Category Archives: Green Living

My little family is very healthy. I credit that to strong immune systems, fortified by healthy whole foods, fresh outdoor air and vitamin D, a daily vitamin supplement (for the picky eaters among us), and our nightly “Bless You’s” (my husband blesses the boys each night by reading Psalm 91 over them and blessing them with good health and happiness).

In spite of all that, we do occasionally get sick. Labor Day weekend we spent recovering from a particularly nasty cold. It started with my oldest and me, and slowly worked its way through the whole family. The two asthmatics suffered the most severe effects, but my husband (not an asthmatic) is still coughing two weeks later. Nasty, nasty stuff.

I put my oldest son and me on an herbal regime as soon as we felt the initial symptoms…..achy body, stuffy heads, scratchy throats. We began drinking ginger tea, mixed with a splash of lemon juice, a spoonful of honey, and a healthy dash of cayenne pepper.  (My littlest two would not cooperate with drinking the hot tea, and I’m a little leery about giving them herbal supplements at their age). Ah, the tea felt so good on the throat……and even my son admitted, not as foul-tasting as he worried it would be. We also started taking vitamin C supplements and a “wellness blend” of herbs sold in our local natural foods store. Within 3 days, we felt nearly better.

My husband wasn’t quite as cooperative. He took the OTC medicines instead. Granted, he couldn’t sleep…….and I’m a firm believer that sleep is one of the most powerful medicines. But like I said, he’s still coughing 2 weeks later!

Comparing the rate at which we improved with how quickly my husband improved (especially considering how different our treatment was) led me to buy a couple of books on herbal medicines:

The Essential Herbal for Natural Health: How to Transform Easy-to-Find Herbs into Healing Remedies for the Whole Family

Herbal Medicine: Trends and Traditions (A Comprehensive Sourcebook on the Preparation and Use of Medicinal Plants)

I’ve always believed that God gave us herbs to treat the body (as evidence, many pharmaceuticals are derived from herbal sources!). In fact, Ezekiel 47:12 says, “And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.” God’s creation can supply many of our medicinal needs.

 The Essential Herbal offers recipes for a variety of concoctions and gives a thorough overview of the different types of medicines one could make (from tinctures to salves) so it’s very practical for a beginner like me. It also offers a whole section on herbal medicine for children, which I think will ease my mind about treating my youngest children with herbal medicines. However, I could easily go bankrupt buying all the herbs and supplies, so I picked two recipes we might need this winter and bought just the herbs to make those (from Mountain Rose Herbs, a very reputable herbal supplier). Herbal Medicine gives an overview of many plants, along with its benefits and typical uses. I look forward to educating myself more about crafting my own herbal medicines……good fall/winter reading!

*FYI – I receive NO compensation for the sale of books from Amazon.com, as Amazon does not offer its associates program in my state. I am simply sharing a couple of good resources with my readers!

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About this time every year, once we finally, RELUCTANTLY give in and turn the heat, they come back. What you may ask? Why, the “Itchy-scratchy-oochies.” That’s the term my oldest coined when he was about 2 years old for that crazy winter-time itch. The kind that drives you to nearly scratch your skin off.  The itch that comes from having every bit of moisture sucked from your skin by the dry heated air we pump into our living spaces. Don’t get me wrong, I love that hot air—I crave it all winter—but it’s a nightmare for your skin. Especially when you tend to have dry skin anyway like everyone in our family. Oh, and the dry, cracked lips and cuticles! Ouch!

One natural moisturizer I’ve discovered lately is coconut oil. It’s not just for cooking….rub a little into your hands at night before going to bed, or just into your cuticles if you don’t like the greasy hand feel during the day. It’s also great for chapped lips. You can also rub coconut oilonto dry heels at night, covering with heavy socks.

I also like to use almond oil at night as a facial moisturizer. A little goes a long way, so use it sparingly. It’s also a good idea to pull your hair back to keep it from getting oily. You can also moisturize dry hands by adding a teaspoon of almond oil to a bowl of warm water, then soaking your hands in it for 15 minutes. Dry your hands, then apply
your favorite hand cream.

If your hands are dry and cracked, rub in aloe vera gel throughout the day to promote healing.

After making your guacamole, save your scooped-out avocado peels to help with dry skin. Rub the inside over your elbows, knees, and heels to moisturize these areas. Rinse with warm water.

If you already have the “Itchy-Scratchy-oochies,” try soaking in an oatmeal bath. The popular store-brand is expensive, but you can make your own easily and on the cheap. Put two cups of old-fashioned rolled oats in your blender and pulverize into powder. Add it to your bath water for an itch-soothing treatment. Once you get out of the tub, apply a moisturizer or body oil while your skin is still damp. This will keep moisture from evaporating from your skin and drying you out further.

Photo courtesy of http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1663

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