Simple Home Remedies

10:30 AM Posted by jo

There are times when you might run out of your supplies and there is no way you can buy any decent herbs on a Saturday night when you need it the most. Fortunately there are things you can do with some basic ingredients you most likely have at home, or at least can pick up at the regular store.

Cough

You can make a simple cough syrup from warm pineapple juice and two teaspoons of honey. The bromelain in the pineapple is activated by the honey.

You can also make a cough syrup by mixing the juice of one lemon with two tablespoons glycerine and then add 12 teaspoons honey to the mixture and stir. Stir before each use. I always use raw honey.

According to the Ayureda tradition you can take equal part teaspoons of lemon and honey. If you have a cough with mucus you can add 1/2 teaspoon ginger, a pinch of clove, and a pinch of cinnamon to one cup of water.

You can also gargle by adding a pinch of salt and two pinches of turmeric to a glass of water.

Another remedy which is easy to make at home is to slice an onion into a deep bowl and cover with honey and let it sit over night. The next day you strain the mixture and this will make a simple elixir. Another tasty remedy is hot pear juice with a cinnamon stick. You can also cardamon and cumin to juices.

Ear Problems

Garlic is considered to be a natural antibiotic. For smaller children warm garlic oil to room temperature and drop a few drops in the ear. You can also improve lymphatic drainage by rubbing some garlic oil down the neck. I mostly have garlic capsules at home and I just poke a hole in the capsule, but you can also soak crushed garlic in olive oil. For older children and adults you can cut a clove of garlic and put a little olive oil on it put it on the outside of the ear like an hearing aid.

Another way is to bake or steam an onion and let it cool to room temperature and then place a few drops oil in the ear. The onion can also be cut in half and placed over the ear. The post, How to Deal With Earaches Naturally has more detailed information.

This time of the year it is also a good idea to work on prevention. I like to incorporate pungent and aromatic herb into my cooking since they give the body energy to heal itself and many of them have powerful healing properties. Cayenne pepper, ginger, peppermint, rosemary, cinnamon, garlic, sage, chamomile, horseradish and thyme are herbs I use a lot.

There are many ways I incorporate these herbs into my daily life and not just wait to the day I start feeling ill. I like to make herbal teas of peppermint, ginger and chamomile and I always add some raw honey and lemon juice to make it a powerful healing tea.

I add pungent and aromatic herbs to all of my cooking instead of store bought spice mixes, and this time of they year I often make soups and stews which are perfect for adding cayenne, rosemary, garlic and thyme to. I don't follow any recipe I just kind of add a handful of what I have at home, but I am picky about the quality of herbs I buy. You can also add fresh ginger to stir fries.

It is a good idea to stock up on the supplies this time of the year so you don't get caught by a surprise cold when you have important meetings to attend to. I make sure I have my favorite herbal blends, supplements, essential oils, raw honey, lemon, teas, silver shield and bulk herbs at home just to be prepared.

You can also make an Onion Garlic Soup. I like to make it for the family and we eat it as prevention, and I freeze the leftovers. When I re-heat it I just add more pungent herbs. This is a soup you can sip all through the day if you are sick.

Old-Fashioned Garlic and Onion Soup- the original recipe from Cookesley

4 large white or yellow onions, thinly sliced

2 whole heads of garlic

2 tsp. thyme

4 tbs. olive oil

6 cups vegetable broth

1/2 dry white wine

1 bay leaf

2 tbs honey

4 tbs. each of fresh parsley and basil

1/4 tsp. cayenne (optional)

sea salt, fresh ground pepper to taste

Saute the garlic, thyme and onions in olive oil until golden brown. Add garlic and onions to a slow cooker or a bigger pot to be cooked with the vegetable broth, wine and bay leaf. Slowly cook for 2 to 3 hours or over night if using a slow cooker. Strain the liquid, add the honey, fresh basil; and parsley, sea salt, fresh ground pepper and cayenne. I like to experiment and I add different kinds of herbs to the soup and many times I make it without adding the wine. We don't use any salt in our cooking either.

As always it is important to avoid food that weakens the immune system.