HEALTH: Making Your Health Your Next DIY Project

jueves, 28 de octubre de 2021

Making Your Health Your Next DIY Project

By Paola de Varona, Associate News Editor

Growing up in a Cuban family and a majority Latinx city like Miami, Florida, home remedies have always been abundant in my life. Sore throat? Nothing Vicks VapoRub and a tightly wound scarf can't fix. Upset stomach? Sip some cold té de manzanilla (chamomile tea).

If a friend, extended family member, or even your corner pharmacy cashier heard about a new ailment troubling you, they had a fix for it. Either their distant cousin had a tried-and-true recipe, or they swore by a certain practice themselves. In a way, I came to understand these sharing of tips and stories as a kind of medicine in of itself. Knowing that others around you want you to get better can be healing.

During a pandemic that forced many of us apart, this communal care diminished. But people found a way—like we usually do—by turning to social media.

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The Renaissance of Home Remedies

Over the pandemic, the video sharing platform TikTok exploded in popularity. And among those dancing and lip-syncing videos, people began sharing DIY health tips.

These remedies are typically easy to follow and only require common household items. People suggest boiling lettuce and drinking the remaining water as a sleep aid. Others say putting salt on your tongue can help stop an anxiety attack.

This rise in health hacks came at a time when people were forced to isolate and confront their health. Experts say this wasn't a coincidence. DIY strategies help people feel a sense of control.

"There's this whole idea of being in control of your life and of your health," says Dominique Brossard, MS, MPS, PhD, professor and chair in the Department of Life Sciences Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "You do it yourself, in your home. You're in control. There's even some part of fun to it."

When many of us were starved for human connection, these videos could help fill the gap. Even today, you'll often find people commenting to say their family swears by the remedy, or explain the ways it worked (or didn't) for them. Modern medicine and home remedies don't need to be foes, but rather, serve as complements to one another.

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While modern medicines are heavily regulated, many of these TikTok remedies are not. People filming these videos tend to gain viewers' trust in a different way.

"There's a mental shortcut that we take when we say, 'homemade,' 'natural,' and so on. It's perceived that all these must be good," Brossard says. "They think that because it's homemade and from some grandmother, or grandfather, or some familiar face, who has tried it and was okay, that that's enough data to actually give us confidence."

Feel Better

Before trying any of these remedies at home, experts recommend you do your research to make sure it's safe. If you're thinking about drinking chlorophyll, lettuce water, or eating dandelions, we did the research for you.

Health is front and center on many people's minds. A 2021 survey of U.S. adults found that 33% are seeking out information about health topics. Forty-two percent are interested in taking care of themselves, physically and mentally.

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Sober October may be coming to an end, but there's no shortage of dry month challenges. So, if you want to reevaluate potentially unhealthy habits, why not start with one month of sobriety? Experts shared advice for having a safe and fulfilling sober challenge: Do it safely, expect set-backs, and use other resources to help maintain the changes long-term. Quitting cold turkey if you're a heavy drinker can be dangerous. And if you're seriously trying to cut back on your alcohol, don't expect your first dry challenge to be easy.

While some health trends online make empty promises, incorporating dandelions into your diet can actually be nutritious. Cory Ruth, MS, RDN, a California-based registered dietitian, shares how she makes dandelion tea.

My favorite way to use dandelions is to make tea. You can either pick the flowers and leaves and wash them, then steep in hot water for 20 minutes or rinse and chop the roots and bake on high for a couple of hours. Then, you can steep 1-2 teaspoons of the root pieces in hot water for 20 minutes.