No one is complaining about food being necessary to live. It’s great! While there’s nothing quite like unwinding from a busy day with a cool drink or your favorite meal, there’s much more to our beloved ingredients than simply their usefulness for snacking. Many foods can be used to heal our souls (rather than just fill our bellies).
Lemons
Lemons on their own can damage your teeth and are too sour to eat, but lemon juice has some seriously cool properties. You can put lemon juice on zits and blackheads in the morning to clear them up throughout the day. Or, you can add it to your tea to end headaches, chills and fevers. If you’re really crazy, you can put lemon juice on cuts to disinfect them and heighten the pain… if you’re into that.
Photo by Kendra Valkema
Honey
Honey is a less intense way to clean cuts and scrapes. Ancient Egyptians recognized honey’s antiseptic properties and it continues to be an excellent, natural way to clean up your small wounds. Honey can also help you lose weight as it is an excellent alternative to sugar or artificial sweeteners. Pour some in your morning coffee instead of sugar and kick your hangover while you’re at it. Or, put some directly on your lips to work as an inexpensive (and delicious) alternative to lip balm.
Photo by Stephanie Lee
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is far more than just a delicious, healthy breakfast choice. It has amazing properties for skin and can soften and sooth irritations and dryness. Oatmeal can also work the same magic on burns and aches. You can even make a dry shampoo that will leave your hair clean, soft, and smelling like deliciousness. On the more unconventional side, oatmeal can also be used as a base for homemade clay.
Photo by Nikki Katz
Olive Oil
Are you freaking out because you put tape and other sticky stuff all over your dorm walls and the time is slowly approaching where you’ll have to get all that goo off? Have no fear; olive oil is here! Just soak the residue in a thick layer of olive oil and it will come off clean. This wonderful substance can also help stop snoring, be used as shaving cream, take eye makeup off, and unjam zippers. There is nothing it can’t do.
Photo by Jessica Payne