GRANDMA'S REMEDIES

Aches and pain elimination

Get rid of nagging aches and pains with this simple homemade heating pad.

Just take a clean sock, fill it with 4 or 5 cups of uncooked rice and tie off the end. Whenever you need pain relief, just pop the sock in the microwave. Watch it carefully - it shouldn't take more than 20-30 seconds to heat. The warm sock conforms to your body, making it a great remedy for aching shoulders and neck.

Chairs - pick the correct one for better health

Choosing the right chair could be vital to your health.

A bad chair can lead to muscle and nerve problems and could also affect your circulatory system, according to a report in the Ergonomics journal. If you sit in one place too long, your muscles don't pump enough blood back to your heart, which will cause your ankles to swell. You can prevent that by taking frequent breaks and walking around, or by having a foot rest that tilts and lets you move your feet.

Or, says a Norwegian study, you can get a chair with a seat that has a backwards tilt. As long as the seat leans back, even a little, it will help your blood flow to the heart and keep your ankles from swelling. It doesn't matter if the seat is in a permanent tilt, or if it rocks back and forth.

Cholesterol - lowering it

If you're tired of waiting for the elevator at work, take the stairs – and cut your cholesterol.

Dishes - fixing cracks

Seal a crack in a ceramic dish by boiling the dish in a little milk.

Flu - its easy to catch

Want to avoid the flu? Go wash your hands right now.

Influenza is one of the most easily transmitted diseases, caused by a range of related viruses. It relies on human habits -- most notably the tendency to rub a runny nose.

The virus can live on a plastic or metal surface for hours or even days. When a patient touches a drippy nose and then pushes a button or uses a telephone, the virus sits there, ready to be picked up by the next unwary person. Simply touch the nose, mouth or even the eye, and you, too, can have the flu.The virus also can be passed when a patient coughs or sneezes a fine spray of saliva and mucus into the air and an unfortunate passer-by breathes it in.