Medicine Cabinet in your Pantry Thursdays: MYO Cough Syrup

PIC CREDIT

IT'S that time again....COLD & FLU season!! The hacking and coughing upper respiratory junk has hit my household this morning with a vengeance! So I pull out my YUMMY Cough/Sore Throat Syrup Ingredients and whip this up!



 It contains only 5 ingredients and we all pretty much keep these on hand

Teach Me Tuesday: How to MYO Garlic Olive Oil Remedy

You know the symptoms:

• Ear pain, fever, fullness in the ear, hearing problems, or malaise {A general feeling of discomfort, illness, or uneasiness whose exact cause is difficult to identify.} 

AHHHH man, I think I am getting something....

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These are some of the common signs of an ear infection & unfortunately ear infections are often ignored at the onset as adults we expect them to wane with time. And as is the case with my toddler son who can't tell me what he is feeling I can usually tell by observation he is tugging at his ear, it is red, he is emotional, listless-then I know something is going on with his ears and grab the TNT remedies in my house...GARLIC & Olive Oil....crazy? 

If you have read my "Teach Me Tuesdays" posts you will remember my many posts on this, here are the links of some I mention Garlic Olive Oil: Onion-Garlic-Ginger Poultice, Garlic Oil for Ear Aches, When to Say When,  & Medicine Cabinet in Your Fridge/Pantry. And as often as I have sited the benefits of Garlic Infused Olive Oil- I have yet to post the remedy I use for ears...

GARLIC OLIVE OIL

I have often wondered the science behind the remedy and read this here "It has been used as a natural analgesic for ear infections for centuries. It works by soothing the walls of the outer ear and providing a layer of protection against bacterial infections."

Analgesic Garlic Olive Ear Ache OIl:

Sterilize the dropper bottle and the dropper by boiling in water for 15 minutes. Remove and allow to air dry.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/276872-how-to-heal-an-ear-infection-with-garlic-oil/#ixzz2D4iT18aL

• Peel & smash 4-6 cloves garlic and place in pan with 1/2 C Olive Oil. 
• Heat olive oil for 5-7 minutes over low heat. You do not have to cook the garlic; the purpose of heating it is to mix the garlic oil with olive oil. 
• Sterilize glass jar in boiling water for 10-15 min and allow to dry thoroughly 
• Cool oil to room temp, at this point you can garlic & oil allow to sit at room temp for one week to make a stronger infusion.
• Pour and strain the infused oil into a small glass container. 
• Label with date & store in fridge

* I keep for no longer than 8 weeks-- if it is close to expiration date I will cook with it.

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How I use the oil:

1. Heat a pan of water and place jar of Garlic oil in water to heat gently. Check on wrist never use warmer than body temp, this just takes the chill of from being in fridge.
2. With a sterilized ear dropper,  drop a few drops of this oil into the sore ear. 
3. Massage with lymphatic drainage movements found in this post
4. After a few minutes, plug the ear with a cotton ball. 
5. The next morning, cleanse the ear with hydrogen peroxide. 
6. Keep the cotton in your ear for the entire day, and repeat the oil treatment at night. 

This ear remedy provides immediate comfort and heals ear infections in a day or two. If garlic is not readily available, you can also use onion juice or cinnamon infused olive oil.

* Disclaimer I am not officially trained in homeopathic remedies or the medical profession, just a mom trying to keep my family healthy and use natural & non-chemical options as much as possible. All posts are my family's journey into the natural remedies use at own discretion- caution and common sense should be applied when trying any natural alternatives.

 **If ear has pus, bloody discharge, or has fever over 102 seek professional help immediately.

Teach Me Tuesday: When Ambition takes the backseat to LIFE...

{Found this draft from back in March 2012, I just hadn't posted it} 

I had so many ambitions, as last week was so chock full of appointments, tests, and procedures- I was looking forward to catching up on household chores, Kissi-cat's homeschooling, mini-moose' therapy and more ambitious whole foods cooking. It really takes time to, planning, and prep to cook more traditionally and I look forward to the process of it {Just NOT the clean up}

Then it all came to a screeching halt as I heard the rumblings  & rattlings & hacking & coughing, sure signs of upper respiratory inflammation starting up in Kissi-cat. Mini-moose has had congestion and sinus issues since last Wed, didn't know if they would precede with his MRI since he had to be sedated, but they were able to work out a good situation for him. But now his nose is draining like a faucet down his face and Kiss-cat is draining down her throat.

There comes a time, when you have to choose to allow somethings to go undone when you are needed by children or situations happen outside of your control. It kills me to not reach my goals for the day even if that just means washing the dishes, I LOVE my children, it might sound the opposite because I am giving myself permission to hold a sick child versus doing chores. Yet, I had to mentally give myself permission to leave somethings undone,  so we had store bought egg noodles instead my homemade version. I usually keep some in the pantry just in case, now this might be a cop out, if I didn't have it I wouldn't rely on it? Perhaps, I am not that hard core though, and there are times when life happens and ambition takes the backseat, you know? I hope to make homemade pasta when I make Spaghetti Bolaganse this weekend, but we will see, I do have store bought pasta in my pantry-some shapes you just can't make or roll thin enough.

In the past we would rush to the doctor who would say the same thing, use Vick's Vapor Rub on chest, back and bottoms of feet, use humidifier, elevate her pillows, elevate her bed, restrict dairy and phlegm causing food.  IF they get all croupy take outside for them to catch their breath, or turn the shower on full blast and all hot to get extreme steam to help clear the air ways...

All drainage is clear so I am not going to rush them to the doctor's and risk them getting some other bug... This time I am mustering up my courage and tapping into my mother's intuition, instead of allowing fear of ridicule from others keep me from making choices I know are right for my family. In any case the doctor would not offer much else than I have all ready heard dozens of time before.

I have been interested in alternative medicine for as long as I can remember &  have made a "lung butter" or a salve like the "Vick's" only not synthetic ingredients and petroleum to get ingested into their developing systems along with the trace amounts of essential oils. So this time I utilized my years of research and applied what I have learned. Below is some remedies I have used time and time again and some new ones I have had in my files for years but only used recently:

Here is a list of Essential oils and the medicinal effects or issues they work best for:

• Asthma: clary sage, cypress, eucalyptus, frankincense and marjoram.
• Chesty cough: Cedarwood, clary sage, eucalyptus, ginger, myrrh, pine and tea tree.
• Hay fever: chamomile, eucalyptus, pine and rose otto.
• Sinusitis/catarrh: cajeput, Cedarwood, eucalyptus, lemon, rosemary and tea tree.
• Headaches: chamomile, lavender and peppermint.
• Insomnia: chamomile, lavender, jasmine and ylang ylang.

* DIY Vick's Vapor Rub:
Adapted this recipe from An Encyclopedia of Natural Healing for Children and Infants, by Mary Bove, N.D. page 286.

• Pour 1 ounces of almond or olive oil into a small bowl or cup.
• Add 1/2 Ounce Melted Coconut oil
• Add 1/2 ounce whipped unrefined shea butter-can omit and just use 1 oz melted coconut oil, I just like the softer texture of whipped unrefined shea butter
• Add 20 drops of essential oil {You want to use 10 drops TOTAL of oil per 2 ounces if you are using this on small children and infants} – choose eucalyptus, hyssop, thyme, peppermint,  basil, or rosemary.
• {I use 5 drops of tea tree, 4 drops hyssop, 4 drops peppermint, 3 drops lavender, & 3 Drops rosemary plus 1/8t of myrrh powder. This formula works well on my children, 10 drops didn't seem to do enough and 20 was too strong for Kissi-cat's sensitive skin}

Transfer to clean sanitized tin and allow to cool, apply to chest, feet and back you normally would.

 I also have been giving Kiss-cat & Mini-Moose some tea, this tea is soo good and as long Kissi-cat doesn't see the grated ginger, pulp of lemons, and it is sweet she will gladly drink it- Mini-moose is a crap-shoot. Here is the Ginger-Lemon Tea recipe:

* Ginger Lemon Tea w/Raw Honey: This is my version of a tea I enjoyed drinking when I was fighting extreme nausea during some fertility treatments. I found out later the other medicinal qualities of the ingredients and we drink this when we are starting to feel under the weather- 

• Ginger is another traditional cold and flu remedy, & works well for that rattly cough that lingers because it  contains at least a dozen antiviral compounds. You can use fresh or powdered ginger for this recipe- I really don't think the compounds are as vital when they u purchase the dried, unless u have a reliable source, PLEASE NOTE:  Fresh ginger has higher levels of gingerol {If you want to know what gingerol is: chemically, gingerol is a relative of capsaicin and piperine, the compounds which give chilli peppers and black pepper their respective spiciness, this is LOST when using dried version!} as well as FRESH ginger’s active protease (it's anti-inflammatory compound) than using dried verions-FRESH IS ALWAYS BEST!!
• Lemon is a traditional sore throat soother, essential from all that hacking and coughing- so I steep the lemon slices, or if I have rinds in freezer I add them

To make the tea:
Add 1 heaping teaspoon of grated fresh ginger (or 1/2 teaspoon powdered),
3 slices of organic lemons,
To 1 cup of boiling water. 
Allow to steep COVERED for ten minutes
Strain {OR add the above to a tea ball and just remove at the end of 10 min}
Add Raw Honey to taste-then drink. 

If I am fortunate enough to have Licorice Root or Wild Cherry Bark I will add to my tea ball. They work well as a medicinal tea:

• 1t of dried licorice root- a natural throat coat, an expectorant to help keep your lungs clear and a booster to your energy when you are tired from coughing.
• 1t wild cherry bark- for irritating cough from bronchitis, croup, asthma and whooping cough b/c of it's Anti-spasmodic; Sedative; Anti-tussive; Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ( COPD ), Expectorant, Supports lung and respiratory function, Antispasmodic, Expectorant, Sedative, &  Stomach Tonic.

Onion-Garlic-Ginger Poultice: WHY USE  onion, garlic and Ginger?
* Onion is filled with phytochemical and quercetin which assist the body by moving and breaking up the mucus in the head and chest. The powerful odor causes the eyes to tear and the nose to run is the affect that stimulates the immune system to fight the virus or bacterial infection. This is helping your body shed the virus and reduce the inflammation from congestion.
*Garlic is known to have strong antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties… and there are no known side effects (other than smelling like garlic!), getting kids to eat this raw or adults for that matter is impossible, so using it as poultice works for my family.
*Ginger has antiviral and anti-inflammatory compounds as listed above

• Crush 1/2 of a small onion, 3-6 cloves of garlic in a mortar and pestle  or with knife to get all juicy 
• Grate or slice thinly 2 T FRESH ginger.  
• Place in a thin material, cheese cloth, old t-shirt, I use the thin cloth diapers I used as burb clothes on kids when they were babies (these are the perfect thinness) and fold like a burrito
• lay in a deep medium bowl
• And pour Very Warm-Hot'ish water, NOT BOILING
• Allow to Steep until comfortably warm.

I rub a neutral oil, like sweet almond seed, jojoba on the skin prior to poultice as a protector of the natural secretions check often because garlic and ginger can be very warm to skin and will cause a "burn". 

I apply the poultice to the foot of my young children. The foot is a great receptor of natural remedies and the healing properties enter their systems fast. I will sometimes wrap a plastic bag over the foot to aid in keeping the poultice in place, checking every 2 min for skin irritations or hot spots. I will also apply to back and chest alternating up to 20 min, some people will suggest up to 60 min, since my kids are so young we don't apply this longer than 20 min.

Additional Remedies I found online and lost the resources but this we recently tried and I am liking the way it is seems to help soothe my throat: 
 

* Sore Throat Gargle with Hyssop or Sage:
Sage & Hyssop are traditionally calming herbs & known for their 
anti-inflammatory properties

• One cup of distilled water 
• 20 Drops sage or hyssop essential oil 
• Add 1/8 teaspoon of salt
• 2 t Food Grade Vegetable glycerin {My family won't use this without the sweetened taste glycerin gives the gargle solution, plus it helps preserve it longer}

 Store in the refrigerator for two to three days, gargling whenever you need some relief from your sore throat. [Not sure where I got this recipe, but have been using it and adapting to my family's tastes for years-kids haven't been able to gargle without swallowing so primarily this is for adults]

* Lemon Throat Spray:  is a traditional sore throat soother, and you can put into a spray bottle of any size (look for travel-size spray bottles to take some with you when you're on the go) and stored in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Combine:

• 15 drops lemon essential oil
• 5 drops peppermint essential oil
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 2 t food grade vegetable glycerin (again my family won't use this if it's not sweetened, so this is a must, it slightly sweetens and helps the taste)

[Found this in my files a few months back, not sure of where I got this, but we have been using this and it is very soothing.]

Teach me Tuesdays: Onion Garlic & Ginger Poultices

All weekend I have been using onion,garlic, and ginger poultices on the children,

PIC From this site

1. Applying a light coating of EVOO on backs, chests, and feet. to protect delicate preschooler/toddler skin. 
2. I sliced an onion, smashed up 3 cloves of fresh garlic, and grated 3 T fresh ginger 
3. Placed in pan with a little water.
4. Saute on low until veg starts to steam and very warm--do NOT over-cook, only open up juices and enzymes, really heating up a light simmer.
5. Then I placed the mixture in a thin cotton cloth (old dipes not ever used as dipes, the old fashioned kind you had to fold into a prefold shape)
6. Wrapping like a burrito.

I placed on back for up to 10-15 min as long as Kissi-cat let me, checking skin every 2min garlic can cause burns. I placed other poultices on chest and foot I placed a qt size freezer bag over to hold in place. Mini-moose wouldn't allow me longer than 2 min of application.

TEACH ME TUESDAYS: GARLIC OIL FOR EAR ACHES

Back in March we were desieged with all kinds of sickeness, both kids had earaches left and right.

After my daughter woke up screaming one morning I went to the Medicine Cabinet in my pantry and to grab my EVOO,  then I remembered I had made garlic infused EVOO and had it in my fridge, 24 oz to be exact... 

pic from this site

I heated up a mug of water then placed a smaller cup inside w/a small amount of garlic infused EVOO, when it got to a nice temp I tested it on the inner part of my wrist. 

Using a dropper I placed 1-2 drops it in my daughter's ear and did a lymphatic drainage massage 

• within 5 minutes she was calm and wanted to sit up on my lap, 
• within 10 min she was asking for some water to drink...
• within 20 she was up and playing with her dollies...

So began my first steps towards using alternative practices to help me kids

Lymphatic Drainage massage in for earaches:

1. First, have the person lay on his or her side with the aching ear facing upward.
2. Next put the ear drops (garlic oil, onion juice, colloidal silver, etc.) in the ear. 
3. Grasp the lower part of the ear and begin stretching and massaging it. This helps the remedy reach the eardrum and begins the process of lymphatic drainage.
4. Finally, after a few minutes of massaging the ear, begin using a "milking" technique to increase lymphatic drainage in the neck and throat. 
5.  Place your finger in the indentation just under the ear and behind the jawbone. 
6. Gently stroke the neck downward from this point. 
7. Gently massage the lymph nodes in the throat area, too. 
8. You'll know what they are because you'll feel hardened, lumpy areas in the neck and throat. These movements will dramatically increase the flow of lymph moving away from the ear.
9. If the first round of this procedure doesn't completely relieve the pain, be patient. Just keep repeating the same process once every hour or so.

Teach Me Tuesday: Medicine Cabinet in Your Refriderator! Egg whites for burns and Fever Reductions

This is a great remedy for reducing fevers and for burns, believe it or not! 

 Most times I allow fevers to take there course as fevers are your body's way of eliminating toxins, but there are times when I must reduce that fever rapidly, so I posting TNT remedies I have tried myself and on my family members: 

I have tried it on a bad burn I got from the oven, 

I also used a lavender and extra virgin coconut oil salve I keep in the kitchen for such things.  

The EVCO lavender salve numbs it instantly. 

 

 

 

 

The egg white remedy I got from  EHow

• 4 eggs
• 1 small white onion
• 1 T. of apple cider vinegar
• Socks
• 2 washcloths or handkerchiefs- I used old diapers I only used for burp clothes not pre folds but the thin ones you would have to fold into pre folds, perfect texture for linnets clothes

1- Separate the yokes from the egg whites carefully and discard the yoke.  

2- Chop the white onion finely and mix the pieces into the egg whites.  

3- Add 1 T. of apple cider vinegar and stir gently.  

4- Soak the handkerchiefs or washcloths in the mixture. While a bit messy, you want the cloth to be dripping with the liquid allowing plenty of absorption into the skin. Be sure some of the onion pieces remain on one side of the washcloths or handkerchiefs.  

5- Wrap the washcloths or handkerchiefs around your feet with the onion touching the skin and place socks over the cloths. This natural remedy will quickly pull the temperature down to your feet, where it can do no bodily harm, naturally relieving a fever.

Monitor the fever carefully to watch for changes. Reapply the soaked cloths to the feet if the fever begins to return.

Tips & Warnings

• Egg whites are also a natural and helpful way to reduce pain and scarring from burns. Coat the affected area with a light layer of egg whites, and reapply once dry. You will feel instant relieve from the heat of the burn.
• If the fever reaches above 104 degrees Fahrenheit and does not break, see a doctor.
• I would coat the foot in light neutral oil to protect a child's skin before I applied the mixture and wrap in plastic wrap to further press the cloth into skin and help with the mess a bit, 
• Plus lay a towel under the feet to protect from egg white contamination issues even with socks on I would still lay a towel under the feet...