When I go visit my grandmother, I learn sooo much! She collects medical / naturopathic digests for me and marks certain passages for me. We discuss how medicine was done before the pharmaceutical companies took over medicine, and before chemicals took over cleaning products... So, here are some alternatives for you with every day complaints.
Headaches / Migraines - Take a lemon and peel it one inch wide and long enough to go from temple to temple. Lay down with a towel over the lemon peel until the headache goes away (usually less than 20 minutes).
Cayenne has several benefits to headaches and migraines - it is a natural pain reliever, and a good source of magnesium, which has been known to ward off migraines. Dip the flattened end of a toothpick into a bottle of cayenne and sniff in each nostril. Adding cayenne into daily meals may also help ward off migraines.
Colds - Garlic has many wonderful healing properties - antiviral, antibiotic, antifungal, and antiseptic. So, adding garlic to your foods when you don't feel good or need a boost is a great idea. In addition to the healing properties above garlic is also a decongestant and an expectorant - wonderful for colds and chest ailments.
Steep marjoram like tea for 5 - 10 minutes, cool the "tea" and gargle with the tea three times a day. Marjoram has benefits to any bronchial ailments - congestion, pneumonia, bronchitis, upper respiratory infections, etc... It has both antibacterial and painkilling benefits.
Ginger is widely used for nausea and joint pain - it is also beneficial when drank as a tea for colds. It's anti-inflammatory and decongestant properties work wonders with a cold. If you are unable to find ginger tea you can make it yourself - peel ginger (yes, from the produce section of the grocery store) and thinly slice a two inch cube of it into a saucepan with 1 1/2 C water. Bring to a soft boil and cook for 10 minutes. Strain and add honey and lemon to taste. Enjoy!
One of my favorite natural remedies for congestion (both head and chest) is to boil water in a large dutch oven and add eucalyptus oil, peppermint oil, and/or thyme oil. The boiling water adds moisture into the air which helps to break up the congestion and the oils really help break up the congestion and reduce the swelling associated with the congestion. I also will take a washcloth and dip it in the hot mixture and drape over my face. Warning!! The oils are very potent - don't take a deep breath! You will have to play with the amount of oil and how often you add it to the boiling water to suit your own needs.
Smelly feet - the tannic acid in black tea is known to reduce bad body odor. Bring several black tea bags to boiled in a pint of water for 10 - 15 minutes. Pour into a foot bath with two quarts of cool water and soak smelly feet for 10 - 15 minutes.
Teething / toothache - When my kids were young I was given my first naturopathic direction for my daughter. My first daughter got her teeth in pairs and had a lot of pain associated with it. I didn't want to use painkillers or any other drugs, and so another mom suggested that I try clove oil. There was a bottle of clove oil specifically for teething at the natural food store and I was amazed how well it worked. BE CAREFUL. Clove oil is VERY potent and potentially dangerous. Turning the bottle over on your finger is more than enough for one side of the mouth. Repeat for other side. Clove oil numbs the gums for several hours. You can also put it on a q-tip to use around a painful toothache.
Bruises - This easy fix may take a trip to the produce section again. You will need a gauze roll and parsley. That is it! Chill the parsley and then chop finely. Apply directly to the bruise and wrap with the gauze roll - let sit on the bruise for an hour or so. Reapply daily until bruise fades.
Headaches / Migraines - Take a lemon and peel it one inch wide and long enough to go from temple to temple. Lay down with a towel over the lemon peel until the headache goes away (usually less than 20 minutes).
Cayenne has several benefits to headaches and migraines - it is a natural pain reliever, and a good source of magnesium, which has been known to ward off migraines. Dip the flattened end of a toothpick into a bottle of cayenne and sniff in each nostril. Adding cayenne into daily meals may also help ward off migraines.
Colds - Garlic has many wonderful healing properties - antiviral, antibiotic, antifungal, and antiseptic. So, adding garlic to your foods when you don't feel good or need a boost is a great idea. In addition to the healing properties above garlic is also a decongestant and an expectorant - wonderful for colds and chest ailments.
Steep marjoram like tea for 5 - 10 minutes, cool the "tea" and gargle with the tea three times a day. Marjoram has benefits to any bronchial ailments - congestion, pneumonia, bronchitis, upper respiratory infections, etc... It has both antibacterial and painkilling benefits.
Ginger is widely used for nausea and joint pain - it is also beneficial when drank as a tea for colds. It's anti-inflammatory and decongestant properties work wonders with a cold. If you are unable to find ginger tea you can make it yourself - peel ginger (yes, from the produce section of the grocery store) and thinly slice a two inch cube of it into a saucepan with 1 1/2 C water. Bring to a soft boil and cook for 10 minutes. Strain and add honey and lemon to taste. Enjoy!
One of my favorite natural remedies for congestion (both head and chest) is to boil water in a large dutch oven and add eucalyptus oil, peppermint oil, and/or thyme oil. The boiling water adds moisture into the air which helps to break up the congestion and the oils really help break up the congestion and reduce the swelling associated with the congestion. I also will take a washcloth and dip it in the hot mixture and drape over my face. Warning!! The oils are very potent - don't take a deep breath! You will have to play with the amount of oil and how often you add it to the boiling water to suit your own needs.
Smelly feet - the tannic acid in black tea is known to reduce bad body odor. Bring several black tea bags to boiled in a pint of water for 10 - 15 minutes. Pour into a foot bath with two quarts of cool water and soak smelly feet for 10 - 15 minutes.
Teething / toothache - When my kids were young I was given my first naturopathic direction for my daughter. My first daughter got her teeth in pairs and had a lot of pain associated with it. I didn't want to use painkillers or any other drugs, and so another mom suggested that I try clove oil. There was a bottle of clove oil specifically for teething at the natural food store and I was amazed how well it worked. BE CAREFUL. Clove oil is VERY potent and potentially dangerous. Turning the bottle over on your finger is more than enough for one side of the mouth. Repeat for other side. Clove oil numbs the gums for several hours. You can also put it on a q-tip to use around a painful toothache.
Bruises - This easy fix may take a trip to the produce section again. You will need a gauze roll and parsley. That is it! Chill the parsley and then chop finely. Apply directly to the bruise and wrap with the gauze roll - let sit on the bruise for an hour or so. Reapply daily until bruise fades.
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