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Category Archives: Home Remedies & Apothecary

Cottonwood Bud Salve: Soothing and Healing

22 Apr
Cottonwood bud salve is easy to make and has many medicinal qualities.

Cottonwood bud salve is easy to make and has many medicinal qualities.

I’m a big believer in people making their own salves and healing oils, not only for controlling what ingredients touch your skin (especially open wounds), but also to save money. Cottonwood bud salve has been a well-known European and Native American ointment for ages, and is easily made if you have access to dormant buds from a poplar tree.

The salve can be made using the dormant buds from different species of poplar trees (Populus sp.). Cottonwood is the most well-known, but aspen and poplar can be used too. The active ingredients are salicin and populin, pain relievers and anti-inflammatories related to aspirin. (Poplars are healing for other purposes, but here I’ll focus on the salve.)

This salve is sometimes called balm of gilead, or oil of gilead, a valued salve from biblical times. However, the plant used to make oil of gilead was likely one among several options, all indigenous to the Middle East, including desert date (Balantes aegyptica), mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus), or the most likely candidate, myrrh (Commiphora opobalsamum). In fact, many consider myrrh to be the only true source for Balm of Gilead (or Balsam of Gilead). Therefore, the balm made from poplar buds, even though it is definitely effective as a salve, is not true Balm of Gilead though the name is probably interchangeable at this point.

 

 

Cottonwood bark is very coarse and distinctive looking.

Cottonwood bark is very coarse and distinctive looking.

USING THE DECOCTION

You can use the oil or salve on your skin wherever you are feeling discomfort from aches, pains, inflammation or sore joints. Some massage therapists use the oil for clients who experience arthritis pains, or for athletes with very sore muscles. It can also be used to help heal burns or various skin irritations like chapped skin or scrapes. Just rub the salve on your skin as needed.

GATHERING THE BUDS

Collect the unopened leaf buds when they are dormant, in winter to early spring, between January and March. I like to wait until early spring right before the buds open; I find the amount of resin is higher in early spring than when the tree is in full dormancy.

The bark of cottonwood is dominated by large, grey blocks of bark on the tree trunk. The leaf buds are distinctive, large, and pointed, arranged alternately along the stem. The bud scales are a yellowish green with reddish or orange tinge at the edges. It is not uncommon to see beads of resin on the buds, especially in early spring (my preferred collection time).

The buds of poplar trees, like this cottonwood, are distinctive looking.

The buds of poplar trees, like this cottonwood, are distinctive looking.

I collect the buds after a windy day or a storm; bits of branches break off and fall to the ground, making collection a simple process. If you can find low-hanging branches, that works, as well, but fallen branches are easier and they don’t damage the tree since they have already been removed by natural forces.

MAKING THE DECOCTION

There are two ways to extract the active ingredient from the buds: simmer it or let it steep.

Let it steep:

To let it steep, remove the rinsed, dried buds from the stems and place them in a jar. Cover them with about twice as much olive oil as you have buds and put the lid on the jar. Let it steep in a cool, dark place. Some let the buds steep in the olive oil for a year or more before calling it good. Some leave it sit for a week. Because of this variability, I feel I am getting the most out of the buds using a low simmer (heat that is too high, however, will damage the active ingredients so watch it).

Let it simmer:

Remove your buds from the stem, rinse them to remove any dirt, and let them dry. Place them in a saucepan and cover them with about twice as much olive oil as you have buds (you can also use coconut oil). Turn the heat to as low as you possibly can, and let the buds simmer for two hours or more, then strain.

These cottonwood buds will be rinsed, dried, and simmered very gently with olive oil.

These cottonwood buds will be rinsed, dried, and simmered very gently with olive oil.

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The oil is good as-is after this process. You can just jar it up, store it in a cool, dark place, and rub it on your skin as needed. Or you can take it a step further and make a salve from it, which will make it a bit easier to apply. (Note: If you use coconut oil, it will solidify on it’s own in temperatures above 76F, but will melt in warm weather.)

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Grated or chopped beeswax can be melted gently with the cottonwood oil to create a salve.

Grated or chopped beeswax can be melted gently with the cottonwood oil to create a salve.

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To make a salve, add no more than 1 oz of beeswax (by weight) for every 5 oz of cottonwood oil. You can either grate it or chunk it up with a good knife. Add it to the saucepan along with the strained cottonwood oil, and melt the beeswax on low heat. Once it is all melted, pour it into a jar. As it cools it will solidify and be ready for use.

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Add the beeswax to the cottonwood oil and gently heat until the beeswax is melted.

Add the beeswax to the cottonwood oil and gently heat until the beeswax is melted.

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Colors3

 
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Posted by on April 22, 2013 in Home Remedies & Apothecary, Homesteading, Saving Money

 

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10 Reasons to Ditch Morning Coffee for Morning Cocoa

17 Apr
Cocoa powder has amazing health benefits, and as a morning beverage can easily replace coffee.

Cocoa powder has amazing health benefits, and as a morning beverage can easily replace coffee.

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Know what my beverage of choice is in the morning? A hot cup of cocoa. But it’s not the calorie-laden version you might be thinking of…it’s the healthy version that does the same job (for me) as coffee but with more health benefits. Plus, I think hot cocoa has a superior taste to coffee. And, yes, cocoa powder does contain caffeine, but not as much as coffee.

And while a Starbucks 16oz hot chocolate has 370 calories, 16 grams of fat, and 50 grams of carbs, this recipe for 16 ounces of sweetened hot cocoa is only 54 calories, 2 grams of fat, and 15 grams of carbohydrates. It’s only when people add fat to cocoa that it becomes, well, fattening.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF COCOA

We have known about the health benefits of cocoa for centuries. And now we have dozens of scientific studies to back up this historic knowledge. We can thank the high concentration of polyphenols (especially flavanols) in cocoa for these health benefits, even when compared to levels found in other sources like red wine and tea. Here is a list of some of the many health benefits of regular cocoa consumption:

  1. Cocoa and chocolate can cut your rate of heart disease, and cut the death rate of heart-attack survivors.
  2. Cocoa can help decrease the risk of stroke.
  3. Cocoa can decrease blood pressure, including in pregnant women.
  4. Cocoa has the potential to improve kidney function.
  5. The caffeine in cocoa can protect your skin against sun damage and skin cancer.
  6. Older folks who eat chocolate (and wine or tea) have higher cognitive abilities than those who don’t.
  7. Consuming cocoa powder can increase cognitive function and may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
  8. Chocolate can relieve stress.
  9. Eating cocoa or chocolate can increase feelings of satiety, which can help with weight loss.
  10. If you’re sick, cocoa can relieve coughs almost as well as codeine.

HEALTHY HOT COCOA

Cocoa powder and hot water are all that is needed for a tasty morning beverage, but you can add sweetener and milk to taste!
Cocoa powder and hot water are all that is needed for a tasty morning beverage, but you can add sweetener and milk to taste!
  • 16 ounces of hot water
  • 2 tablespoons real unsweetened cocoa powder (or to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon honey (or more to taste)
  • 1/4 cup milk (optional…I use coconut milk)

While your hot water is boiling, place your dry cocoa powder in the bottom of your cup. After your water boils, pour about 2 tablespoons of the hot water into the cup (if you use more or less cocoa powder, just use an equal amount of hot water here).

Using a spoon, stir the cocoa and water until smooth, to eliminate any lumps. Then fill your cup the rest of the way with hot water.

Add sweetener and milk to taste. For an extra treat, add a bit of vanilla, almond, or hazelnut extract per cup. That’s it! Drink away! What a way to start the morning!

RESOURCES

I used these sources (and others) for my research on the health benefits of cocoa. Click on each study title to be sent to the original article:

Chocolate consumption and mortality following a first acute myocardial infarction: the Stockholm Heart Epidemiology Program

Blood pressure and endothelial function in healthy, pregnant women after acute and daily consumption of flavanol-rich chocolate: a pilot, randomized controlled trial

Effect of dark chocolate on renal tissue oxygenation as measure by BOLD-MRI in healthy volunteers

Effects of chocolate, cocoa, and flavan-3-ols on cardivascular health: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials

Flavonoid-rich cocoa consumption affects multiple cardiovascular risk factors in a meta-analysis of short-term studies

Increased caffeine intake is associated with reduced risk of basal cell carcinoma of the skin

Chemopreventive effects of cocoa polyphenols on chronic diseases

The neuroprotective effects of cocoa flavanol and its influence on cognitive performance

A reduced-calorie dietary pattern including a daily sweet snack promotes body weight reduction and body composition improvements in premenopausal women who are overweight and obese: a pilot study

Theobromine inhibits sensory nerve activation and cough

10 important health reasons to replace morning coffee with morning hot cocoa from Rural Spin

 
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Posted by on April 17, 2013 in Home Remedies & Apothecary, Recipes

 

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7 Ways to Use Eggshells (and tips you need to know)

07 Apr
Eggshells can be ground in a blender and used for many purposes, indoors and out.

Eggshells can be ground in a blender and used for many purposes, indoors and out.

If you eat eggs, make sure you make the best use of those shells! Most of an eggshell is calcium. In fact, about 95% of shells are calcium carbonate…the same stuff that sea shells, coral, and limestone are made from (the other 5% includes proteins, calcium phosphate, and magnesium carbonate). Here’s a list of what you can do with those shells so the calcium and its brittle shell don’t go to waste.

USE EGGSHELLS FOR THIS

1) Give your hens a calcium boost. Eggshells contain 95% calcium, and hens need calcium to lay eggs that have those strong shells. There is nothing unhealthy about feeding your hens eggshells, as long as those shells have been sterilized to kill bacteria (see below on how to do this) and offered in ground form. Pay special attention to shell sterilization if you get some of your eggs from another source where you can’t be sure of the laying hen’s health.

2) Give your pets a calcium boost: In the case of eggshells, what is good for chickens is good for your pet. Adding pulverized eggshells to their food provides extra calcium for bone health. And just like using shells for chickens, be sure to sterilize the shells first.

3) Give yourself a calcium boost: Consuming calcium from eggshells can help you, too. In a 2003 study published in the International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology Research, eggshell consumption helped stop bone loss in postmenopausal women. While you can consume pulverized eggshells for added calcium, remember that calcium amounts very greatly in shells, so there is no way to tell exactly how much calcium you are getting (but we know you are getting more than if you didn’t consume the shells at all). Be sure you bake the shells before consuming to prevent ingesting any bacteria if you haven’t washed the shell before eating the egg (see below).

The finer your grind your eggshells, the sooner the calcium will be available to garden plants.

The finer your grind your eggshells, the sooner the calcium will be available to garden plants.

4) Incorporate them into your soil: It’s a great practice to add ground eggshells into your garden soil (and your indoor pots, too). But realize that it takes awhile for those shells to break down enough for the calcium to be available to your plants. In fact, eggshells can take many years to decompose fully and it will take several years to see the benefits of those eggshell additions to soil. But don’t let this deter you as adding eggshells to soil is great for plants! Start now…in a year or two you’ll start to see benefits (the finer you grind the shells, the more quickly you’ll see benefits). And don’t forget to sterilize those shells before adding them to the soil to prevent adding bacteria to your garden.

5) Keep garden critters at bay: Slugs are slippery little devils, and they dislike the chalky sharpness of ground eggshells. Cutworms don’t like it, either. Sprinkle the eggshell around plants like tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, and cabbage to keep their stems safe and destructive critters away. Make sure you cover the surface of the soil around the entire stem.

6) Clean your pots and pans: Yes, you can grind your eggshells into a powder and use it as an abrasive. But, it being an abrasive and all, it will scratch! I’ve used this for especially stubborn spots on cast iron pans or stainless steel (on the insides). Don’t use this on any surface that you want to see a scratch on.

7) Make your coffee sweeter: Adding crushed eggshells to your coffee grounds helps to lessen the acidity of your coffee. Then you can toss the used grounds and eggshells in your compost bin. Better yet, toss them both into your garden soil! The eggshells have the calcium, but the coffee grounds provide the nitrogen.

You can use a blender to grind eggshells fine. (Bowl by the Little Pottery Venture.)

You can use a blender to grind eggshells fine. (Bowl by the Little Pottery Venture.)

PREPARE EGGSHELLS LIKE THIS

For most eggshell uses, it is better to make sure they are clean and free from bacteria. If you don’t wash the eggs thoroughly before using, bake the shells at 150 degrees Fahrenheit on a cookie sheet for about 10 minutes.

You can grind your eggshells either wet or dry. I personally find grinding  them dry to be easier, but decide which method works best for you in your kitchen:

To grind eggshells wet, simply take all of your eggshells, place them in a blender and fill the blender with water to about 1/2 way up the eggshells. Then whizzzzzzzzz, and drain. What to do next is where I find the difficulty. Small bits of wet shell are not necessarily cooperative, and most uses for eggshell are easier to implement when the shells are dry.

To grind eggshells dry, you can either leave them sit in a bowl until they are thoroughly dry (I keep the pretty bowl shown above next to my sink and simply stack eggshells as they accumulate), or you can bake them. Baking to dry and sterilize them can serve double duty here! If 10 minutes baking at 150F doesn’t dry all of the wet egg remnants inside the shell perfectly, just leave them bake in the oven until the insides of the egg are perfectly dry. (To see a video on how to use your blender and a mason jar to grind your eggshells and other foods, click here.)

DON’T USE EGGSHELLS FOR THIS

I just can’t recommend that you use eggshells to start seedlings, even though this is a popular infographic on Facebook and all over the interwebs as an eggshell tip (I know…I’m the problem child sometimes). Seedlings are like icebergs…at best what you see above the soil is equal to what is going on below the soil. In fact, sometimes the root system is much larger than the seedling. Half an eggshell just doesn’t have the space necessary to support a growing and intricate root system unless you transplant it pretty quickly to the garden. In drier climates it is also difficult to keep such a small amount of soil moist enough to keep a healthy seedling happy.

Eggshells do not sharpen garbage disposal blades. I don’t think it harms the garbage disposal any more than anything else, but I have read that egg shell bits in the drain, because they are heavier than usual kitchen sink refuse, can contribute to drain clogs. The idea being they settle into a pipe at some point, and slowly start to trap debris. Even more reason to use eggshells for one of their many beneficial purposes!

Rural Spin

 
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Posted by on April 7, 2013 in Animals, Gardening, Home Remedies & Apothecary, Homesteading, Kitchen Tips

 

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10 Natural Tips for Healthier Hair

30 Mar
Women used to have long, luxurious hair using only natural methods and ingredients.

Women used to have long, luxurious hair using only natural methods and ingredients.

Long, flowing, thick locks used to be much more common than we see today. Some practices that promoted long hair, like washing hair once a week, are not things we’re likely to return to anytime soon. But we can look to the past and bring forth the best of natural hair care practices to make the most of what we have. Try these XXXX hair care tips to minimize breakage, maximize growth, and maintain it once you get it:

1) Brush your hair 100 times a night

There’s a reason for the old wives tale to brush your hair 100 times a night; it’s very beneficial to hair health. Brushing your hair with a good quality brush from root to tip distributes your hair’s natural oils down the hair shaft and makes hair shinier, more manageable, and less prone to breakage. In fact you might be able to eliminate some hair-care products if you devoted time to brush the 100 strokes as recommended. Be sure you start your brushing at the bottom of your hair, and gradually work your way up; this will allow you to gently remove and tangles until you’re just smoothly brushing from root to tip.

2) Use a boar bristle brush

Don’t use just any brush for your 100 strokes…use a boar-bristle brush. Boar bristle brushes are more expensive than synthetic brushes, but they are densely packed on the brush and last for years. This dense construction is the secret to their being able to remove dirt, dust, and debris from hair and move your natural oils along the hair shaft, essentially giving the hair a bit of cleaning without the shampoo (you’ll want to clean your boar bristle brush regularly because of this). Boar bristle brushes have tough but flexible bristles that are wonderful for taming and smoothing even curly hair. And don’t worry, they won’t rip your hair out as long as you start at the bottom and slowly move your way up until you can stroke smoothly from root to tip.

3) Don’t brush your hair when it’s wet:

Wet hair is weaker than dry hair, so don’t ever brush or use a fine-toothed comb on your hair when it is wet. After washing and towel drying your hair, only use a wide-toothed comb to detangle it if you must.

4) Police your commercial shampoo

Many people don’t realize the lax federal regulations regarding beauty products, including shampoos, beyond a mandatory listing of ingredients. It’s up to you to decide if the listed ingredients are safe for you. Many shampoos you buy at the store contain toxic ingredients, and don’t be fooled if the word “natural” appears on the bottle. The word “natural” is not regulated, and anyone can use the word no matter what the product contains. Artificial and drying scents, artificial colors and harmful detergents can damage hair, necessitating the purchase of additional “product” to fix that damage. Ingredients like sodium laurel sulfate, parabens, and benzyl benzoate (and similar) are just a few of the common shampoo ingredients that have been linked to cancer, skin irritation, and even birth defects.

But you’re probably not a chemist, so what to do? Look for ingredients you can pronounce and know what they are. And luckily there are online resources that rate the safety of products for us, like the GoodGuide, which allows shoppers to discover products that are healthy, safe, green, and even socially responsible. The GoodGuide covers everything from shampoo, food, electronics and even cars. Head to the GoodGuide and type “shampoo” into search and you’ll see a list of commercial shampoos and their ratings.

Baking soda, white vinegar (you can also use apple cider vinegar) and essential oils are an alternative to commercial and toxic shampoos.

Baking soda, white vinegar (you can also use apple cider vinegar) and essential oils are an alternative to commercial and toxic shampoos.

5) Avoid commercial shampoo

If you want to be super safe, don’t use commercial shampoos; some avoid using shampoo and instead wash their hair with baking soda and vinegar–see my article “Tips and Tricks to Go Shampoo Free” for more info on this method. But be aware, local water chemistry and individual hair make up plays a part in this method, and experimentation is necessary to determine what quantities of each are the right mix for your hair.

If this sounds daunting, you can make or buy your own shampoo bar or use liquid castile soap. Bars of shampoo soap generally do not contain the toxins found in commercial shampoos (but check the label) and do just as good a job (or better) of cleaning hair. Liquid castile soap is conditioning and mimics the method of washing hair with liquid shampoo products because it can come in liquid form as well as bar.

6) Deep condition once a week

A deep hot oil condition improves hair manageability and shine while decreasing breakage; it’s easy and can be incorporated in with household tasks. Simply take about 1/4 cup of a favorite oil (olive oil, coconut oil, almond oil, etc) and heat it until it is warm to the touch but not too hot to handle with your hands. Once it is warm, saturate your hair with it, from root to tip, using your fingers. Don’t be shy about it, you’ll be washing it out later. Place all your hair on the top of your head, wrap your head in plastic wrap or don a shower cap, and then wrap your whole head in a towel. The plastic and towel will trap the heat around your head, and allow the oils to penetrate the hair shaft. Ideally you want to leave it sit for a few hours, but even 30 minutes will help. When the time is up, wash as usual. You may need to wash twice to remove all the oil (if you’re using baking soda/vinegar to wash your hair, add some liquid castile soap to the baking soda mix to remove the oil–this will help greatly).

A protein mask provided by eggs or other ingredients will help decrease frizz.

A protein mask provided by eggs or other ingredients will help decrease frizz.

7) Add protein for frizzy hair

If your hair is especially frizzy, substitute the hot oil treatment with a protein mask once a week. Mix the yolk of two eggs with a bit of warm water (not hot, you don’t want to cook the eggs). Using your fingers, massage this into your scalp and hair shaft. Wrap your head in plastic wrap or a shower cap, and then wrap your head in a towel. Leave this sit in your hair for an hour, then rinse in warm to cool water (again, you don’t want to cook the egg). You can also use a mix of bananas and avocados for this, or mayonnaise, which is just egg and oil.

8) Use leave-in hair oil

Just a few drops are all you need (using more will just make your hair oily needlessly) to impart shine and decrease frizz. There are hair oils on the market (argan oil is very popular now), but you can easily make your own with olive oil and, if you wish, some essential oil. Just place two or three drops of the oil in the palm of your hand, rub your hands together, then smooth over your hair, paying attention to the ends.

9) Treat dandruff naturally: Unfortunately, there is no cure for dandruff, which is a skin disorder also known as seborrheic dermatitis. But you can treat dandruff to manage the symptoms. If you want to avoid the chemicals found in over-the-counter dandruff shampoos, there are other things you can try.

Tea tree oil has been shown to treat dandruff. Add about 20 drops of tea tree oil to your bottle of hair cleanser, or keep a bottle of tea tree oil in the shower and use two drops or so every time you wash your hair. Alternatively, you can also add about 20 drops of tea tree oil to 1/4 cup of olive oil, rub this into your scalp, wrap your head and sleep on it. Wash normally in the morning. You can use this as a “jump start” treatment for your dandruff.

Apple cider vinegar is another safe option that has been shown to assist with dandruff. Rub apple cider vinegar into your scalp (dilute with about 50% water if you have sensitive skin), wrap your head in plastic or a shower cap, then in a towel. Leave this sit for about an hour, then wash. Do this once a week or so to keep dandruff under control.

If these options don’t work, you could choose an old fashioned bar of tar soap. Tar soap has been used as an effective dandruff treatment for hundreds of years and is still recommended by dermatologists for some skin disorders like scabies and ring worm. Tar soap is also recommended for treating lice. But it is, in fact, made from coal; it can smell bad and it can also stain light hair a darker color. Used in low doses, scientific studies have shown that tar soap is safe for treating true medical conditions but it can cause skin irritation in some, and I personally would only use it as a last resort.

10) Eat for your hair

Your hair is a barometer of health–if your hair is dull and lifeless it could mean that your body is as well. In the past people ate food that was as close to the earth as possible and we should, too. Nutrition from the full color spectrum ensures that you are getting the vitamins and minerals necessary for healthy hair. A balanced diet, including healthy oils for essential fatty acids, is important for hair health and shine. Make sure you are eating on a regular basis foods such as salmon, walnuts, and yogurt, sweet potatoes, spinach, blueberries, and more daily to get levels of protein, zinc, vitamins, and minerals needed for happy locks.

Colors3

 
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Posted by on March 30, 2013 in Home Remedies & Apothecary, Saving Money

 

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18 Medicine Cabinet Essentials: A 1935 Slant

06 Nov

Back in 1935, recommendations for essential items in the home medicine cabinet was, not surprisingly, pretty simple. Though the names of items have changed — as has the death grip that brands now have on the public — with a few additions what might be in your medicine cabinet now is really not so much different than before World War II.

There were 13 must-have home medicine cabinet essentials recommended in a home economics textbook from 1935. I added five to allow for advances in medicine for a total of 18 items that every home medicine cabinet should try to have in stock. Note that this list does NOT include herbal- or plant-based medicines or treatments; those are for a future post but many can be substituted for items listed below.

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1935 MEDICINE CABINET RECOMMENDATIONS

(Source: ‘Home Living,” by Justin and Rust. 1935)

Alcohol (rubbing): Alcohol was recommended as an antiseptic for wounds and cuts before applying healing creams or lotions. It can also be used as a soothing muscle rub.

Baking soda: Baking soda can be used for anything from an antacid to a fire extinguisher. For the home medicine cabinet, baking soda is indeed great to use as an antacid if you have an acidic stomach, heartburn, gas, or other stomach issues. It’s also great for brushing your teeth, as a natural deodorant, and as a skin softener when dissolved in a warm bath. Baking soda has also been known to treat colds and flu, treat bladder infections, and as a soothing gargle for sore throats.

Boric acid solution: Boric acid solution has mild antifungal and antibacterial properties and as such is used as an antiseptic for abrasions and mild cuts. Boric acid solution can be used in the eyes (a common treatment for pink eye), ears, and skin, and is frequently used for foot fungus issues like athletes foot. It can be purchased in different solution strengths and also in powder form, so consult your pharmacist to be sure you’re buying the correct solution for your desired treatment.

Cascara bark (Rhamnus purshiana): This was a common laxative on its own back in the day, and is still used as a common ingredient in brand-name laxatives and other medications. Fresh bark must be aged for at least a year to be used safely, or baked thoroughly in an oven. But it is safer to use over-the-counter laxatives that contain cascara bark until you learn how to harvest, process, and use your own.

Baking soda, Epsom salt, and salt are as beneficial to the modern medicine cabinet as they were in the 1930s.

Epsom salt: Epsom salt was used as a common bath soak to enhance relaxation, and studies show that soaking in an Epsom salt bath does indeed elevate our levels of magnesium, which helps to increase levels of serotonin in our bodies and help us relax. Epsom salt is also a mild anti-inflammatory, which relieves cramps and other pains. It can also draw out splinters when used as a soak as well.

Iodine (liquid): Iodine is a disinfectant and sterilizer, and is used as a wound cleaner to prevent infection. it can destroy both viruses and bacteria and is immune to the resistance issues present in antibiotics.

Lysol: Lysol was recommended as an astringent and disinfectant and is still used for this purpose today.

Mineral oil: This used to provide the most common relief for constipation as a laxative. However, it has also been used to treat scalp conditions like dandruff, and skin conditions like psoriasis.

Salt: It was used much more frequently for health and medicine, and with good reason. Salt water is a great gargle to help heal sore throats and painful gums. Salt can also help soothe insect stings when applied as a paste, and help to relieve poison ivy or oak when used as a saltwater soak.

Unguentine, a recommended antiseptic ointment in 1935, is still available as a pain and itch reliever.

Unguentine: Unguentine was one of the few branded products available over-the-counter in 1935. It’s an antiseptic ointment and topical pain and itch reliever that is still available today for use on minor burns, cuts, and scrapes.

Vaseline: A petroleum product, Vaseline traditionally was used as a skin protectant during harsh weather, and even killed lice on the scalp when applied in a thick layer, which suffocated the insects. It has also been used as a moisturizer.

Vaseline, carbolated: Carbolated Vaseline was a drawing salve (sometimes called black salve), used to draw out infections and help heal wounds, or draw out small invaders like splinters or bee stingers. It is available today as Watkins Petro-Carbo Salve, and and is still used as a wound healer and preventative against infection.

Zinc oxide ointment: An ointment of zinc oxide relives a variety of minor skin ailments because of its anti-inflammatory properties. It can be used to treat skin issues like minor burns, diaper rash, hemorrhoids and acne. Many over-the-counter skin creams and ointments have zinc oxide as a main ingredient; Calamine lotion’s main ingredient is zinc oxide. Zinc Oxide is also a widely used sun screen.

MODERN ADDITIONS

While many of the medicine cabinet essentials from 1935 are still worth having on-hand, there are some modern additions that some would consider essential for the home medicine cabinet (again, plant- and herbal-based medicine cabinet essentials deserve an article of their own)!

Antibiotic ointment: After cleaning and disinfecting mild wounds, cuts, or scrapes, an antibiotic ointment can help prevent infection.

A pain reliever such as aspirin, or an aspirin-free alternative are modern additions to the home medicine cabinet.

Antihistamines (oral): Having a basic oral antihistamine around can be wonderful for mild insect stings or other allergic reactions that don’t require medical attention. They can help stop an allergic reaction in its tracks by blocking histamine at the receptor site in the central nervous system. There are close to a dozen antihistamines on the market, so ask your pharmacist which one would be best for general, sedation-free use.

Antihistamine cream: The lotion form of the above has the same effect, and is great to relieve intense itching from insect bites or poison ivy or oak.

Decongestants: Decongestants (either pharmaceutical ones or manual ones, such as a neti pot) can feel like a miracle when a cold or allergies clog nasal passages and make basic breathing a chore. If you’re using an over-the-counter decongestant, talk to the pharmacist to make sure you’re selecting one that is appropriate for your symptoms (there are so many available now).

Pain reliever: Whether you are a fan of Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, or plain old aspirin, a basic pain reliever or anti-inflammatory is essential for the temporary relief of headaches and other body pains.

 
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Posted by on November 6, 2012 in Historic Reflections, Home Remedies & Apothecary

 

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Five Ingredients for an Effective Homemade Deodorant

10 Sep

Five simple ingredients make up this effective homemade deodorant.

First, let me say I do not like to stink. And while I’m not the stinkiest person on the planet, I can create quite the odoriferous presence if given the right activities and environmental conditions. But with two immediate family members surviving cancer, I decided to take a hard look at any chemicals I put in, or on, my body.

Deodorant typically contains parabens and formaldehyde, among other nasties. And antiperspirants also contain things like aluminum, which clogs your pores and prevents sweating. All of these chemicals have been shown to be dangerous: Aluminum can cause kidney problems, parabens can cause problems for our endocrine system, and formaldehyde is a known carcinogen.

Instead of rubbing these things into the lymph nodes in my arm pits, I wanted to make a safe deodorant that worked, even though I knew I’d be giving up any antiperspirant activity (however, I haven’t given up hope that I’ll find a natural ingredient that will work as an antiperspirant). This is what I came up with and I love it. I make a batch that lasts about a month for me. And for the guys out there, this does not smell girly at all; there is not enough coconut oil to impart a tropical scent, so no worries!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/4 cup baking soda
  • 1/8 cup aloe vera gel (99% pure)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable glycerin
  • 1/2 tsp coconut oil (you can use another type of oil, like apricot, if you wish)
  • 1/8 tsp tea tree oil (use lavender oil if you are pregnant or allergic to tea tree oil)

Place all ingredients except for the tea tree oil in a small saucepan and heat on low heat until combined, stirring constantly. You don’t want the ingredients to boil, you just want them to warm until everything is evenly incorporated and smooth. Turn the heat off, add a small bit of tea tree oil and stir thoroughly. I then pour mine warm into a small, 1/2 cup jelly jar and keep it in my bathroom. Apply with fingers and that’s it!

WHAT DOES WHAT

Baking Soda: is a natural deodorizer. It does feel a tad gritty, but incorporating it in with the other ingredients on the stove decreases this. It can also leave a white dust at times, but it just dusts off with your hand or a towel really easily, and washes off the inside of black shirts without fuss.

Aloe Vera Gel: this helps bind the baking soda and also soothes skin. Aloe has antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antiseptic properties, and some studies have shown that it can sink into your skin up to 7 layers deep.

Vegetable Glycerin: helps make skin smooth and soft, and also helps to bind the ingredients together. It also acts as a preservative.

Coconut Oil: is also wonderful for the skin and helps heal skin, and prevents skin infections.

Tea Tree Oil: this is a go-to oil for all manner of skin problems. It is antibacterial, antiseptic, antifungal, and antiviral. It does a great job of combating the bacteria responsible for body odor, but less is not necessarily more so don’t think you can just rub this on your pits. Used straight it can cause burns on the skin, and has even been used to do things like remove warts. But if you find you want more odor-fighting in your batch, you can increase the amount of tea tree oil you use for your own mix.

Essential Oils for Scent: Notice I don’t use any. I don’t want scented deodorant, but if you do you can definitely add your favorite scent, a few drops at a time, at the same time you are adding your tea tree oil.

 
22 Comments

Posted by on September 10, 2012 in Home Remedies & Apothecary, Recipes, Saving Money

 

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Harvesting and Drying Mint

19 Aug

Mint is wonderful in the kitchen, medicine cabinet, and as a pest repellent.

Mint is one of those herbs that has a ton of uses and grows prolifically in the garden. Sometimes that prolific growth can be a nuisance (it has, in fact, take up residence in one of my raised beds and it’s definitely a battle between me and it). But like anything else in life, what can be seen as a hassle can also be take as a gift with just a slight shift in perspective: Instead of cursing your prolific mint, harvest it shamelessly and exploit it for one of its many uses! SHAMELESSLY!

There are many kinds of mint (spearmint, peppermint, chocolate mint, apple mint, pineapple mint, and others. They are all perennial, meaning they’ll come back year after year; you’ll have a never-ending supply of this tasty plant after sticking just one in your garden. But beware: if you don’t want it to spread everywhere make sure you plant your mint in an area where you won’t mind it getting a bit out of hand. However, flavored mints such as chocolate and apple are not as prolific as the straight-up peppermint and spearmint.

Mint does best in full sun to part shade with a soil that is slightly acidic, rich, and fairly moist, so if you live in a more arid environment, your mint won’t explode as it would in more ideal growing conditions. And, of course, you can grow mint in a pot for year-round fresh use provided it gets a southern exposure when indoors.

Mint not only serves as a valuable food and flavoring in the kitchen, it also has medicinal uses such as calming the stomach, assisting with gingivitis, helping relieve colds, and cooling overly warm skin, among others. It can also be used to repel pests in the home and garden, and lend a wonderful scent to washing linens when included with vinegar in the final rinse water of a wash. I’ll cover these uses in more detail in a future ‘spin.

HARVESTING

If your mint is a new planting, wait a year or two for it to establish a strong root system before you start harvesting it. You can clip fresh mint sprigs during this time for sure, but for a full-on, no-holds-barred harvest, wait until the mint is well established. With my established mint, I literally hack it back in late spring, mid summer, and again in very early fall until there is only about 6 inches of stem left; it grows back readily. Just make sure you don’t harvest too late in the fall; you want to give the plant enough time to recover before winter hits. Like any other herb, the best time to harvest mint is in the morning while the volatile oils in the plant are at their strongest.

After washing my mint, I lay it on a towel in several loose layers to dry thoroughly in the sun.

Before drying mint, rinse it clean under a spray hose in the kitchen sink, or outdoors if you have a lot of mint you’re processing in one batch. After cleaning, the mint must be thoroughly dried. I do this by shaking off the mint thoroughly, then laying it out on a few loose layers on a towel in the sun.

AIR DRYING

After my mint is washed and dried, I bundle it up for hanging and drying. I make my bundles loose to allow for the much-needed air to circulate around the herb and draw the moisture away. Air circulation is key when it comes to drying herbs; the air removes the moisture from around your plants and helps prevent mold from developing.

When making my bundles, I use rubber bands to secure the ends. Rubber bands have two main advantages over string: first, the contract as the stems dry out and shrink, thereby maintaining a tight bundle throughout the drying process and second, they can be used over and over. I save all of the rubber bands I end up with from the grocery store or anywhere else, and use them for my herb drying. I attached an unfolded large paper clip to my bundle and use the paper clip to hang the herbs from my ceiling. You can hang herbs from wall racks, or anything else you can think of as long as the location is warm and gets plenty of air circulation (i.e., basements are poor choices).

Rubber bands are the best way to hold herb bundles for drying. Here, a rubber band is first slipped over one stem, then wrapped around the bundle several times.

After wrapping the rubber band around the bundle several times, secure the end by slipping it over a few branches. This provides plenty of give for shrinkage.

You may have read that herbs should be placed in brown paper bags to dry. I believe this is nonsense. I think the only exception is when you are drying an herb such as dill and want to save the seed, then you’ll need to place a paper bag around the seed head. Otherwise,  unless you live in the driest of environments there is no way you’re going to get enough air circulation to draw the moisture away from your plants if they are suffocating in a bag. I am also lazy. Packaging herbs up for drying is just not something I am interested in spending my time doing since I see no detectable benefit from doing so, unless I am saving the seed. But I’m sure many will disagree with me, and that’s ok!

This re-purposed screen serves as a wonderful drying rack for herbs when hung from a ceiling in a warm, airy locations such as my front sun room.

Instead, I hang my herbs upside down from a drying rack I have hanging from the ceiling in my front sun room. The rack used to be a screen with rice paper lining, but the rice paper was torn at one point, so I removed all of the paper and the hinges, and hung it from the ceiling to serve as a drying rack. It also just looks kinda cool.

The ideal temperature to air dry herbs really varies; I’ve read anywhere between 70F and 120F. Frankly, whatever warm location you have available is the best location. So many guides provide supposed “rules” but ultimately the best environment is the one you have available to you. You just need to find a way to work with what you have. But with drying herbs, good air circulation is a must…without it your herbs will mold. If you don’t have good air circulation, consider placing a fan in the room in which your herbs are drying. And it’s best to keep your drying herbs out of direct sunlight; while my sun room is sunny, the herbs at ceiling level are protected from direct exposure.

How long does air drying take? It depends upon those unique conditions you are working with. In an 80F, moderately humid environment with moderate air circulation, bundles such as the ones shown above can take two to four weeks. Here in Colorado in my very warm sun room, it only took about 4 days to get crisp-dried mint.

OVEN DRYING

I encourage you to air-dry your herbs whenever possible; it just seems a lot easier to me if you have the space and if your environmental conditions are dry enough. However, if you live in a moist environment or don’t have the space to hang herbs, oven drying is a great option! Some people even prefer the flavor of oven-dried herbs to air-dried. Frankly, I can’t tell the difference.

To oven dry herbs, you also want to wash and either air dry or pat them dry before proceeding. Then you can either strip the leaves from the stems and place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet, or lay the stems on the cookie sheet themselves in a single layer. Place the herbs in a warm, 180F oven for 3 to 4 hours with the oven door cracked to allow moisture to escape. Then, crush the leaves and store.

COLLECTING AND STORING

Collect your dried mint by crushing the leaves off the stem.

The leaves are the edible portion of mint, so when it is thoroughly dry, you’ll need to remove them from the stems. I do this by taking one of my bunches, holding it over a large bowl or sheet, and simply pressing the stems. The leaves crush off cleanly from the stem, and any bit of stem that might break off and fall is easily removed after I have finished removing all of the leaves from my mint.

It is recommended that you store your mint in a cool location away from direct sunlight. I store a portion of my mint in a used tea tin and keep it in a cupboard by my tea kettle. The rest of my yearly supply is stored in a large air-tight mason jar in my pantry. Sometimes I just take the jar out and look at it…herbs that you harvested and dried yourself are not only fresher (and thereby tastier) than store bought, looking at them can also help us feel the summer sun on a cold winter day as we recall the harvest.

 
11 Comments

Posted by on August 19, 2012 in Edible Plants, Food Preservation, Fun Experiments, Gardening, Great for Kids, Hobbies and Arts, Home Remedies & Apothecary, Homesteading, Recipes, Saving Money

 

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Tips and Tricks to go Shampoo-free

22 Apr

My hair is thicker, shinnier, and healthier than it ever has been now that I've gone shampoo free!

I stopped using shampoo, conditioner, and any other test tube-made product on my hair a month ago. Now I only use baking soda and vinegar, and my hair is thicker, shinier, has stopped falling out, and stays cleaner longer than it ever has in my entire life. And this dramatic effect costs literally pennies compared to expensive store-bought products. Not only that, but going shampoo-free eliminates the need to buy gels, mouse, anti-frizz stuff or any of that. Think of the savings!

And for those who like to stockpile supplies for a rainy day or buy in bulk, it’s much less expensive to buy gallons of vinegar and pounds of baking soda than worry from where the next deal on shampoo is going to appear. It’s always nice when your bulk goods do double-duty, too. Vinegar and baking soda should be staples, for cleaning you, your home, and for cooking. Shampoo only does one thing (and sometimes it doesn’t even do that very well). And in a pinch, you can make your own vinegar.

Before you decide to give shampoo-free a whirl, check out this overview. Much of this information is all over the internet, but I experimented with everything I read, got feedback from a ton of people who have gone shampoo free (or who tried it), and compiled everything I learned here:

A NOTE ON WATER

The type of water you have will have an effect on how baking soda (or shampoo for that matter) works on cleaning your hair. Soft water causes hair to be naturally sleek and is essentially free of the calcium and magnesium hard water contains, which can get “stuck” to your hair. Soft water makes it easier for the baking soda to be rinsed out of your hair easily.

Hard water contains a lot of calcium and magnesium and causes hair to become rough and tangly by elevating the microscopic scales that are on each strand of hair. The minerals get caught in the scales and make it more difficult to rinse anything (including commercial shampoos) out of the hair. Companies add chemicals to shampoos to combat this problem, but they have a drying effect on the hair that necessitates the need to buy hair conditioners and other products.

When you go shampoo-free in a hard-water environment, the minerals do react with the baking soda, and can cause a build-up. Beyond installing a water softener (your laundry would thank you, too), there are a few things you can do to combat hard water such as using distilled water or filtered rain water (see below for more info).

THINGS TO KNOW

The only ingredients you need are baking soda and vinegar. Some people add an oil to the mix to counteract drying some people experience. You can use coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, or any oil you want. One woman I spoke to has very oily hair and adds a few drops of liquid castille soap to her baking soda solution to give it a little boost. Many, if not most, men and women won’t need to do this.

There is about a three week adjustment period for your hair to go through its detox withdraw from shampoo: Shampoo strips your hair of just about everything and it takes awhile for your hair to readjust back to its natural, healthy state. How your hair will react to this transition period will vary from the next person. Some people experience a temporary “greasy period” lasting only a few days. This greasy period can occur anywhere in the three-week adjustment period. I had mine at about the half way mark, but it was barely noticeable to me. Others have more of a problem. But stick with it, your hair will quickly improve in a matter of days and continue to get better after that.

It works great on curly hair: A lot of the ammonium this and ammonium that in shampoos can play havoc with curly hair, necessitating the use of anti-frizzers and whatnot to reclaim what you naturally had before shampoo removed it. Going shampoo-free eliminates the need for all of the “product” previously used to keep curls in check and frizz under control. You may want to add a few drops of oil to your locks if you like sleek curls.

Your hair won’t need conditioners to combat tangles, because they will be limited: A baking soda wash and vinegar rinse won’t strip your hair of anything but the dirt, so your hair’s ability to detangle itself won’t be inhibited.

It works with dyed hair: Vinegar is known to actually set dyes, and it has the same effect on hair dye. Some people also report that they experience less fading of their dyed color once they make the move to baking soda and vinegar.

It’s wonderful on grey hair: In fact, vinegar and baking soda will whiten grey hair, while shampoos can cause grey hair to yellow.

Baking soda, white vinegar (you can also use apple cider vinegar) and essential oils keep my hair looking better than it ever did using store-bought shampoo and conditioner.

HOW-TO

There are several ways you can go shampoo free, and you really need to experiment on your own hair to see what works for you, keeping in mind what kind of water you have. This experimentation can be frustrating for some who are used to the squirt-and-suds of shampoo, but considering the ultimate pay-off both in your budget and potential hair awesomeness, you owe it to yourself to pay attention and see what method works best for you.

No matter what you do, rinsing the baking soda out thoroughly is a must: It’s also a must with shampoo, but many people don’t rinse as thoroughly as they should and walk around with shampoo still in their hair. Rinsing the baking soda out well is very important; leaving it in can dry your hair and I’ve even heard of some people rinsing so poorly that they complained of white stuff on their locks (unrinsed baking soda). Rinse it!

The most common way to wash your hair with baking soda is to make a solution with one tablespoon of baking soda per one cup of water, pour it over your head, then scrub away: Some people use less baking soda and deciding how much is part of that experimentation process; thinner hair requires less baking soda than thicker hair. You can make as much of this solution as you want and keep it in a bottle in the shower (an empty shampoo bottle would work great). Adding a small bit of liquid castille soap to the solution is an option if you have very oily hair. And if you have hard water, use distilled water or rain water in this solution. Rinse thoroughly after you’ve scrubbed your scalp and head.

If you’re lazy like me, you can just put the baking soda in a shaker and leave it in the shower, sprinkling it over your head and then scrubbing: When you wash your hair, just shake about 1/4 cup (depending upon hair length) on your head, making sure to part your hair in areas to get it to your scalp. Work the baking soda in, occasionally putting your head briefly under the shower head to allow the baking soda to dissolve and be distributed all over your head and hair. Work it in with your fingers as you would shampoo, and rinse thoroughly.

Next, pour vinegar over your head and briefly work it into your hair: I use about 1/2 cup of vinegar on my hair, which is to the middle of my back. Make sure you don’t get it in your eyes (been there, done that, ouch).

You can use either white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar: I found that apple cider vinegar was too heavy on my hair and made it feel a tad limp and heavy, but white vinegar worked great. Experiment to see which one works for you!

You can leave the vinegar in, or rinse it out: Official mantra is to leave it in, but again, this didn’t work great for my hair. Leaving it in weighed it down too much, but I imagine for curly hair leaving it in would be wonderful. Try both methods and see which one works best for your hair. And, no, I’ve never had my hair smell like a salad, even when I left the vinegar in. Apple cider vinegar, however, does have a stronger natural scent than white vinegar.

If your hair is becoming too dry, you can just wash with the vinegar and forgo the baking soda: Some people I talked to said the baking soda was a tad too drying for their baby fine hair. Instead, they just washed with the vinegar and were very pleased with the results. Others used the baking soda once a week and only vinegar for the rest of the week. If you find your hair becoming too dry for words try adjusting how often you use baking soda versus vinegar alone, or…..

Conditioning your hair with natural oils daily or weekly is wonderful with this method: Some people who complained that their hair was too dry now add a few drops of an oil (olive oil, apricot oil, jojoba oil, a mixture of oils, the choice is yours) to their baking soda and include it as they wash their hair. Myself and others condition weekly. I take about a teaspoon or two of coconut oil, melt it, and work it into my hair and leave it in for about an hour or so, then wash as usual with baking soda. Your hair will sing with glee!

Washing your hair like this allows you to add personalized scents to meet your own needs and wants: I love to add essential oils to my vinegar, customizing it depending upon what I feel like at the time. Lavender and rosemary are personal favorites. I’ve never had a problem with the smell of vinegar on my hair, but this is a nice way to make your hair smell wonderful without artificial ingredients.

You can add herbal hair enhancers as natural remedies to hair and scalp issues: Sometimes just getting off shampoo will cure issues like dandruff and allergic reactions on the scalp. But if the move to baking soda and vinegar alone doesn’t solve the problem, you can add herbs to your baking soda or vinegar to help you out. If you have dandruff, you can add some tea tree oil to your baking soda or vinegar. Tea tree oil is wonderful for scalp health, and if the switch from shampoo to baking soda/vinegar alone doesn’t solve your dandruff or scalp problem, adding medicinal herbs will.

In a future ‘spin I’ll cover hair enhancers and natural remedies to include in this process. Until then, start giving it a try, and do make sure you give it a full three weeks before abandoning the process if you can manage it!


 
214 Comments

Posted by on April 22, 2012 in Home Remedies & Apothecary, Homesteading, Outdoor and Survival, Saving Money

 

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Can’t Sleep? Try These Effective and Safe Options

17 Apr

Chamomile tea is a common relaxation and sleep aid that works.

Adults and children can both have problems sleeping, and the inability to sleep can cause havoc at home, on-the-job, and at school. But in an attempt to solve the problem, adults often turn towards sleeping pills or other over-the-counter sleep aids like Tylenol PM. But people don’t realize that sleeping pills don’t allow for the REM-based sleep that we need to feel rested. Instead, they just knock you out instead of allowing you to experience true, restful sleep.

Better alternatives are techniques and herbs that relax and allow for true sleep. And many of these remedies can be used with children, whose sleep problems are frequently overlooked.

There are three ways to put yourself to sleep without the aid of narcotics: relaxing, aromatherapy, and herbal remedies. Herbal options, which can be taken as teas, pills, and tinctures, don’t prevent REM sleep, and as a result you experience true rest. And these techniques can be used with children, too! Ideally, though, you’ll make relaxing a regular part of your family’s evening routine; some simple changes may prevent the need for any other sleep aids altogether. If you need more help sleeping, though, aromatherapy then herbal aids can help solve your problems.

RELAXANTS

Getting the body and mind physically prepared for sleep may seem like a no-brainer, but as you probably could guess few people do it; the stresses of the day can sometimes be too demanding and relaxing seems like a luxury. In fact, though, a good night’s sleep (and the relaxing that goes with it) is paramount for remaining as productive as possible during the day, and becomes a necessity just like brushing your teeth. Here’s some ways to prepare for sleep, so you and your children can get to sleep and stay that way:

Maintain a regular sleep schedule: Going to bed and getting up at roughly the same times each day is a way to tell the body, “Hey…you’re supposed to be asleep now.” We are creatures of habit, and our bodies do take ques from patterns we set in our lives. Adults benefit from this just as much as children.

Keep your bedroom for sleep…and one other thing: What that other thing is you can guess and it’s between you and your partner. Other than that, sleep should be the only thing going on in the bedroom. No TV, no reading, nothing else. Or if you do read, don’t pick up something that’s going to get your emotions boiling or your interest peaked. For children, choose soothing stories without too much emotion.

Keep your bedroom cooler if you can: We sleep better when we’re cool. It’s as simple as that.

Don’t go to sleep angry: If you have problems with someone you care about, try to solve them. Don’t do it through text or email, either….that solves little. We spend a lot of time now avoiding problems through a computer, yet that just leaves them fester and interrupts our sleep. Don’t be afraid…approach those you’re in conflict with and either clear the air, solve the problem, or move on. Your sleep will thank you for it. Allow your children to do the same before they get their pajamas on.

Scents such as lavender, geranium, and sandalwood can be used in oils, scrubs, sprays and more to enhance restfulness.

AROMATHERAPY

Some people might scoff at the idea that a mere scent can help you sleep. But we are highly wired to scent, and once we smell something (say, a skunk), we never forget what that smell is. Just think of how the smell of a fresh pie or bread in the oven can make you feel. Scents can have the same effect on sleep, and have been used for centuries in different cultures for that very purpose. Aromatherapy will promote relaxation and help calm the mind to enhance restfulness.

Choose scents that are known to promote sleep: Scents such as lavender, clary sage, chamomile, geranium, marjoram, rose, neroli, sandalwood, jasmine, ylang ylang, and bergamot either alone or in combination are great choices for promoting restfulness.

Avoid scents that are stimulating: Invigorating scents like peppermint, grapefruit, rosemary, lemon, or pine should be avoided before you are heading to bed. They are great first thing in the morning, though!

Avoid synthetic scents: Fake scents won’t quite do it. They aren’t real, so they won’t promote real relaxation. Invest in quality essential oils; they last a long time.

Make a bed linen spray: I do this in a small spray bottle with water and several drops of lavender oil. I spritz it on my pillow and sheets before I go to bed if I know I’m in a pattern of waking in the middle of the night. It works.

Scents in the bath: While it’s not a good idea to take a warm bath right before bed (you sleep better when your body is cooler), taking one about an hour before you go to bed and including soothing scents in the bath water does promote both relaxation and provide the benefits of aromatherapy. This is a great way to help relax kids, too.

Scents in the shower: Again, you want to avoid taking a hot shower right before bed, but they’re great an hour before you retire. And a shower is a wonderful place to include scented bath salt scrubs, and scented oils on your skin (and some scents, like sandalwood, are not “girly” for the guy contingent out there).

Scents by the bed: Taking a cotton ball, adding several drops of sleep-inducing scents, and putting the cotton ball next to your pillow is one way to keep the scent close to your nose. You can also create pockets on the underside of your pillow cases and stuff them with herbs, or fill flame-free diffusers with your soothing scent of choice and have it next to the bed. There are many ways to introduce scents into your or your child’s bedroom.

HERBS

When relaxing and soothing scents don’t quite cut it, herbal remedies are there for you. I have a hard time sleeping sometimes, and I keep a bottle of herbal sleep aid by my bed. When I know I’m in a pattern of not sleeping well, I take some before I go to sleep and if I wake up in the middle of the night, I take two more. It makes a world of difference and since I’ve started using herbal remedies I don’t suffer during the day from lack of rest at night.

Valerian is one of the best herbs available to combat sleeplessness.

Herbs can be consumed about 30 minutes before bedtime either in tea form or capsules. You can make either of them yourself, but there are many teas available at even mainstream grocery stores that promote restfulness, such as Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime tea. Stores such as Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, or local food co-ops carry a much wider array of herbal teas and capsules that treat a variety of things, including insomnia. Here are some common herbs that will help you sleep by reducing anxiety or promoting a sedative effect, among others:

California poppy: This is frequently found in teas and other homeopathic sleep aids, and is appropriate for children and adults alike.

Chamomile: This is a common and well-known sleep aid that is appropriate for both adults and children and is used commonly for this purpose in Europe, Latin America, and elsewhere. Chamomile is great because not only can it be consumed, the oil can also provide relaxing benefits in the bath, in oils, and more.

Hops: Hops is not nearly as well-known as chamomile for it’s soporific properties, but it indeed is known to relieve stress and insomnia. It is frequently used in many tea mixes created for treating sleeplessness.

Kava-kava: This is another popular herb that is used in tea and capsule mixes to promote sleep. You’ll frequently find it along with hops, passion flower, and others on this list for that very purpose.

Passion flower: This is a wonderful treatment for insomnia and sleeplessness, and is included in many herbal teas for that purpose for adults and children alike. In Europe the use of passion flower is much more common than it is here, and there’s a reason for that: it works.

Skullcap: Skullcap is another herb that enhances sleep by reducing anxiety, one of the many reasons people have problems sleeping. It has a similar action to valerian root but, I believe, in a more mild form. Skullcap is another frequent ingredient in sleep-aid teas.

Valerian: This is becoming just as well known for treating sleeplessness as chamomile is. It can frequently be found in capsules created to assist with sleep, and is known to decrease incidents of waking up in the middle of the night. I have found this to be true myself, as I rely on valerian for this purpose when I am in a cycle of sleeplessness. This is one of the best alternatives to drugs because it has a true sedative effect without the side effects of something like Valium. This might not be an appropriate choice for children unless it’s included as a mix in a tea.

Wild lettuce: This produces effects similar to valerian with a focus on enhanced calming, but it is much more mild, making it a good choice for children.

Melatonin: Melatonin isn’t an herb, it’s a natural hormone that promotes regular sleep cycles in our bodies. It is frequently found in concert with valerian in capsule form for as a reliable sleep aid.

 
14 Comments

Posted by on April 17, 2012 in Great for Kids, Home Remedies & Apothecary

 

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The Humble Crab Apple: An Underutilized Free Food

09 Apr

A crab apple in full bloom is a beautiful thing! But the fruits deserve more credit than they get, too.

Most people know that the crab apple is edible, but it is so small (and some are bred not to bear fruit) that it is discounted as a food source and sometimes decried as a pain when the fruit begins to fall and birds start to flock. That’s a shame! Crab apples are a delicious food and, if processed the right way, not as much work as you think to utilize as a free source of tasty treats in both rural and urban locales. And the plant also has medicinal properties that make it an underused plant in the average yard or field.

Most people can identify crab apples when they’re in fruit (and when they’re in bloom). But for anyone interested in collecting plants for food or medicine, being able to identify plants properly will make your life easier, if not save it.

Crab apples are deciduous (they lose their leaves in winter) small trees in the Rosaceae family, and the Malus genus. They reach about 15′ to 25′ at maturity. The buds and leaves have an alternate arrangement, meaning the leaves hop scotch as they move up the stem, as opposed to an opposite leaf arrangement, where the leaves are directly across from each other on the stem. The leaf buds are egg-shaped with several overlapping scales. There are about 700 varieties of crab apples (yep!) so the leaves are variable in color and size. But take a look at crab apples this spring and look at the leaves to learn their general character.

Crab apples have an alternate leaf arrangement and their leaves have the look of other trees in the apple family, but there is much variability.

FOR EATING

The fruit is the main edible part of the plant, eaten raw or cooked, though raw it is highly astringent. Because of this, it is most frequently cooked with sugar and made into jams, jellies, fruit fillings, chutneys, and more. In fact, crab apples contain an excellent pectin, which can be used to thicken other kinds of jams.

One secret to using crab apples for food is to remove their wee seeds, though this is not always necessary (see the recipe below). Yes, to do this with individual fruits is time consuming as each small crab apple needs to be sliced and the seeds removed. I once made a crab apple pie this way and it took hours to remove the seeds from all of the crab apples; I’ll never make crab apple pie that way again! OK…maybe I will because the pie was so tasty, but I’ll have to be in the mood for a lengthy, repetitive task.

In my opinion the best way to use crab apples is to process them with heat and liquid, run them through a sieve or food mill, and use them in recipes. Processing like this will eliminate the seeds with much less fuss.

The seeds should not be eaten in large quantities as the seeds of all members of the genus contain hydrogen cyanide, which can be dangerous in large quantities. If you prepare a crab apple dish that contains seeds (see below), make sure to spit the seeds out as you would an olive or watermelon. The fruit pulp is perfectly safe.

FOR HEALING

There is some conflicting information about whether crab apples have medicinal properties; I’ve not used them as such myself so I can’t say for sure. I have read in different sources from India and China that a crab apple fruit poultice can be used to sooth inflammations and help heal small wounds. (To learn more about what a poultice is, read our ‘Spin, “Roots, Twigs, Barks and Parts: The Home Apothecary.”) The bark, especially the root bark, is reported to help expel parasites from the gut (ick), cool the body, and help induce sleep. The leaves are reported to be an antibacterial.

RECIPE

Here’s a recipe from our 1946 edition of “The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book,” by Fannie Merritt Farmer:

Sweet Crab Apple Pickle:

Crab apples can be made into pickles, jams, pies, and this beautiful jelly.

  • 3 pounds crab apples
  • 2 cups cider vinegar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cloves
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger

“Wipe crab apples, remove stems, and steam until soft. Tie spices in muslin bag, put in preserving kettle, add vinegar, sugar, and crab apples, bring gradually to boiling point, and simmer 20 minutes. Makes 3 pints.”

The pickle can be processed using the water bath method for your elevation (the same time is used for pints or quarts):

  • 0 – 1,000 ft: 20 minutes
  • 1,001 – 3,000 ft: 25 minutes
  • 3,001 – 6,000 ft: 30 minutes
  • Above 6,000 ft: 35 minutes
 
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Posted by on April 9, 2012 in Edible Plants, Home Remedies & Apothecary, Homesteading, Outdoor and Survival, Saving Money

 

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