I shared a little last week about how our family is preparing for lean times, and one way is through building our immune systems. We as a family are intentional with our pursuit of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Some of those practices includes eating mostly whole foods, limiting junk foods such as sugar, overly processed food, and sodas, as well as taking supplements in the form of vitamins and probiotics. While all of these efforts are great, sometimes our family does become sick. When our family does fall ill, we try to treat our ailments as naturally as possible. Which is why we do our best to keep a well stocked natural medicine cabinet.
Over the years, as our family has evolved in our natural health endeavors, we've also learned how to make our own herbal home remedies. We have been extremely blessed over the years with the combination of our natural medicines and healthy lifestyle, that we've rarely had to visit a doctor ~ which says a lot for a family as large as ours! While many may question the validity of natural medicines, I for one can attest to their amazing healing properties.
When creating a natural medicine cabinet there are some key elements to be mindful of so that you receive the best results for your time, energy, and money. The following are the steps we have taken to build and maintain our family's natural medicine cabinet.
Creating a Natural Medicine Cabinet
- Education: Jumping into herbs and essential oils should never be taken lightly. Anyone who is carrying the burden of being their family's healthcare provider should take it seriously. I have acquired many books over the years regarding natural medicine, which I reference often. It is acutely important to be aware of the health issues each family member has and how different herbs or essential oils will effect those unique situations. Furthermore, it is imperative that any prescription medications or over-the-counter drugs that are being taken are weighed against any natural medicines, because in some instances such combinations can cause problems. I highly recommend researching each natural ingredient you plan to utilize to make sure it is safe for your family's personal needs.
- Supplies: Acquiring the necessary supplies can take some time. There are some amazing businesses out there providing quality products to those seeking to use natural medicines. One does not need to obtain too many items to begin making natural remedies. Take it slow and gradually add to your apothecary. Every day kitchen items can be used to make herbal concoctions. I like to recycle canning jars and old glass vitamin containers for storing my creations; but you can still purchase containers from different suppliers. Amazon has a wealth of suitable containers that can be used within the natural medicine cabinet. As for herb suppliers I have ordered from Amazon, The Bulk Herb Store, and Mountain Rose Herbs. When it comes to essential oils I prefer Plant Therapy or Rocky Mountain Oils. I'm sure there are plenty more great places to order from, these are just the ones I have personally ordered from.
- Recipes: Now comes the fun part! Making your natural medicines requires recipes. I strongly encourage you to search out quality recipes. Trust me I have learned the hard way when it comes to using the 'right' recipe for making natural medicines. There are scores of recipes available on line, and much of them I'm sure are creditable; but for me, I prefer to use recipes that come from well-known herbalists and/or naturalists. Remember to pay attention to dosing and research the recommended age of usage. Not all herbs and essential oils are suitable for all ages. When planning for what recipes I need to make, I evaluate what ailments our family is mostly presented with and go from there. The following is a list of afflictions I try to insure we have the proper natural medicines on hand to combat.
Immune Builder
Sore Throat
Cough
Headache
Bowel Issues
Nausea
Ear Ache
Insect Bite
Topical Antiseptic
Anti-itch
There is plenty of other natural medicines we make, but these are the core recipes I try to make sure we have on hand at all times. While I will not deny the value of modern day medicines, I find it is much more feasible and better for our health to try to administer natural remedies before we rush to the doctor to treat our health care needs. There have been plenty of times over the years we've opted to use over-the-counter drugs and even prescription medicines, but for the most part we have been able to use herbs and essential oils combined with a healthy whole foods diet to prevent and treat health issues our family has encountered.
The following are a few of my favorite natural medicine reference books:
While there was a slight learning curve when it comes to using herbs and essential oils, it has been extremely beneficial to our family's health. God has blessed man-kind with amazing natural resources to use at our disposal, it just takes a little time and energy to make the remedies, and use them in lieu of their not-so-healthy counterparts. No one has to be caught off guard by the ailments of life. We can be prepared and ready to handle them if and when they occur with just a little planning and fun creating with herbs and essential oils. Having a well stocked natural medicine cabinet keeps our family out of the doctors office and equipped with the tools to promote quick healing when faced with health concerns. Time and time again I am so thankful we have learned the art of healing through natural medicine.
With Love & Hope,
Jennifer
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