlic and gargling the mash with water. It 'burns' the tongue a bit, but works. Garlic [the smelly bit] is equivalent to a particular big name antibiotic for some diseases. - Giblet, Wellsford.
  
  

• Honey and cinnamon, either as a hot drink or, spread thickly on bread and butter, will stop the worst cough in its tracks. - P.M.

Hair care

• Dyeing to save money. When using colour on your hair get a small clean plastic container and divide the liquid in half then just use half the stuff in the tube to mix with it. As long as they are kept separate they will last till you need the next treatment instead of using the whole lot. If you have very short hair and are very good at measuring you could could probably get 3 treatments out of one pack. - Canny Scot, Christchurch.
  
  

• A reader has a question:, "Question please, a cheap way for dealing with head lice in my two granddaughters long hair. I've just bought yet another expensive product to try and break this cycle. Even after 10 days at the beach swimming in salt water, still the nits are there. This is war." - C.S, Auckland 

Hair cuts

• Cut the families hair yourself. At worst, put a pudding bowl over their head and cut around the edges! (Just joking.) Most parents can do a reasonable job without turning young Johnny into the school clown. If you find a family revolution results from your hair cutting exercise, look around for cut-price hairdressers operating from their home. You don’t need to pay salon prices.

Hands

• If you suffer from painful hands e.g. Arthritis here is a useful tip. Take a new pair of rubber gloves, smother your hands in baby oil, cooking oil will do. Fill the hand basin with water as hot as you can stand, put the gloves on and soak up to the wrists. When you remove the gloves all the oil will have gone, hands will be soft and pain free. - J.S. 

Medical

• Instead of going in to see my GP to full my script. I simply use the ring in service. I only pay 1/3 of the price of a visit. - Rene, Brooklyn.

Medications

• If you have a sore throat my granny gave me a handed down cure hundreds of yeas old. One level spoon of sulphur and one teaspoon of honey. Mix enough up for three days. After standing the medicine for a good two hours. Take it three times a day by letting it melt whilst going down your throat. For three days. You will be amazed just how good this old hand me down is compared to expensive Strepsils and the likes. - Keith, Wanganui. 

Mouth ulcers

• My friend is a chemist. I was moaning about continual mouth ulcers, under my new dentures, (the lower). Instead of very expensive creams etc just put marmite or vegemite on the ulcer, be warned, it stings something awful, but it works. - D.M.

Smoking

• Don't! - O.R.

Skiing

• My number one tip: join a ski club.  Once you get involved you can pretty much ski for free and have the best time ever with great people. - T.I.

Wounds, treatment

• Use (raw) honey on wounds as it has antibacterial properties. - Z.H., Warkworth.
  
  

• For open wounds use vegemite - could sting a bit but works in healing. - GSB, Nelson.