Herbal Medicines for Headaches - Including Apple Cider Vinegar

Many of us are prone to headaches. Especially if you're a woman. Some headaches are minor and others are incapacitating. In the past, I used to get lots of headaches from hormones. Now, it's rare that I get a headache because I try to use preventative measures and then if one does start to come on, I immediately start treating it so it doesn't develop into a full-blown headache. Especially around the holidays, headaches seem to afflict many people around me - coworkers, my sisters, even my parents. It's no wonder: we're running around, doing seven thousand things during the course of the day, and trying to get ready for the holidays.

(Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. Try these remedies at your own risk. Consult with a doctor if you have any questions or for chronic headaches.)

Since discovering the following natural remedies, my own headaches are much less frequent and when I do get them, they are much less severe.

• First and foremost: drink water. Lots of it. More than you think you need to. Our culture tends to overlook the fact that most of us are walking around mildly dehydrated. We need to drink more water. Plain water. Not sodas, not coffee, not flavored water. Our bodies are made of 98% water and more often than not, many headaches come on because of dehydration. The arteries and veins constrict and then reduce blood flow to the head (gravity is the enemy in this case). So, the first thing to do when you feel a headache coming on is drink A LOT of water.
• When lots of water doesn't help, I turn to my next remedy: apple cider vinegar or ACV. You can't just use any kind of ACV. It is imperative you get the organic kind with the "mother". It will say it on the label. I like to use Bragg's. The "mother" is the pulpy medium you see at the bottom of the ACV bottle. That's the stuff that you need. There are nutrients that are highly beneficial to the body. When I feel a headache coming on, I head for the cabinet, get my vinegar, put two teaspoons in eight ounces of water and drink. Sometimes I like to add honey or stevia (a natural plant-sweetener) to mask the strong taste of the vinegar. After drinking, I wait about 10-20 minutes. If I still have a headache, I repeat the above process.
• Next, I get some peppermint tea. If you have access to peppermint in your garden, fresh is the best. If not, dried leaves are fine. Steep a few leaves in a diffuser for 20 mins. with near-boiling water. If you can't do fresh or dried, then go for organic peppermint tea. Basically, you're trying to get the most beneficial ingredients possible in the purest form possible. Sip the tea while trying to relax.
• Still, I always try to have lavender essential oil on hand. When I feel a headache coming on, I will put a drop or two on each temple (on either side of my head), and two drops on the back of my neck, just below the hairline. This seems to really help. A hot bath with several drops of lavender essential oil can be really calming and helpful, too.
• Another powerful remedy is ginger, in the form of oil. Rub on the temples (only a drop or two) at the first sign of a headache, especially a migraine.

With these remedies, my herbal pharmacy can help stave off headaches and I don't have to resort to liver-damaging chemically produced medicines.