Herbal and Natural Remedies For Colds And Flu

Herbal remedies have stood the test of time, whereas many of the patent medicines currently in use have only been around for a few years - who can tell what the long term effects will be?

The more scientific among you will be pleased to see that we have backed up our findings with numerous links to peer-reviewed scientific papers. Herbal remedies are not just folk tales, but more and more are being discovered by science to have tremendous potential!

Honey Lemon Ginger Cinnamon Tea

An easy-to-prepare, soothing, fun and delicious traditional cold remedy. Use fresh, organic ingredients and raw local honey for best results:

1 teaspoon honey.
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.
A few slices of fresh lemon.
A few thin slices of fresh ginger.
I typically slice the lemon and ginger straight into a mug, fill with boiling water then mix in the honey and the cinnamon and let steep for a few minutes. If you wish to filter out the bits or make more than 1 cup, I would suggest preparing in a small pan. Measure the "right amount" of water by pouring fresh water in to the pan from the mugs you are going to be using - then boil the water and switch off the heat before adding the other ingredients. Pour through a tea strainer.

Garlic

Belief in the healing qualities of Garlic is widespread. Most people use it in cuisine, however it is often considered to have medicinal benefits - typically being regarded as a blood cleanser, tonic and as a remedy for colds and flu.

Although often fried in food, it can also be steamed (5-7 minutes) which will preserve the nutrients better, or eaten raw if you are feeling brave! For those who do not like the smell it is possible to get capsules of garlic oil.

Despite the popularity of garlic and the tradition of use against colds, science is as yet far from convinced of its effectiveness: A UK study on 146 volunteers from 2001 found garlic effective in preventing colds, however many more recent studies are critical - returning a verdict of "insufficient evidence".

Feverfew

There is a growing body of research to support the traditional "multipurpose" use of Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium L.) for many ailments - especially the treatment of fevers and colds - but also others including migraine headaches, rheumatoid arthritis, stomach aches, toothaches, insect bites, infertility, problems with menstruation and labor during childbirth, psoriasis, allergies, asthma, tinnitus, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.

Feverfew has been in use since ancient times, being known to early European and Greek herbalists and is widely cultivated around the world.

Eucalyptus Oil

Eucalyptus oil has been well known for its antiseptic qualities for some time. It is even reported to be diffused in hospitals in Australia - which is interesting as the most recent research has found it active in vitro against some serious pathogens - notably "hospital-aquired staph" MRSA, E coli and other nasties.

Common ways to use eucalyptus include using an oil diffuser, or in steam - notably by putting a few drops on the floor of the shower (be careful not to make it slippery if the floor is smooth!), or putting a few drops in a bowl of very hot water and breathing the steam. If you have a cold, steam can help with congestion, helping clear the nose. 


Source: http://www.herbs-info.com/natural-remedies-for-colds-and-flu.html

How to Make Organic Lotion Bars at Home

wellnessmama.com

I’ve finally reached a point where I make all of our toiletry products by hand. I’ve saved a lot of money doing this with bulk ingredients, and I love that I’m not putting any chemicals on my family’s skin. (Finally even replaced my make-up with homemade versions)

I’ve made lotion in the past, but was excited to stumble on this great variation, which is solid at room temperature and looks like a bar of soap. It is also even easier to make than lotion because it doesn’t require any emulsifying with water, which is the tough step. These are solid at room temperature like a bar of soap, but when rubbed on the skin, a tiny amount melts and is transferred to the skin, leaving a highly moisturizing and very thin layer.

There are endless variations on this lotion bar recipe too. You could add any mixture of essential oils, or add zinc oxide to make a diaper rash bar. I’ve also modified for a deodorant bar that is more like stick deodorant (that recipe coming soon) and travels well. I’m infusing oil for a neosporin imitation bar and my homemade sunscreen bars are drying now (I’ll post those too!).

These are fun presents, and could be made for baby shower gifts, birthdays, Christmas gifts, or for pregnant moms to use to prevent stretch marks. Did I mention it is super easy?

The Ingredients:

• 1 part coconut oil
• 1 part shea butter, cocoa butter or mango butter (or a mix of all three equal to 1 part) 
• 1 part beeswax (can add an extra ounce or two if you want a thicker consistency, which leaves less lotion on the skin when used)
• Optional: Vitamin E oil to preserve. I added 1 tsp vitamin E oil for  this recipe made with 1 cup of each ingredient)

This recipe can be adjusted to make any quantity that you’d like. I made with 1 part=1 cup so I used 1 cup of coconut oil, 1 cup beeswax and 1/3 cup each of shea butter, cocoa butter and mango butter (though I could have used 1 cup of any of the individual ones). I also added about 50 drops of lavender essential oil. I set them in silicon baking cups though any mold or shape would work. The recipe I used made exactly 12 lotion bars.

How to Make:

-Combine all ingredients (except essential oils if using) in a double boiler, or a glass bowl over a smaller saucepan with 1 inch of water in it. UPDATE: Combine in a quart size glass mason jar with a lid instead and place this in a small saucepan of water until melted. This will save your bowl and you can just designate this jar for these type of projects and not even need to wash it out…

-Turn the burner on and bring water to a boil. Stir ingredients constantly until they are melted and smooth:

-lotion bars recipe How to Make Lotion Bars Remove from heat and add the essential oils.

-Gently stir by hand until essential oils are incorporated.

-Carefully pour into molds or whatever you will be allowing the lotion bars to harden in. I used these silicon baking cups, though any mold would work.

-Allow the lotion bars to cool completely before attempting to pop out of molds. These could be made in different shaped molds for different holiday gifts (hearts for valentines, flowers for Mother’s day, etc.) or made in a square baking pan and then cut into actual bars.

Super Easy and only three ingredients! Ever used a lotion bar? Will you make these? Share below!

Source: wellnessmama.com

Enzyme Found in Pineapples Can Cure Cancer

Image: RawForBeauty

Every once in a while a study pops up on the National Library of Medicine’s bibliographic database known as MEDLINE that not only confirms the therapeutic relevance of natural substances in cancer treatment, but blows the conventional approach out of the water. Published in 2007 in the journal Planta Medica, researchers found that an enzyme extracted from pineapple stems known as bromelain was superior to the chemo-agent 5-fluorauracil in treating cancer in the animal model.

The researchers stated:

“This antitumoral effect [bromelain] was superior to that of 5-FU [5-fluorouracil], whose survival index was approximately 263 %, relative to the untreated control.”

What is so remarkable about this research is that 5-FU has been used as a cancer treatment for nearly 40 years, and has been relatively unsuccessful due to its less than perfect selectivity at killing cancer, often killing and/or irreversibly damaging healthy cells and tissue, as well.

As a highly toxic, fluoride-bound form of the nucleic acid uracil, a normal component of RNA, the drug is supposed to work by tricking more rapidly dividing cells — which include both cancer and healthy intestinal, hair follicle, and immune cells — into taking it up, thereby inhibiting (read: poisoning) RNA replication enzymes and RNA synthesis.

The material safety data sheet (MSDS) for 5-FU states:

The dose at which 50% of the animals given the drug die is 115mg/kg, or the equivalent of 7.8 grams for a 150 lb adult human.

Keep in mind that a 7.5 gram dose of 5-FU, which is the weight of 3 pennies, would kill 50% of the humans given it. Bromelain’s MSDS, on the other hand, states the LD50 to be 10,000 mg/kg, or the equivalent 1.5 lbs of bromelain for a 150lb adult, which means it is 3 orders of magnitude safer!

How then, can something as innocuous as the enzyme from the stem/core of a pineapple be superior to a drug that millions of cancers patients over the past 40 years have placed their hopes of recovery on, as well as exchanging billions of dollars for?

There is a well-known effect associated with a wide range of natural compounds called “selective cytotoxicity,” whereby they are able to induce programmed cell death (the graceful self-disassembly known as apoptosis) within the cancer cells, while leaving healthy cells and tissue unharmed. No FDA-approved chemotherapy drug on the market today has this indispensable property (because chemicals don’t have behave like natural compounds), which is why cancer treatment is still in the dark ages, often destroying the quality of life, and accelerating the death of those who undergo it, often unwittingly. When a person dies following conventional cancer treatment it is all too easy to “blame the victim” and simply write that patient’s cancer off as “chemo-resistant,” or “exceptionally aggressive,” when in fact the non-selective nature of the chemotoxic agent is what ultimately lead to their death.

Keep in mind that bromelain, like all natural substances, will never receive FDA drug approval. Capital, at the present time, does not flow into the development of non-patentable (i.e. non-profitable) cancer therapies, even if they work, are safe and extremely affordable. This is simply the nature of the beast. Until we compel our government to utilize our tax dollars to invest in this type of research, there will be no level playing field in cancer treatment, or any treatment offered through the conventional medical establishment, for that matter. Or, some of us may decide to take our health into our own hands, and use the research, already freely available on possible natural cancer treatment, to inform our treatment decisions without the guidance of the modern day equivalent of the “priest” of the body, the conventional oncologist, who increasingly fills the description of an “applied pharmacologist/toxicologist” – nothing more, nothing less.

Source: greenmedinfo.com
rawforbeauty.com

How to Make Natural Makeup at Home

WellnessMama.com

Image: wellnessmama.com

I get a lot of questions about natural makeup options, and this was definitely one of the tougher things for me to find natural alternatives for. In college, I practically collected makeup, and had endless tubes and compacts of makeup that never even got half used.

While there are some good natural alternatives that you can buy (see list below), the cheapest, easiest and most natural way is to just make your own, and you might have all of the ingredients in your kitchen already!

Natural Skin Care

What you do to your skin before you use makeup is just as important as the makeup you use and there are some great natural options for skin care.

Personally, I’m a microfiber convert, and only use microfiber products with natural silver fibers (antibacterial) for washing my face and for make-up removal. This is truly the most natural option you can use, since you don’t even need soap (and microfiber is great for baby too… no chemicals to irritate skin!).

For deeper cleansing and moisturizing, I’ve also use the oil cleansing method, which leaves skin very soft and smooth. You can also use a natural sugar scrub (equal parts sugar and natural oil) or natural microdermabrasion (baking soda) to make skin look younger.

With proper skin care, the skin will be naturally healthy and you won’t even need to wear makeup most of the time. Most days, I skip the makeup altogether, but  when I do wear it, these are the recipes I use:

Natural Foundation

Homemade Option: At the recommendation of a friend who had used cocoa powder for natural bronzer, I started experimenting with natural foundation options, and came up with a recipe similar to a mineral make-up, though lighter, and smoother…

I start with a base of arrowroot powder (can also use cornstarch, but arrowroot works better) and then slowly add in cocoa powder and finely ground cinnamon powder until you get a shade close to your skin tone. You can then store in a jar or old powder container and use a brush to apply. It took me a few tries of mixing to get the color correct for my skin tone, but most days, a quick brush of this is all I need.

If you want to make it a more solid base so that only a little sticks to the brush, use a few drops of essential oil or vodka to mix with the powder and push down in a compact. This will make it hard like a regular compact.

I’ve thought about adding this combination to some homemade lotion to make a liquid foundation but haven’t tried it yet.

Commercial Options: If making makeup isn’t your thing but you still want some natural options, there are a few good choices. No commercial choice is as natural as the homemade option, but they are a tremendous improvement over any conventional options! Dr. Haushcka Translucent Foundation is the most natural liquid foundation I’ve found and my skin reacted well to it. I also loved Nvey Eco Liquid Foundation. I’ve also used Nvey Creme Foundation which is thicker and is mainly great as a concealer or under-eye cover.

For powdered foundation, my favorite one I’ve tried is Aubrey Organics Silken Earth which doesn’t have titanium dioxide like many of the mineral make-ups and which has almost completely natural ingredients.

Natural Bronzer/Blush

Homemade Option: Similar to above, natural bronzer and blush can be easily made with a base of arrowroot and by adding more cocoa powder and cinnamon to get a darker shade. I’ve also tried powdering dried beet root (in the dehydrator) or dried hibiscus flowers to add a pink tone which works well as long as you can very finely powder them. Store in a shaker make-up container or an old compact.

Commercial Options: For natural blush, I love Aubrey Organic Silken Blush or Nvey Eco Powdered Blush.

Natural Eye Liner and Shadow

Homemade Options:Always be careful when using any products, even natural ones, near the eyes. I mix up several colors of eye shadow using cocoa powder (brown shades) Spirulina (green shades) and arrowroot (light shades). My favorite is just cocoa powder with a tiny bit of arrowroot mixed in for smoothness.

For eye-liner, I either use a tiny bit of cocoa powder mixed with coconut oil, or a tiny dab or activated charcoal on a slightly damp brush. Be careful not to get either one in the eye. I store the eye shadow in an old powdered eye shadow container and apply with my finger or a very slightly damp brush.

To make a smoother eyeliner, I mix equal parts of coconut oil and cocoa butter (about 1/2 ounce of each) and add about 1/2 tsp of activated charcoal to make a black eyeliner that is thicker. You can also do this with cocoa powder for a brown hue.

Commercial Options: Nvey Eco Powdered Eyeliner is the best I’ve used so far and is almost completely natural.

Natural Mascara

Homemade Option: I don’t wear mascara most days, but when I want a natural option, it is an easy one to make. In a small bowl, I just mix a few drops of Aloe Vera Gel from Mountain Rose Herbs, a couple drops of Vitamin E oil, and a pinch of activated charcoal (not very precise… I know). I mix it up as I use it, though you could also make and store in an old mascara container or in a small jar and just clean the mascara wand between uses. I brush it on with a clean mascara brush, or even a used Bass Toothbrush from OraWellness.

Commercial Options: The two natural ones I’ve tried and love are Nvey Eco Mascara and Organic Wear Natural.

Supplements for Skin Care

I’m firmly convinced that what you put into your body is just as important, if not more so, than what you put on it when it comes to skin health. I used to have terrible acne and since changing my diet and supplements, I don’t break out at all and my past scars have healed. The supplements that seemed to have made the biggest difference in skin health for me are:

• Fermented Cod Liver Oil- for the Vitamins A, D and K, Omega-3s and Antioxidants, all which are great for the skin.
• Gelatin – Which is a pre-cursor for collagen and has made my hair, skin and nails noticeably stronger and smoother (great for cellulite too).
• Magnesium- An anti-inflammatory and lacking in many people’s diets. Topical Magnesium Oil seems to be the most effective for skin health.

I’ve also switched to using microfiber for cleaning my skin, which leaves many of the natural oils in my skin and has made skin care a breeze.

Natural lip gloss and lipstick recipes coming soon icon smile Homemade Makeup Recipes

Ever made any makeup? What is the toughest thing to find natural versions of for you? Let me know below! 

Source: wellnessmama.com