Alternative ways to get and stay healthy

I don’t believe I’ve ever told you about my mother-in-law. She’s a lovely lady with a generous heart, a warm smile, and a desire to spoil her grandchildren. She also falls for every wacky health remedy out there. I’ve been told I should eat seven vodka-soaked raisins per day, add a teaspoon of cinnamon to my meatloaf, and other remedies I’ve since forgotten. None of these are harmful, and I suppose it’s possible they’re effective for fixing whatever might ail me.

image by Arun Katiyar

Actually, I’m all in favor of natural remedies and alternative ways of staying healthy. In fact, I have been told that one of the reasons Americans are overweight is because our diet consists of foods that have little true nutrition. If we consistently ate nutrient-dense foods, we would crave less and eat less. I can believe that. In my opinion, natural is always better.

One reason to learn about effective home remedies is because hard times may bring less access to medical doctors and top-notch medical care. If the SurvivalMom in your household has a repertoire of remedies with a stockpile of ingredients, you and your family may find you need to visit a medical doctor less and less. That’s smart planning!

Recently, I met a gal who sells a line of all-natural healthy supplements and teas. I’ve been a big fan of green tea for ages, and her Calli Tea is a tasty combination of green tea with other ingredients. She gladly sends free samples of her Calli Tea to anyone who would like to try it. Wellness and healthy living is part of her lifestyle, and she has passed along some very helpful information to me. Check out her website, Get Whole Food Nutrition.

Another source of all-natural and alternative ways to stay healthy is The Doctor’s Book of Home Remedies. This is just one of many books that catalogs remedies for everything from an upset stomach to a sunburn to general aches and pains. It’s not enough to just have a few remedies memorized. I need an actual reference book because I never know what weird bug or owie my kids will bring home next.

You know, my kids probably think I’m a bit wacky, too, when it comes to home remedies. Just tonight my son mentioned that his back was itchy and said, “Do I have to take an oatmeal bath, mom?” I guess “normal” is just whatever you’re used to! Stay healthy!

(8) Readers Comments

Josh
September 3, 2010 at 6:56 pm

Having some home remedies has always helped me when i haven't had access to "everyday" medicines. Great insight and I think i will start to add to the list again.

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- Hawaii Honey
  September 3, 2010 at 11:07 pm
  
  Please share your list!!!
  
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ravenwolf31
September 4, 2010 at 8:22 pm

I do study herbal medicine, it comes in handy. Basically anything that we eat determines how healthy we are along with exercise.

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LizLong
September 5, 2010 at 7:17 am

I've started a medicinal herbal garden in addition to the regular kitchen herbal garden. It turns out that echinachea will self-seed and grow pretty much like a weed around here. Woo hoo! I've thrown some across the street into an area that's growing wild. If things go badly, having extra echinachea for the neighborhood won't be a bad thing. Maybe I'll toss some berries over there too….

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Linda
September 26, 2010 at 7:41 pm

This year my husband and I worked on improvements in large-scale vegetable gardening, and that will continue for some time, of course. But next Spring,we'll also be adding a basic herb garden with both culinary and medicinal herbs. Garlic, for example, is both. I don't want to be trying to learn to make poltices and tinctures and stuff when I'm stressed out about having enough food to eat and the safety of my family. Better to go ahead and do all I can right now while times are peaceful, and reduce the sharp learning curve a bit for later on. I have a feeling this is one of those things where proficiency might take a while, but every skill acquired now is one you won't have to acquire later.

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- LizLong
  September 27, 2010 at 6:42 am
  
  Garlic is something you can (should?) plant in the fall. I live in zone 8 and it is here. I recently bought tea tree oil on eBay as well. My mother in law is getting some, too – for Christmas. (She'll be happy about it.)
  
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LizLong
October 15, 2010 at 9:07 am

I just found this book listed on Island Heritage's web page. It's HAWAIIAN Herbal Medicine. I know we have several people on here from Hawaii, so I hope this helps you. http://www.amazon.com/Kahuna-Laau-Lapaau-Hawaiian…

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mike
November 22, 2010 at 8:36 am

Does anyone have any ideas where I can find a list of herbs that will grow in the mountains of Western North Carolina?

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