Natural Remedies to Heal Yourself at Home
For centuries, long before modern medicine, people relied on home remedies made from natural ingredients found in their homes, gardens, and local environments to treat common ailments and maintain overall wellness. While science and technology have advanced healthcare greatly, there is still wisdom to be found in these natural healing traditions. In this article, you will discover several effective and inexpensive home remedies you can make yourself using organic and natural ingredients.
Tea Remedies
Herbal teas have been used as medicine for thousands of years around the world. Many common herbs and plants contain powerful antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, and other healing properties that can treat a wide variety of health issues naturally when prepared and consumed as a hot tea. Some effective herbal tea remedies include:
– Chamomile tea for digestion issues, headaches, anxiety, and insomnia. Chamomile has natural calming and anti-inflammatory properties.
– Peppermint tea for digestion, nausea, abdominal pain, and respiratory issues like coughs and congestion. Peppermint contains menthol which soothes the throat and respiratory tract.
– Ginger tea for nausea, vomiting, digestive issues, arthritis pain, and cold/flu symptoms. Ginger is a potent remedy for soothing an upset stomach and contains anti-inflammatory compounds.
– Elderberry tea for immunity support, colds, and flu. Elderberries contain antioxidants and other compounds that can lessen cold/flu symptoms and prevent infections.
– Hibiscus tea for high blood pressure. Studies show hibiscus tea can help lower blood pressure in both healthy individuals and those with hypertension.
Making herbal tea is inexpensive and easy – just steep 1-2 teaspoons of dried herbs in hot water for 5-10 minutes. Drink up to 3 cups per day for relief of common issues naturally.
Homemade Salves and Oils
Rubbing therapeutic oils or salves into the skin is another effective home remedy approach that has been used for millennia. Many plants contain oils and properties that are anti-inflammatory, pain relieving, antimicrobial, and healing when applied topically. Some oils and salves you can prepare at home include:
– Arnica oil or salve for bruises, muscle aches, and joint pain. Arnica contains healing compounds that reduce swelling and speed up the healing of injuries.
– Calendula infused oil or salve for cuts, burns, rashes, and skin infections. Calendula has potent antibacterial and wound-healing abilities.
– Lavender oil or salve for headaches, insomnia, anxiety, and minor burns. Lavender has relaxing and antimicrobial properties.
– Tea tree oil for acne, athlete’s foot, nail fungus, insect bites, and more. Tea tree oil is a powerful broad-spectrum antimicrobial.
– Clove oil for toothaches. Clove oil’s active constituent eugenol is numbing and analgesic for dental pain relief.
Homemade herbal oils and salves cost just pennies to make and provide inexpensive natural remedies you can keep on hand for common ailments.
Nutritional Remedies
The old saying “let food be thy medicine” holds great truth. Many foods offer natural healing powers when incorporated into the diet as preventative medicine or acute remedies. Some nutritious home remedies include:
– Garlic for immunity, colds/flu, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Garlic is highly anti-microbial and contains allicin, which supports cardiovascular and immune health.
– Ginger for nausea, digestive issues, inflammation, and arthritis. Simply chewing fresh ginger or drinking ginger tea can relieve tummy troubles.
– Turmeric for inflammation, arthritis, wounds, and liver support. Curcumin is the powerhouse active compound in turmeric with strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
– Bone broth for digestion, joint health, and immune support. Broths made from roasted bones are packed with collagen, minerals, and compounds that nourish the gut and joints.
– Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and kefir add beneficial probiotics for digestive and immune support.
Incorporating more whole, minimally processed foods in their natural form provides the body with important vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds needed for vibrant health and natural healing abilities.
Homemade First Aid Remedies
Being well-stocked with homemade remedies can provide simple first aid treatments at a fraction of the store-bought alternative costs. Effective natural first aid remedies to prepare include:
– Ice or compress for sprains, bruises, swelling, headaches, and fever reduction. application of ice alleviates pain and reduces inflammation.
– Baking soda paste for bites, stings, burns, and rashes. Baking soda soothes pain and draws out toxins.
– Witch hazel for cuts, scrapes, burns, bruises, hemorrhoids, and anal fissures. Its astringent and anti-inflammatory properties promote healing.
– Honey for wounds, abrasions, burns, and infections. Honey has natural antibacterial compounds that disinfect and speed healing.
– Activated charcoal for poisoning, overdose, diarrhea, and digestive upset. Charcoal can safely bind and absorb toxins and gases in the belly.
Keeping first-aid remedies like these on hand means you’ll always be prepared to handle common issues effectively without needing a pharmacy.
Benefits of Home Remedies
In addition to being inexpensive and effective for everyday ailments, homemade natural remedies provide several other advantages over pharmaceutical products:
– Natural ingredients are less toxic, non-addictive, and have less risk of side effects than medications for many issues.
– Whole-food-based remedies nourish and support the body’s innate ability to heal itself holistically rather than just suppressing symptoms alone.
– They allow you to take control of your health and wellness into your own hands rather than relying solely on doctors and pills.
– Making your remedies helps you better understand natural medicine, empowering you with knowledge about herbs, nutrition, and the healing properties of plants.
– They reduce medical costs and reliance on the healthcare system for minor issues, freeing up resources for those with serious illnesses.
– Creating home remedies with ingredients grown or foraged locally supports biodiversity and makes use of what nature provides for communities.
While pharmaceuticals serve important purposes, incorporating natural home remedies, proper nutrition, stress management, and healthy lifestyle habits should be the front-line approach for overall health and healing minor ailments naturally whenever possible. Learning to properly use remedies such as these helps bring wellness back into our own hands.
Natural Cold and Flu Remedies
During cold and flu season, having remedies on hand to lessen symptoms can make you feel more comfortable. Boil echinacea, ginger, garlic, pine needles, or whole lemons in water then sip the tea throughout the day for immune support. Inhale steam from a pot of water with added essential oils of eucalyptus, rosemary, or thyme to clear nasal congestion. Make a saltwater gargle using 1 teaspoon of salt per glass of warm water to soothe a sore throat. Expectorant herbs like mullein or plantain can be smoked or infused in honey to help loosen chest congestion.
Homemade First Aid Antiseptics
Rather than store-bought alcohol or peroxide, make soothing and disinfecting antiseptics at home. Add 5 drops of tea tree or lavender essential oil to 1 Tbsp witch hazel for dental flossing or to clean wounds. Mix a 1:1 ratio of apple cider vinegar and water in a spray bottle for cleaning cuts or use full-strength vinegar to kill toenail fungus. Dilute 3 drops of thyme, lemon, or oregano essential oil in 1 Tbsp coconut or olive oil for an antiseptic skin ointment. A colloidal silver gel promotes wound healing without sting when applied topically.
Home Remedies for Stress Relief
Incorporate relaxing, natural remedies to help manage stress. Create an aromatherapy inhaler or room diffuser with calming essential oils like ylang-ylang, bergamot, sandalwood, or Roman chamomile. Enjoy a warm Epsom salt foot bath to soothe sore muscles. Make magnesium oil by adding magnesium flakes to water in a spray bottle for topical absorption through the skin. Chew fresh ginger or drink ginger, chamomile, or passionflower herbal tea for mild anxiety relief. Try calming herbs like skullcap, valerian, or ashwagandha in capsule or tincture form for natural stress and sleep support.
Skin Nourishment from Home
Your skin absorbs what you put on it, so nourish it with natural, organic home remedies for clarity and moisture. Whip up face masks using raw honey, yogurt, and turmeric or mashed avocado, oats, and lemon juice. Moisturize daily with shea butter, coconut oil, or homemade lotion infused with calendula or aloe vera. Exfoliate weekly using brown sugar, olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon or with ground oatmeal or bentonite clay. Soothe bug bites and rashes with calendula cream or apply tea tree oil diluted in carrier oil. Tend to rough elbows and knees with coconut or mustard oil before bedtime.
Natural Beauty Remedies
Keep toxin-free makeup on hand made from organic ingredients. Use bentonite clay as a dry shampoo or protective face powder. Create tinted lip balms with beeswax, coconut oil, and papaya or strawberry powder. Mix castor or jojoba oil with a drop of essential oil as a natural mascara or eyeliner. Whip shea butter into a fragrant lotion for daily moisture. Brew black or green tea then use the cooled brew to refresh and tone the face. Make your DIY nail hardener using olive oil, vitamin E, and a splash of lemon juice.
Homemade Cleaning Supplies
Declutter toxic chemicals at home by making your cleaning products from pantry staples. Mix 1 part white or apple cider vinegar with 1-2 parts water in a spray bottle for general disinfecting throughout the house. Make scouring powder by combining baking soda with a few drops of lemon essential oil. Scrub pots and pans with a paste of baking soda and water. Cut grease with a spray solution of water, lemon juice, and cornstarch or arrowroot powder. Sprinkle borax or baking soda onto carpet or upholstery then vacuum to deodorize and freshen fabrics.
Conclusion
The old wisdom of natural healing therapies should still hold value for us today. Home remedies made from organic ingredients are often just as effective as over-the-counter drugs without potential side effects or risks to health. Knowing how to properly prepare herbal teas, treatment oils and salves, nutritious foods, and first aid remedies empowers you with self-care solutions. Keeping a variety of natural remedies on hand allows you and your family to take back some control over your health and avoid depending solely on pills. When used appropriately, foods, herbs, and other whole-food methods can be powerful medicines for supporting wellness in addition to addressing common ailments naturally from the comfort of home.
