Dr. Mom To The Rescue~ Part 1: Health Care At Home The Natural Way Featuring The Home Apothecary

I'm so excited to share this with you today. This post, in a three part series, has been a work in progress. It comes to you after much study and personal experience.  It's my wish that the information will inspire as well as educate.

I believe that God has not only given us plants as nourishing foods to strengthen and feed our bodies, but I also believe that He has given us the gift of plants for our health and healing. As I've discovered, these plants are to be used with skill, thanksgiving, and respect.

The use of herbs in every day wellness and home health care is very appealing to me. For one thing, I love plants and all that gardening entails. I love having a role in helping people heal. To know and demonstrate through the loving care I give, this gift of "the Healer's Art" isn't something that comes naturally. I want this blessing, especially in my role as a mother; a role I take very seriously. I want to do all in my power to take care of myself and my loved ones. Being self sufficient, knowledgeable, and prepared is something in which I'm constantly engaging in and striving for. Sometimes, I think I was born in the wrong century!

Don't get me wrong. I do appreciate the blessing it is to have modern health care. I am grateful for the services that allopathic  medicine has and will provide for my family. However, I'm finding it a little disgruntling that most medicines seem to mask the symptoms, don't seem to really heal the cause, and leave questionable side effects. Why the focus on disease instead of prevention? That's why I find herbs and natural medicine so appealing. These things are so accessible and affordable for the common man. I'm looking for something that will strengthen, cleanse, nourish, and heal my body. And all that comes proactively, mostly by the things I do on a daily basis: what I feed myself and my family and the ways in which we honor and treat these bodies.

So, let's get down to the nitty gritty, shall we? May I present to you a little bit of what I do in my home to bring this about:

The Herbal Wellness Pantry or the Home Apothecary

This is my new shelf (the one that almost broke my foot ) that I've organized in the last few days. Can I tell you how much I love this new kitchen addition?

Top Shelf:

~small lidded basket for the essential oils I use in the diffuser, in homemade household cleaners, ones that are handier in the kitchen.

~mortar and pestle to grind herbs, flowers, spices.

~wooden bowl with muslin bags used in herbal baths.

~White clay for facial masks, bath salts.

~Poppy seeds: culinary use, facial scrub.

~Marshmallow Root: used in teas for sore throats, diarrhea, constipation, bronchial inflammation.

~Calendula flower petals: used in soap making, hair rinse, nourishing and soothing for skin.

Middle Shelves:

~Dried Elderberries: used in infection fighting/immune strengthening syrup.

~Catnip: used to help bring down a fever, calming and sedative/ digestive aid tea.

~Dried Rosehips: high in antioxidants, vitamin C, iron; used in infection fighting/immune strengthening syrup.

~Echinacea: used in infection fighting/immune strengthening syrup, tinctures, capsulated.

~Comfrey: amazing tissue and bone healer used in poultices, burn ointment and skin salves.

~Cinnamon sticks: warming to the body in hot drinks, used in infection fighting/immune strengthening syrup.

~Whole Cloves: warming to the body in hot drinks, used in infection fighting/immune strengthening syrup.

~BF&C (Dr. Christopher's Bone, Flesh, and Cartilage formula) used is fomentation or teas  (soaking) for injured or damaged tissue or bone.

~Calcium Tea: a blend of nettles, oatstraw, horsetail (a whole food based absorbable form of calcium and other minerals I drink as a tea to strengthen my bones)

~Lavender: used aromatically in pillows, sachets, in bath water. Aids in alleviating stress, tension, insomnia.

~Bay Leaf: culinary and aromatic uses.

~Chamomile: used as a tea for treating colic, nervousness, infections, digestion. Also nice addition to the bath. Can be used as an eye wash for conjunctivitis (pink eye).

~Peppermint: my favorite tea. Helpful herb for digestion, stomach cramps, nausea, stimulant herb.

~Yarrow: used in a hot tea or bath water to help induce sweating and lowering fevers. Can be applied to cuts or wounds to disinfect and stop bleeding.

~Red Raspberry leaf: wonderful tonic herb to aid and regulate women's reproductive system, high in iron; helpful in times of sickness and fever.

~Cayenne: powerful and stimulating to the circulatory system by equalizing the blood pressure. Will stop bleeding if sprinkled on a wound, as well as stop a bloody nose (take 1/4-1 t. in a glass of water, or capsule or tincture dropperful). also an aid in shock (same procedure as bloody nose) and head ache. Energy bringer (I take some before I go running; great endurance and speed help in my races). Used in ointment that we have in the first aid kit. You get used to the kick after time.    

~Slippery Elm: inner bark powder helpful for soothing inflammation, burn, sore throat or cough (used in homemade lozenges) diarrhea (mix a tablespoon with a bit of oatmeal in a gruel), constipation. 

~Mustard powder: used as poultice for respiratory issues or in bath water when there's a fever (sweat inducing).

Other things I store in my kitchen:

~fresh garlic cloves: super infection fighter and antiseptic, stimulating to the immune and circulatory systems. Used in poultices, infused in olive oil to rub on lymph nodes, chest, feet. Eaten raw.

~ginger root: very helpful made in a tea for stomach and digestion disorders; very warming to the body, helpful in inducing a sweat (fevers).

~fresh lemons: used in a tea with honey and ginger root when feeling ill. Cleansing to the body, especially the liver.

~apple cider vinegar: used in washing the body (diluted) after breaking a sweat when fevering.

~raw honey: taken (not those under 1 year old) by the spoonful (or simmered with onions in a natural cough syrup, used in immune strengthening/infection fighting syrups. Helpful for seasonal allergies.

~onions: will break up congestion when baked or sauteed and then placed as a poultice on chest.



Herb Drying Rack: (All grown and harvested from my garden!)

~Thyme: infection/fever tea

~Marjoram: culinary (Italian seasoning blend)

~Stevia: homegrown sweetener

~Lavender: I can't seem to grow enough.

~Lemon Balm: sedative, calming, and anti- depressive herb used in teas or bath soaks.

~Oregano: infection fighter, culinary (Italian seasoning blend).

Stay tuned for tomorrow's Part 2: The Tackle Box First Aid and Wellness Kit and Thursday's Part 3: Essential Oils in the Home