Simple Home Remedies
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.
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Use Essential Oils as Prevention Instead of Waiting Until You Get Sick
I think essential oils should be used in every home during cold and flu season since they are very important in fighting many types of infectious disease. Essential oils are some of the most powerful anti-microbials known today. It's already September and many are already sick with the flu. I use essential oils as prevention to boost the immune system so I don't get sick, and I very seldom get sick since I started using essential oils as prevention.
Be ahead of the game and use them before you need them. Be creative in how you use the essential oils during this time of the year:
- Make your own perfume
- Diffuse oils in your diffuser
- Use the essential oils for cleaning
- Sniff straight from the bottle
- Add essential oils to the Vita Flex points
- Add essential oils to lotion, liquid soap, or shampoo (make sure they don’t cause skin sensitivity)
- Add a few drops to dishwashing soap
- Put a few drops on a handkerchief and inhale
- If the oil is not contraindicated, mix with bath salts and take a healing bath
How to use essential oils when someone is sick
There are different things you can do if you get sick. Here are some of the things that I do:
- At the first sign of a stuffy nose I inhale deeply straight from the bottle. I also diffuse appropriate oils in my diffuser
- I mix the essential oils with massage oil and apply on affected areas such as chest, sinuses, or back
- I add a few drops on a handkerchief and inhale deeply. Sometimes I put 2 or more drops into the palm of my left hand, rub clockwise with the flat palm of my right hand. Cup your hands together over the nose and mouth and inhale deeply. Don’t touch your eyes!
- My son successfully cleared congested sinuses within a few hours by doing steam inhalations with anti-viral and expectorant oils. Add a few drops of oil to a bowl of warm but not boiling water. Inhale the steaming vapors from the bowl. To increase intensity, drape a towel over your head and bowl before inhaling.
- I add a few drops to drinking water and gargle for a few minutes if I have a sore throat. I only do this with oils I trust and I don't swallow. Check with your essential oil provider first before you gargle.
- I often add essential oils to the Vita Flex points on the bottom of the feet. This is especially useful for children since some oils may be too strong to apply on other parts of the body.
- I used to drop cypress under my daughter’s pillow when we lived in Wales several years ago when she was coughing a lot due to moist weather.
Before you leave:
I recommend that you always perform a skin patch test when you try a new oil.
Check out my safety page to make sure you are aware of any contrindications before you use essential oils. Some oils are not suitable when suffering from certain conditions. Also, Read this Before You Start Using Essential oils. Some oils should not be applied prior to sun exposure so make sure you check this list before spending time in the sun.
Not sure how to apply the oils? Visit these pages to learn how to apply the oils:
- Topical Application
- Inhaling Essential Oils
- Are You Diffusing the Oils Correctly?
- How to Dilute Essential Oils
- Vita Flex Technique
If you're new to essential oils you might want to check out my Getting Started Guide.
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Stop the Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria - Three Herbal Antibiotics- Part 3
According to Stephen Harrod Buhner:
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Acacia is part of the Mimosaceae family. All the parts of the plant can be used and they can be picked at various times of the year. The pods can be gathered when they are green, the flowers when in bloom, and the roots can be chopped into small pieces before drying. The gum can be collected by cutting a line into the lower part of the bark.
Some of Acacia's therapeutic actions are:
Antimalarial, astringent, antibacterial, antimicrobial, anticatarrhal, anthelmintic, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and sedative.
Acacia is active against:
Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, malaria, Shigella dysenteriae, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
Buhner says Acacias are useful for excessive mucus, diarrhea, catarrh, hemorrhage, gum infections, dysentery and gastrointestinal ulceration. There are different species of Acacia and some species are used for parasitic infestation in some parts of the world. Acacia is not used as much in the United States, but is widely used for its medicinal properties in other parts of the world. Acacia can found in the south and as far north as Kansas and all the way between California and Florida.
Acacia can be used as powder, tea, or wash. Pods, stems, and and leaves should be used powdered. Buhner recommends 3-12 cups a day for malaria, diarrhea, and dysentery. The leaves and flowers should be used as tea for gastrointestinal tract inflammation. The roots should be used to make mucilaginous tea that is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. Tea of stems, pods, and leaves can be used to wash wounds according to Buhner.
Mesquite (Prosopis julifera) is a suitable alternative to Acacia if you can't find it. It may be used identically.
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Aloe is part of the Liliaceae family. It is usually the fresh juice that is used but sometimes the dried plant is used internally. The fresh plant leaves can be used anytime. The leaves are cut open and the juice is applied to burns and wounds.
Some of Aloe's therapeutic actions are:
External use: Antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiviral, wound healing, anti-ulcer, and inflammatory.
Internal use: Purgative, and it also stimulates smooth muscle contractions.
Aloe is active against:
Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Herpes simpex 1 and 2.
Buhner says that Aloe and honey can be applied externally to speed wound healing to prevent infection. Burn victims are extremely prone to Staphyloccus aureus infections. Since Aloe is a liquid it will keep the tissue moist and restore lost body fluid. It will also soothe the damaged tissues.
Slice open the leave of the fresh plant and apply liberally to a burn or wound. Aloe stimulates smooth muscle contraction when taken internally.
Honey can be used as an alternative to Aloe. Echinacea or St.John are less desirable choices to be used for wound healing.
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Cryptolepsis is part of the Asclepiadaceae family. The roots are used and they can be harvested anytime of the year. Cryptolepsis is a shrub found in several parts of Africa.
Some of Cryptolepsis' therapeutic actions are:
Antiparasitic, antimalarial, antibacterial, and antifungal.
Cryptolepsisis active against:
Staphylococcus aureus, malaria, Shigella dysenteriae, Escherichia coli, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Candida Albicans, Camphylobacter, both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.
According to Buhner, Cryptolepsis has been used for centuries by African healers in treatments of fevers, bloody diarrhea, and malaria. Human clinical trials have shown that Cryptolepsis to be potent for malaria.
Cryptolepsis can be used as powder, capsules, tincture, or tea. Crushed powder can be used externally for fungal or bacterial infections.
For malaria, Buhner recommends to use Artemisia annua or A. absinthium, Brucea javanita, Uvaria spp., or the bark of Cinchona spp as alternatives to Cryptolepsis.
The book, Herbal Antibiotics by Stephen Harrod Buhner gives you detail information about each herb on how to prepare them, what parts to use, and how much of each herbs to use for various ailments.
Stay tuned! I will cover the next three herbs on the list in more detail next time. You'll find out how to use them and for what conditions they are traditionally used for.
Source: Herbal Antibiotics by Stephen Harrod Buhner.
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Stop the Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria -Top 15 Herbal Antibiotics- Part 2
The book Herbal Antibiotics, by Stephen Harrod Buhner shares a lot of good information about antibiotic resistance and how we can use natural alternatives to treat drug resistant bacteria. Each herb has a detailed description on history, usage and dosage and what they are mostly used for.
Buhner put together a list of 15 herbs that he considers the most powerful based on his research, but there are many other herbs that could have been mentioned too. Let me know if you miss an herb from the list.
The Top 15 Antibiotic Herbs are:
Acacia
Aloe
Cryptolepsis
Echinacea
Eucalyptus
Garlic
Ginger
Golden Seal
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Honey
Juniper
Licorice
Sage
Usnea
Wormwood
Golden seal and echinacea are both listed on the above list and it is important to know that they are the most over used herbs in the world today. I will discuss them and their therapeutic uses, unfortunately they are often used for conditions that they will not help. This has lead to echinacea in the wild is endangered. It is not easy to grow Echinacea angustifolia even though a couple of farms do, unfortunately it is not enough to meet the demand. Buhner's experience is that angustifolia root is the only herb to use for abnormal pap smear. Echinacea purpurea blossoms can be used for all other conditions where echinacea is indicated. Fortunately, Echinacea purpurea blossoms naturally renew themselves each year.
Golden seal is very expensive and when possible, use alternatives instead since it is so overused. If you need to use it, make sure you use organically grown roots and don't pick from the wild. The only time to pick from the wild is if you are a caretaker of a large population and know for sure that you can harvest golden seal without endangering the wild population.
There's no need to worry if you always grab for echinacea and golden seal when you're sick, I will share some alternatives to use instead. Stay tuned! I will cover the first three herbs on the list more in detail next time. You'll find out how to use them and for what conditions they are traditionally used for.
Source: Herbal Antibiotics by Stephen Harrod Buhner.
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Can Cancer be Prevented? Part 3. Eat Flavonoids
Most of us grew up hearing that we should eat our vegetables because they are good for us. However, it wasn't until the last decade that we realized how important these are in our fight against cancer. We don't need to eat the exotic vegetables, everyday vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, and broccoli contain substances that are more powerful in inhibiting cancer than all the radiation, chemotherapy or cancer surgery together.
According to Doctor Colgan, indoles, coumarins, phenols, aromatic isothiocyanates and isoflavones are some of the flavonoids in produce that have been identified to inhibit cancer cell proliferation. The following information is taken from You Can Prevent Cancer by Michael Colgan, PhD
Indoles
Indoles can be found in vegetables such as cauliflowers, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, and cabbage. The most known is indole-3-carbinol.
60 women at increased risk for breast cancer were participating in placebo-controlled, double-blind doseranging chemo prevention study. Indole-3-carbinol showed to be a promising preventative agent against cancer.
It is important to when to use indole-3-carbinol. Animals that were pretreated with indole-3-carbinol prior to being exposed to carcinogen and continued to take it during exposure to carcinogen, were protected from developing cancerous lesions. The study shows how important to maintain these substances in the body. You see, the animals who didn't receive indole-3-carbinol prior to exposure to the carcinogen did not show any protective effect.
Isothiocyanates
Isothiocyanates are mostly found in cruciferous vegetables. According to Colgan's book, You Can Prevent Cancer, they can block the cancer process by inhibiting carcinogen activation and by accelerating the inactivation of carcinogens.
Coumarins
Turmeric is the most studied herb with coumarins. A study evaluated the chemopreventative effects of curcumin, the most active coumarin, on radiation- induced tumors in rat mammary glands. One control group was fed a basic diet while the other control group was fed a diet containing 1% curcumin. The control group fed curcumin had 28% reduction in tumors while 84% of the other group developed mammary tumors. Other studies also show that curcumin inhibits chemically-induced carcinogenesis of the skin, colon, and stomach.
Phenols
Phenols can be found in edible plants. Black and green tea contains one class of phenols.
If you haven't tried green tea yet I suggest that you try it, it is especially effective against cancer according to Dr. Colgan. Consumption of green tea reduced the lymph node metastases among pre-menopausal women diagnosed with stage 1 and stage II breast cancer. The researchers of this study of 472 patients also reported that an increased consumption of green tea also reduced the recurrence of breast cancer.
Green and black tea both reduced the incidence of tumors in rats diagnosed with esophagus tumors. The group that drank both green and black tea before the exposure to the carcinogen had a 70% reduction of the tumors while the group that was given the tea after the tumor growth had 55% reduction in tumors. As you can see, prevention pays off.
Tea is not just for women, men should drink it to take advantage of its benefits. Research shows that green tea inhibits tumor formation by controlling the ornithine decarboxylase, an enzyme which is high in men with prostate cancer. This enzyme stimulates the growth of normal and tumorigenic prostate cells.
Another class phenols is proanthocyanidins found in pine bark, bilberry leaves, and grape seeds. Not only are they important antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, they also seem to be promising anti-tumor substances according to recent research.
Colgan's book also covers isoflavones found in soy. I am not confident in promoting soy since I don't want to eat it myself, but I just wanted to mention that evidence show that soy isoflavones may inhibit or reduce certain cancers.
There are plenty of flavonoids found in fruit and vegetables. Citrus fruits contain flavonoids for example. Bottom line is, include plenty of fruit and vegetables in your diet.
Related posts:
Source: You Can Prevent Cancer, Michael Colgan, PhD
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Can Cancer be Prevented? Part 2. Eat Carotenoids
We all know that fruit and vegetables are nutritious and contain many nutrients. They play an important role in cancer prevention.
The following information is taken from You Can Prevent Cancer by Michael Colgan, PhD
The 600 identified pigmented compounds responsible for hundreds or red, orange, and yellow leaves in the autumn, were until recently not considered very important to us. Six of these carotenoids have been identified as major players to our health and are considered along with vitamin E as our main fat-soluble antioxidants. These are beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, alpha-carotene, cryptoxhantin, and zeaxanthin.
Animal and human research shows that carotenoids enhance the immune response as well as protect the skin from UV Radiation damage.
Lower cancer risk with a diet high in carotenoids
According to Dr.Colgan in his book, You Can Prevent Cancer, resent research shows that carotenoids have an important anti-cancer function. By increasing the flow of regulatory signals, carotenoids can enhance the communication between cells. Normal cells can use this enhanced communication to talk to cells damaged by carcinogens, this will prevent the damaged cells from turning malignant. This communication also inhibits proliferation of already malignant cells. Our bodies produce malignant cells daily that can proliferate into cancer. According to Colgan's book, carotenoids provide strong protective mechanism to keep these cell under control.
Studies
Cancer research confirms the power of carotenoids. According to 60 recent studies, cancer patients have very low level of carotenoids. It is interesting to note that the lowest risk for numerous types of cancer are the people with the highest blood levels of carotenoids due to high intake of carotenoid-rich vegetables and fruit. For example, the breast cancer risk in women with a family history of breast cancer was dramatically reduced by high levels of beta-carotene and/or lutein and zeaxanthin. High serum levels of total carotenoids in women shows that cervical cancer risk is reduced. Patients with stomach and digestive tract cancers have low beta-carotene levels.
Where to find the carotenoids
Colgan writes that a diet that includes carrots, tomato juice, water melon, pink grapefruit and broccoli provides about 11,000 IU per day of beta-carotene and over 20,000 mcg of other carotenoids. You would only consume 1,000 IU if beta-carotene and 50 mcg of alpha-carotene per day if you eat ice berg lettuce, cabbage, white potato, a pear, and an apple instead. This would not be enough for protection.
Orange juice is not a good choice, but raw fresh oranges are great. Red bell peppers are a lot better than yellow. Pears, plums, and raspberries are low in carotenoids but tomatoes are loaded. Carrots are a good choice while cabbage is not. Romaine lettuce is a good choice while ice berg lettuce is not.
Fruits high in total carotenoids. (mcg/100 grams)
Apricot - 6,665
Grapefruit, Pink - 2,129
Papaya - 1110
Tomato Juice - 9,688
Tomato, cooked - 4,850
Tomato - 3,660
Watermelon - 5,315
Orange - 375
Vegetables high in total carotenoids. (mcg/100 grams)
Broccoli, steamed - 3,265
Spinach - 12,600
Spinach, cooked, - 12,250
Squash, butternut - 5,700
Squash, Zucchini - 2,535
Carrot - 13,500
Kale, steamed - 22,000
Lettuce, Romaine - 3,925
Peppers, red - 2,660
Pumpkin, baked, 7,400
Sweet Potato, baked - 9,500
Colgan says in order to inhibit cancer, research shows that you need higher intake of carotenoids than what can be consumed in a diet. He recommends to include plenty of carotenoids from fruit and vegetables in your diet, and supplement with 20,00-30,000 mcg of mixed carotenoids.
Source: You Can Prevent Cancer, Michael Colgan, PhD
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Can Cancer be Prevented? Part 1.
I ordered Michael Colgan's book, You Can Prevent Cancer a couple of years ago and I decided to read it again the other day. Cancer is a hot topic and if affects a lot of people.
The following information is taken from this book, You Can Prevent Cancer by Michael Colgan, PhD
The following information is taken from this book, You Can Prevent Cancer by Michael Colgan, PhD
In 2000, a major study of 44,788 twins performed by the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm showed that heredity was a minor cause of cancer. Prostate, breast, colorectal and lung cancer were the cancers with a heredity component. 42% of the prostate cancer was genetically influenced while the other three cancers mentioned were 33% genetically influenced. The researchers concluded that the environment is the major cause of cancer. In 2001 the Karolinska Institute after more research was done, stated that most cancers are caused by lifestyle and environmental factors that we have the power to modify. If we have the power influence it, than we can prevent it. European cancer specialists also agreed with the Karolinska Institute.
Robert Hoover of the Us National Cancer also stated:
" From this work has come the widely accepted estimate that 80-90% of human cancer is due to environmental factors"
Even though all these experts agree that many cancers are caused by environmental and lifestyle factors, only 1% of the cancer dollars are spent on prevention. European Cancer Journal compared the large reduction in cancer deaths from cancer prevention programs that targeted environmental causes, with reductions in death from advances in cancer treatments. There was no questions about it, prevention is superior!
It is crazy that so little is spent on prevention when the specialists predict that effective application of prevention could reduce cancer deaths by 29% by 2020. Advances in treatments would only achieve 4%! Simple prevention strategies reduced the cancer deaths by 13%, while screenings, early diagnosis etc only reduced the cancer deaths by 6%.
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Johanna is an aromatherapist and she is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives.
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.
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Clean the Indoor Air with Plants
Plants are amazing air filters
Plants
are amazing and they can be used as air filters in addition to
providing essential oxygen. They are capable of digesting chemical
pollutants that may cause various health problems. Scientists have
studied several plant species to investigate the connection between
certain species and the toxins they are capable of digesting. It was
discovered that English Ivy is effective in consuming benzene while
Boston Fern digests formaldehyde. In the 80's NASA conducted a few
experiences that involved putting plants in a highly polluted
environment that contained several chemical toxins. The level of toxins
were greatly reduced after 24 hours and many of the toxins had been
digested by the plants.
Some plants are more effective than others in filtering the air pollution. These plants make good house plants:
Other plants
Kitchen
herbs and lettuce can also grow indoors in addition to air purifying
plants. I received a great tip a few years ago to plant lettuce seeds
in pots at different times and place them in the kitchen window. This
would make sure that I always would be able to enjoy fresh greens during
the winter since they would be ready to eat at different times.
Improvements
I
admit that I haven't been very good at keeping indoor plants since I
left Sweden, and this is an area that I need to improve in. I don't have
good window sill to place the plants, but it is not an excuse since
many plants don't like direct sun light anyway. I just have to be
creative and find other locations for them instead. We do plant seeds
for the garden inside but as soon as the weather permits they go
outside.
Do you keep any indoor plants?
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Johanna is an aromatherapist and an independent distributor of Young Living Essential Oils She is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives. She also runs Naturally Sports & Wellness together with her husband.
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.
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