My Natural Medicine Cabinet
As kids we’d be the family who’d go overseas armed with a bag of pills. Mum is a nurse and she had everything under the sun we ever needed if anyone got sick. Although we rarely actually used any of it, we were ready.
Fast forward to my honeymoon almost 4 years ago when I packed no medicines yet Jason and I spent an hour literally running around the international airport trying to find me some drugs so I wouldn’t be coughing
nonstop on the plane or lying in our bed too sick to move for our whole trip. We ended up with some intense cold and flu drugs and lemme tell you, I don’t think they did a thing to help. I ended up too sick to do much, lying in bed anyway. And not in a good way!
Turns out my wedding was an important moment for more than the usual reasons. Because when I woke up the morning of, sick as a dog, my amazing sister took one look at me, pulled out her oils and dosed me up. And I felt amazing. Not completely better, but I could go to my wedding forgetting I was sick and that was pretty good!
It was on our honeymoon that I wisened up. Chronic chest infections and the awful snotty sickness I had were my norm at this point. Every year of my life multiple chronic chest and sinus infections came and stayed
with me, no matter the number of antibiotics I took. But I was done always being sick.
Until this point I’d been sporadically using oils for pretty smells, but she was a die hard fan and knew all the secrets to using them for wellness and boy was I glad she did!
Back to the honeymoon – my sister had flown home and we’d flown to Thailand. No oils in sight, me very miserable and sick, but I was left pondering how something so natural could have helped me so much. Up until this point I had such faith in the medical establishment I had been brought up in. But time and time again it failed me. So I spent my time lying in bed googling natural remedies. I looked into it all - diet to essential oils and came up with a lot.
That was close to 4 years ago now and I’ve learnt so much about natural health since then. I haven’t had a chest or sinus infection since my honeymoon and haven’t been sick for more than a week at a time. I can’t even begin to tell you how cool that is when looking back I’d spend a total of at least 6 months a year with a cough. Who even was that person?!
The best part of my natural medicine cabinet is that these treatments all have side benefits, not side effects. This means we can save the big stuff (and yes I count over the counter pain killers right next to antibiotics
and a trip to hospital) for any time we might really truly desperately need it. Obviously here’s hoping we never need that stuff, coz it is loaded with side effects, even your run of the mill paracetamol, but if we do, I know they’ll work better for us not having had them before.
Enough chitchat, here’s a peek into my natural medicine kitchen and cabinet. This is the stuff I use at the first signs of illness and to carry us through the duration:
Cod liver Oil – Nordic Naturals or Rosita’s. A natural source of vitamin D and A as well as some omega 3s. All the good stuff for immune stuff. Take a dose at the first sign of illness and for the duration
Omega 3s – if you’re prone to chest infections or asthma, a good quality supplement has been indicated to be beneficial. Nordic Natural’s is my pick. Take daily or every second day.
Wholefood vitamin C like Kakadu plum or camu camu. Take a large dose at the first sign of a sore throat, cough or cold and for the duration.
Chicken soup, easy to digest and full of nutrients it’s an ancient tradition for a reason Particularly good for a sore throat or sore tummy.
A spoonful of manuka honey (highest quality you can afford) at signs of illness and daily for the duration
Herbal Teas – thyme, echinacea, elderflower great for coughs, colds and sinus issues. Peppermint and fennel good for tummy upsets.
Essential Oils
Lavender, lemon and tea tree are gentle for a baby cold, I put one drop of each on a tissue and pin to the outside of their clothes.
On Guard immune support diluted and rolled on soles of feet and down the back of the spine for school aged kids and adults
Oregano (1 drop per teaspoon/5mL carrier oil) is the big guns immune support. I use this on soles of feet or down back of spine when you’re maybe thinking antibiotics are necessary. For babies and children under 3yr just do 1 drop on a tissue pinned to the outside of clothes. It’s too hot to go on their little skin.
Tummy troubles need peppermint, orange, fennel or cardamom. Or Digestzen blend. Roll diluted onto the tummy.
Of course there are 101 other things you can do including spending more time in the sun and taking plenty of time to sleep, but these are the remedies I come back to time and time again because they work so well. I hope they work just as well for you!
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