Contents

Essential Home Remedies

Dedication

Contents

How it all started

The Digestive Healer: Slippery Elm

A Natural Antibiotic: Garlic

Lose Weight and Lower Blood Pressure With Chili

The Healer: Aloe Vera

From Cancer To Morning Sickness: Ginger

Thyme For Coughs and Colds

The Master Alkaliser: Lemon

From Breast Milk To Farts: Fennel Seed

Breath Deep And Be Calm With Lemon Balm

Lovely And Very Handy: Lavender Essential Oil

Breath Easy With Peppermint Essential Oil

Used For Almost Everything: Apple Cider Vinegar

From Gout To Cleaning: Baking Soda

More Handy Remedies Worth Knowing About

A Few Resources To Help You Get Started On Some Further Research

Thank You

ESSENTIAL HOME REMEDIES

Staying Healthy With Simple, Natural Home Remedies From The Pantry And The Garden

Written by Sue Woledge

www.toxinfreefuture.com

Disclaimer: This publication is designed to share the Authors opinion and understanding in regard to the subject matter covered. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information herein is correct the Author specifically disclaims any personal liability, loss or risk incurred as a consequence of the use, misuse and application either directly or indirectly of any advice or information herein. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. Please note that links in this book may be affiliated and any products purchased via these links by the reader may provide a commission to the author.

Copyright © 2012 S Woledge All Rights Reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the copyright holder.

DEDICATION

This little book is dedicated to my Paternal Grandmother who we grandkids affectionately called ‘Little Nana’ due to her comparative small size when compared to my Maternal Grandmother who wasn’t very tall, but was rather round.

Little Nana grew up using herbs in rural Scotland and I remember her telling me that as a child her mother would send her into the woods to collect various herbs and plants to be used for different purposes - both culinary and medicinally.

I also remember Little Nana showing me a small, tatty, leather bound copy of Culpeppers Herbal that she referenced fairly regularly. She told me how she drank Sage tea to benefit her brain and also how she took garlic in hot milk from time to time. She confessed that on more than one occasion she had used too much of the garlic and when she did that, the skin on the palms of her hands and the soles of her feet peeled!

Little Nana lived until she was 3 months away from her 100th birthday and I’m certain that she’d have lived longer if she’d stuck with the herbs and stayed away from the doctors and their drugs. Sadly she succumbed to mainstream medicine in her old age.

As you’ll read in this little book, my interest in herbs and then natural health originated from these conversations and some timely advice that my Little Nana gave me and for that I am very grateful.

HOW IT ALL STARTED

Before I get started, I’d like to explain who I am and how I came to be writing this book. I’m a Mum to two (now grown up) kids and Grandma to one gorgeous grandson (so far…). The beginning of this story eventuated from the simple fact that I became somewhat disenchanted (to say the least) with mainstream doctors and their drugs many years ago.

I’m a Remedial Massage Therapist and have been for close to 15 years. I began to study toward a degree in Naturopathy a number of years ago, but never completed it - mainly because I realized it wasn’t going to give me what I knew I wanted in life. But that’s a whole other (still evolving) story and it certainly doesn’t mean that I stopped studying, thinking and experimenting with information on the subject of ‘health’!

Anyway, the history of my fascination with everything to do with looking after ones health goes like this:

Once upon a time I had a few health problems that had plagued me for more than a few years. When I look back the problems that I had were present most of my young life and they just got worse as a young adult. No matter how many doctors I went to and how many of their pills I took, I really got no results and I was getting nowhere in resolving them.

My dear old Grandmother during this time suggested to me that I should be taking Slippery Elm Bark to help me with my ongoing digestive issues (Little Nana we affectionately called her due to the difference in physical size between her and our Maternal Grandmother who although not very tall, was very round).

“What on earth is Slippery Elm Bark?”

I’d never heard of the stuff and I wasn’t at all keen to try it being somewhat less adventurous back then than I am today. With the conviction of someone who knows what’s good for them, she quickly produced some from her pantry and proceeded to make me a drink from heated milk mixed with this ‘slippery elm bark’ powder. Unconvinced, I tentatively took a sip once it was cool enough to drink and I remember instantly deciding that it was yuck and tipping the rest down the sink, much to Little Nana’s amusement. I then (as young people are renowned for doing) foolishly discarded her advice as some sort of old fashioned nonsense!

However, a little over a year later after our move to Australia and when the latest advice and drug from the doctor failed miserably, I remembered back to what my wise old Little Nana had said and decided to give the Slippery Elm Bark a go. I found a shop that sold it (not so easy back then) and started to take it daily - albeit in capsule form. I progressed to the powder eventually. The good news is that it worked! (much more so than anything I’d had from the doctors over the years) …and the rest is history as they say. I’ve never looked back. My interest in herbs and their use grew and from that my interest in nutrition and all things to do with natural health.

I wanted to put this little book together as a short guide for you to use at home with your family. It’s designed for beginners that are looking for ways to take back some control of their health. I wanted to share some information to help you begin that journey - to allow you to take more control of your health and to stop relying so much on drugs, that let’s face it can be extremely damaging to your health with many side effects and that more and more of us are realising simply don’t work!

These essential home remedies are a way that you can stop feeling trapped and hopeless. They are a way that will help to rid you of the feeling that you’ve got no other choice but to have blind faith in your doctor. These remedies are a way to save you some of the money that you’re probably spending on doctors visits, drugs and medicines that don’t make you healthy and that are in fact undermining your health and setting you up for more ill health in the future just by their very use.

The herbs and other remedies contained herein have been the simple things that I always keep on hand. These are the remedies that I rely on and use regularly (some more than others) to help keep me and mine healthy. Simple remedies that I have turned to again and again to over the past 20 years and that I use either regularly to help maintain better health or that I use to help recover health when the need arises.

I sincerely hope that you use this information and that you don’t make the same mistake that I made when I discarded my Little Nana’s advice by reading this book and then not using the information that you’ve read. Put even a few of these ideas into practice and you’ll be happy that you did. These remedies are all simple, easy, free or (at affordable) and when used correctly will move you closer to good health - not away from it as drugs do!

I’ve done my best to make this book as short and sweet and easy to read as possible. I’ve added basic information that I know from experience can make a difference every day.

There are more uses for the herbs and remedies contained in this book and my advice it to get interested. Do some more research on them and others - the information is all out there just waiting to be found. This book can provide you with a start and I hope it spurs you on to seek more information as my experience with Slippery Elm Bark did for me.

Natural home remedies and their uses are such worthwhile topics to gain knowledge in. They can help to make you more able to take care of your health and that’s a wonderful thing. The fact is that to be able to keep your family healthier is priceless.

Always remember that life without health is not life in its truest sense, but mere existence! Enjoy!

THE DIGESTIVE HEALER: SLIPPERY ELM

Ulmus Rubra

Other names know by: Slippery Elm Bark; Red Elm; Indian Elm

As you would have read in my introduction Slippery Elm Bark was the beginning of my interest in herbs. It was introduced to me by my dear old Nana (who passed away in 2008, about 3 months before her 100 birthday). At the time I was suffering with a lot of abdominal problems. I was in and out of hospital constantly with no real answers to speak of - just different vague verdicts from different doctors and specialists.

Even as a child my parents had me at the doctor on a regular basis with tummy problems which were usually put down to constipation. I now realise that meant that the good old Doc really had no idea what was going on and so the results of these doctors visits were that we usually left with some prescription that didn’t make any difference to my problems anyway.

Once I got into my late teens and early 20’s the ‘tummy troubles’ got much worse with frequent repeated visits to doctors and hospitals, tests and medications that still left me none the wiser and with no real results.

I had ignored dear old Nana’s advice until I after moving to Australia and discovering that once again the latest medication didn’t work long term. I’d had enough, so remembering Nana’s advice, I was off to hunt down some slippery elm bark. I had nothing to lose, might as well try it as a last resort and as I said, the rest is history.

What is Slippery Elm?

Slippery Elm is a powder, made from the inner bark of the Red Elm tree. Slippery Elm was introduced to western herbal medicine many years ago by the American Indians who have used it forever. It can now commonly be purchased in its powdered form or in capsules or tablets.

I have found the powdered form to be the best option. It is the most effective option as well as being the most cost effective with the capsules to be the next best option. The tablets often don’t seem to be quite as effective probably due to the binders used to hold the tablets together and making the slippery elm less available.

Slippery Elm has sooooo many uses! The most common one being for problems in the digestive tract where it works brilliantly. Slippery Elm Bark is a very healing herb and so it soothes and assists with healing all tissues it comes into contact with both internally and externally.

Taken internally it can bring fast relief to indigestion. In my case, my eventual diagnosis all those years ago was dyspepsia (not that that really means anything) and a possible ulcer (never confirmed). Slippery elm taken regularly helped to heal and calm these problems and changes in my diet eventually eliminated much of the problem completely. However, I do still have a bit of a sensitive belly and so I still take it off and on and it always helps every time. It is great for diarrhea as well as constipation. It will help with any digestive tract issues - anywhere from the top, down to the bottom! (Pardon the pun….).

Slippery Elm is not ‘just a medicinal herb’ - it is a food on it’s own- i.e. it contains vitamins and minerals and has great nutritional value. I have read that Slippery Elm as been used by people on chemotherapy and has been the only thing that they have been able to keep down, giving them some good quality healing nutrition. It can be made into a gruel or porridge and it is great for invalids and those recovering from serious illness.

My Nana apparently used it in my Dad’s bottle when he was a baby to settle his tummy and I wish I’d known about it when my kids were babies! I have used it for our dog when she was a puppy as she had a very easily upset belly due to being taken from her mother and bottle fed. She had slippery elm on her food every day for the first 12 months of her life and now at 9 years old, has a cast iron gut from what we’ve seen over the remaining years!

Slippery Elm taken internally will also help with coughs and other lung complaints and also supports the adrenal glands.

It can be used externally as a poultice for anything that is inflamed or that needs drawing such as splinters or boils. I have used it just a week ago on an abscess that my husband had had for about 3 weeks that just wasn’t clearing up. I made a poultice from approximately one teaspoon of slippery elm powder, a couple of drops of lavender oil and enough unpasteurised apple cider vinegar to form a paste. I put it on a gauze pad and wrapped a bandage around it, and left it on overnight. One application was all that was required, it cleared up over the next few days.

I also used the same mixture a few months ago on a spider bite. I didn’t think to use it until about two days after the bite occurred behind my knee - by this stage my leg from the knee down was very swollen, the area around the bite was hard and red and very hot to touch as well as being extremely uncomfortable. The first poultice made it feel a lot better within a few hours (although I felt quite yuck for a while). I left it on over night and by the morning the heat was gone along with a lot of the swelling. I think I applied two more over the next day and night and it was good. It was a little itchy for a while and the skin peeled around the bite but I’ve never had any more problems with it unlike a previous bite from about a year ago that I had on my shoulder which was left untreated as I didn’t know what it was when it happened and now still flares up and gets itchy and sore every couple of months. Maybe I should try the poultice next time it flares up and see if it helps to get rid of it!

To take slippery elm powder internally, mix about a teaspoon with a small amount of water and drink. If you leave it to sit for a while, it will thicken and become mucilaginous (like wallpaper paste). It is great to take it like that, but if you can’t handle it just mix and swallow. It’ll still do a great job!

That’s some basics on my favorite herb Slippery Elm Bark. Buy some, and keep it in the cupboard (it keeps forever), but don’t forget it’s there - use it!

A NATURAL ANTIBIOTIC: GARLIC

Allium sativum

Garlic is probably best known to almost everyone as the pungent herb added to all sorts of dishes to impart its wonderful flavour along with its pungent (but delicious) odour left on the breath!

Garlic will grow in good soil and is easy to grow as its pretty much plant and forget. Plant it in the autumn and harvest when the flowers die down. It can be grown in pots also. There are many varieties of Garlic available with different flavours and sizes, just make sure you pick a good tasting variety. Buy some different varieties from an organic shop or market and try them out.

When buying garlic from the supermarket or grocery shop be wary. The cheap, pure white Chinese garlic is best avoided. It is apparently sprayed with chemicals banned in other countries because they are harmful to humans and it’s also probably irradiated. Until that changes my advice is don’t buy it! Unfortunately it is the cheapest and seems to be the most common garlic available here in Australia. Some supermarket chains sell only Chinese garlic so hunting for a better option might necessary!

The best way to use is garlic is in your food - every day if possible! I use it in most dishes that I cook and I try to use it raw as often as possible. Use it raw in things such as garlic butter, dressings, aioli, guacamole, hummus and fresh vegetable juices. I use it sometimes by scraping it over hot toasted sourdough bread and then spread the bread with avocado and add salt and pepper - delicious!

If you worry about the smell of garlic on your breath just chew on some parsley after as it gets rid of the smell apparently. I don’t tend to worry too much - I’ve smelt much worse smells on peoples breath than garlic and for a garlic lover the smell is not offensive at all, but delicious instead!

I also make guacamole, or my version of it. My version of guacamole is truly simple - crushed garlic, avocado, salt and pepper. Just mash it up and voila - done. (Note: when I say salt I’m of course talking about pink Himalayan salt or unprocessed Celtic salt - not the pure white, mineral deficient, processed sodium chloride found in the supermarkets!)

Garlic has incredible properties. It is a natural broad spectrum antibiotic that your body does not appear to build up a resistance to, which means its antibiotic effect continues over time to help keep you healthy. Garlic kills bacteria, virus’s, fungus, as well as intestinal worms. It has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides while increasing the good HDL cholesterol levels. It also removes heavy metals such as lead from the blood as well as preventing accumulation in the first place. It helps to lower blood pressure and is used by some cultures to control diabetes.

Garlic boosts the immune system which in turn helps to prevent many illnesses from the common cold to cancer. Many studies point to garlic’s anti-tumour effects with one study showing residents in one area of China who don’t eat garlic having 1000 times the rate of stomach cancer than a neighboring area where garlic was consumed regularly. (Stomach cancer is one of the most common cancers found in China).

Garlic was used in the first and second world wars, to prevent gangrene in wounds; it is also used to treat conditions of the retina, hepatitis, and almost all lung conditions.

Garlic is an amazing herb and a must have! If you don’t like it then work on learning to like it! Add a little to your food and build it up. That’s what I’ve always done with things that I know are going to be good for me, but that I didn’t initially like - just keep at it.

I’ve known people who take it every day by cutting it into smaller pieces and swallowing it whole like a pill. That can work, but remember that the cutting is necessary as it changes the alliin to allicin which is the active constituent. Garlic is also high in a good number of vitamins and minerals as well as organic sulphur which are all essential to our health.

A slice of garlic placed over a wart and covered with a band aid and then replaced regularly will help to get rid of the wart.

Garlic (along with some other natural products) can cause ‘problems’ with some medications. An example being blood thinning medications - however to me, the problem is not with the garlic, but the medication. Doesn’t it make sense to use something natural and health promoting such as garlic to thin your blood if necessary, rather than expensive, toxic medication with its side effects? Speak to your doctor and if necessary get him or her to monitor what’s happening and change whichever makes sense to you - with regard for your doctors advice of course!

The occasional person may be allergic or sensitive to garlic. Too much garlic can cause indigestion in some people and can irritate the skin in a few sensitive individuals, but don’t let that keep you from using this wonderful herb if possible. You’re body will thank you for it.

LOSE WEIGHT AND LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE WITH CHILI

Capsicum species

Chilies (sometimes spelled Chilli with two l’s) are hot stuff and they’re amazing! Don’t these herbs just keep get better and better?

Chilies originated in Mexico and central North America and evidence indicates that they have been used since 7000BC - that’s a long time! They were introduced into Asia in the 16 century and became part of the staple diet in Asian countries.

Chilies are easily grown from seed or alternatively you can buy plants or seedlings at perhaps a local market or a nursery. Chili plants can either be grown in the ground or they grow easily in pots. They aren’t too keen on frost, so if in a frosty area move them to a sheltered spot when the frosts are around and if you have a dog that eats literally anything like our old Bull Mastiff Nala, you might have to hide them from the dog. We were blaming the birds for stealing our very hot chilies from our chili bush only to discover that it was actually the dog stealing them as they were ripening up!

Chilies are a bit like garlic in that they’ve been used as long as humans have been eating and they share with Garlic the ability to have huge health benefits on all parts of the body. Chilies help to keep us strong and healthy, boosting the immune system and making us feel great.

Chili works as a pain killer in the body and has been shown to help with headache and migraine. It is used in salves and ointments which are used externally to treat the pain of arthritis and other pain.

It is a well known and researched anti cancer herb and it, like garlic, helps to lower blood pressure, keep your heart healthy and is even thought to boost metabolism helping to those consuming them to lose or control their weight! Chili has been shown to reduce inflammation in the body and in the digestive tract, and can help to kill the bacteria that causes stomach ulcers.

Again, use it in your cooking whenever possible. Fresh is best or dried if fresh is not available. There are many different varieties of chili with differing flavours and some are definitely hotter than others.

Experiment and find something you like. A word of warning tho, they are addictive and over time the taste buds tend to grow to like it hotter and hotter if you consume them regularly. That’s not a bad thing though - chilies truly are an awesome food and full of vitamins A and C!

How do I use Chili?

My husband Ray, has recently become a chili fan after quitting smoking (it’s interesting what happens with the taste buds once you quit the fags because prior to quitting, he could not handle any chili at all and complained bitterly if I even put a sniff of it in his meal!). He has been known of late, to add fresh chili to his coffee (in the plunger) from time to time. I must admit, it adds a nice kick as long as it’s not too much.

I use chilies mostly in cooking - sauces, soups, stews -pretty much anything really.

I add chili to herbal tea’s sometimes also - once again it gives a healthy kick!

Use raw in salads without the seeds, or scorch the skins over a flame or in the grill and remove the skins and seeds to create a sweet, hot treat to add to a salad or over a nice piece of steak.

I have also read of people using Habenero Chilies (one of the hottest chilies you can get) on toast to combat cancer along with ginger. If you Google it you’ll find information on people using this treatment (I personally have never needed to try this and I’m hoping that with my regular consumption of these herbs along with a healthy lifestyle I won’t have to!)

THE HEALER: ALOE VERA

Aloe barbadensis

Aloe Vera originates from East Africa and is a very easy plant to grow - in fact it pretty much thrives on neglect. I find it best to grow it in a pot or somewhere where it is easy to contain it because if it likes it’s growing conditions, it can multiply and spread readily!

Aloe Vera is sometimes confused with Agave and other succulents that don’t have the same properties as the true Aloe Vera as they look kind of the same, however once you’re familiar with what Aloe Vera looks like you’ll find that you don’t confuse it with anything else.

Aloe has been used forever and research has shown it to have incredible healing powers when used internally or externally. Externally Aloe can be used for many skin problems, will assist the healing of wounds and will relieve itching. It is incredibly soothing and helps with burns, including sunburn where it’s application is cooling, soothing and refreshing. It can be said that if it hurts, stings, itches or burns put aloe vera on it. We even discovered that fresh aloe vera gel relieves the burning paint that is caused by rubbing the eyes or face after cutting up chilies. This is something that I seem to do regularly and it doesn’t matter how often I do it I just don’t learn!

To use aloe externally, break a leaf off and cut it open. Apply the fresh gel inside the leaf by wiping it over the skin.

Used internally, research and practical use has proven aloe to be most useful in digestive issues where again it is extremely healing, calms inflammation and gives relief to many complaints.

Aloe can be prepared at home for internal use, however I personally have never done it myself. Apparently it is important to get rid of the yellow sap found in close to the outer part of the leaf as it can cause cramping and diarrhea (unless you’re constipated that is) - that’s always put me off so I haven’t tried it myself. I purchase a good brand of aloe vera juice to use internally. There are many brands of Aloe Vera juice on the market, but many are not good quality and not worth taking - do your homework to find a good brand.

Used internally Aloe has anti cancer properties (isn’t it exciting that these herbs are all known to help prevent cancer?). Studies have also shown aloe to be of great benefit in cases of AIDs where it has been used regularly.

Aloe Veran has shown to be of benefit for indigestion, asthma, arthritis, diabetes, liver problems, hemorrhoids, urinary tract infections, prostate problems and much, much more.

Note: Too much aloe vera can cause digestive disturbance, and avoid this herb during menstruation if you have trouble with heavy bleeding as it will make the bleeding heavier!

How do I use Aloe Vera?

I use Aloe externally by applying the fresh gel to sunspots, sunburn, skin problems, itches, bites etc.

I have used aloe inside my ears to give relief from itchy ears, by applying the aloe gel with a cotton bud.

I’ve used it also to get rid of warts - Aloe vera applied to warts and verucas daily will eventually get rid of them (it can take a while but stick at it. If you forget a day or two, it doesn’t matter, just keep at it).

Aloe vera is a herb that once you’ve got it in your garden, can be there for life just waiting to be needed which is often once in the habit of using it.

FROM CANCER TO MORNING SICKNESS: GINGER

Zingiber officinale

Ginger originates from South East Asia and has been cultivated for so long that it is no longer found growing wild. The part used is the root of the plant and gives the ‘zing’ to Asian dishes and Indian chutneys.

The Chinese consider ginger an important herb to treat colds and to encourage sweating. Ginger is also very effective for treating digestive disorders such as gas and nausea. Due to its effect on reducing nausea, it is widely used to prevent motion sickness and the common morning sickness experienced by many women during pregnancy.

Ginger is warming which makes it useful to get rid of a fever and it stimulates the circulation. The essential oil is wonderful in massage oil and great for producing heat and increasing circulation in sore muscles.

Ginger also has anti cancer properties (another one!) and has been used in alternative cancer treatments and has been used (as previously mentioned) with habenero chilies to treat cancer. It also helps to reduce inflammation in the body.

How do I use Ginger?

I use ginger a lot in my cooking - chopped finely or grated in any asian style dish or stir fry.

I also use it in a tea regularly (daily at present). It’s so easy to make - just slice some ginger, put in a cup and fill with boiling water. I sometimes mix it with Fennel Seed, producing a great tasting tea, that calms the belly and gets rid of any flatulence (always handy!) and just helps to keep me healthy (fennel seed is reputed to help with weight loss also). Ginger tea is great for morning sickness and motion sickness.

If I ever feel like I may be getting a cold I make a tea with fresh ginger, thyme, lemon juice and rind, honey and sometimes some garlic or chili. Mmmmmmm! Those cold bugs don’t stand a chance!

THYME FOR COUGHS AND COLDS

Thymus vulgaris

Thyme is a creeping ground cover with small white to lilac flowers. Small oval leaves that come to a point. Very fragrant and grows to 30cm high and 30cm wide.

This tough little ground cover will grow almost anywhere. It grows naturally from the West Mediterranean to Southwest Italy where it grows on dry rocky soil. Give Thyme a sunny spot and it will generally flourish. Thyme can be propagated from seed or I have always found the easiest way was to dig up a piece with some roots and transplant it. Do it away from frosts, but still when
the weather is cool and the soil damp, to give it time to establish before the heat of summer. There are apparently over 200 different species of thyme and there is often confusion when it comes to identifying them even in nurseries.

They are all suitable for use in cooking with some having different flavors such as Lemon Thyme and Caraway Thyme.

I use thyme often in cooking - in soups, stews and pasta sauces. It has a great flavor and used regularly will help to keep you and those you cook for healthy. As a bit of a guide, if I were cooking a sauce for four people, I’d pick and use a couple of tablespoons (once chopped) depending on how many other herbs I’m using with it. I often use Rosemary and Sage along with Garlic and a bit of Chili. Chop it up finely removing any woody stalks. The thin soft branches that chop up easily are ok to leave in usually.

Thyme for coughs!

Thyme is amazing for coughs - this is where it stands out above anything else I’ve ever come across. It has been used to treat coughs throughout history, including whooping cough and bronchitis. Thyme is great for clearing congestion. Thymol (considered to be the effective constituent contained in thyme) is used in many pharmaceutical cough syrups, however as is always the case, ‘the whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts’ - meaning that by taking the Thymol and removing it from the rest of the constituents contained in the herb and then adding who knows what (sugar, colours and other not so healthy stuff) to create the end product, the commercial cough syrups generally remain only marginally effective if at all.

Nature really is much smarter and provides us with these little bundles of parts, wrapped up as a whole, in the perfect combinations to be used by us and to be effective in producing health.

I first got an inkling into Thyme and it’s use for coughs many years ago when my daughter as a young child, used to suffer terribly with a cough that appeared each time she had a bit of a cold, and would continue for sometimes months after the cold was gone. It would keep her awake and night, and would concern the school teachers so much that they would phone us to come and get her even though she was not ‘sick’ as such, but would cough until she gagged. The doctor, convinced that it was asthma prescribed every manner of asthma preventative, puffer, inhaler etc that he could - none made the slightest difference. We had tried all the cough syrups, mixtures and anything else we came across. This continued for a few years until we tried Thyme. The Thyme didn’t stop her getting the cough, but it did stop it in it’s tracks, allowed her to sleep and generally cleared it up in a few days rather than months! She hated the stuff, but eventually realized that it did work and so took it happily. I used to send her to school with a drink bottle full of Thyme tea so she could have some during the day, which she gladly did.

Thyme is also great as a gargle for gum disease and throat infections. It has shown to be effective against the shingles virus (herpes zoster), it helps digestion, may help with menstrual cramps and can help destroy parasites.

How do I use Thyme?

To make the Thyme tea - simply pick about a tablespoon of leaves and stalks, put in a cup and fill with boiling water. Cover the cup to keep the steam in for about 5 minutes and it’s ready to go. Easy as that!

If you don’t like the taste as it is, add some fresh lemon juice and a teaspoon of raw honey - It’s delicious! This tea can be used also at the onset of a cold. It’ll usually stop it in its tracks I find. For this purpose I usually add some fresh ginger as well as the lemon and honey - even some Cayenne Pepper. If I feel like I’m coming down with something, I’ll have one before bed. See how I feel in the morning - if I still feel a little like it might be there (or even if it doesn’t) I’ll have another in the morning. No virus or bug is going to beat that combination!

The great thing is that you can have it as much as you like, it’s only going to do your body good.

THE MASTER ALKALISER: LEMON

Citrus limon

We all know lemons - they’re the sour, yellow fruit that we squeeze over our fish right?

As common as this fruit is, it’s under utilized, undervalued and very useful for keeping healthy!

Lemons are easily grown. Once you get a tree established either in the garden or a large tub, it will probably keep you in lemons all year round. They are a beautiful tree with glossy leaves and get covered in white blossoms with their gorgeous citrus smell!

Lemon juice taken in water, daily, is probably one of the simplest things you can do for your health. I do it off and on, but really should keep it up.

Although lemons are acidic, in your body they become alkaline. Lemon water is useful for bloating, indigestion and heartburn, arthritis, gout, and will assist the bowels to eliminate waste efficiently, helping with constipation and diarrhea.

The lemon is a wonderful herb for the liver and is thought to help dissolve gallstones. It helps those who have problems with bleeding disorders and excessive menstruation.

It’s great in cases of colds, flu, and for coughs, asthma and sore throats.

It’s a real health tonic. There are apparently scientific reasons as to why it is so effective - apparently to do with cations and anions but I won’t go into that here. Suffice it to say that everyone could do with a little lemon each day. Remember always use fresh lemon juice - not the bottled stuff!

How do I use lemon?

I use it in herbal teas sometimes - with thyme, ginger, and some honey for instance.

I use lemon and it’s peel in my fresh juices and I use it in water as described above.

During our hot summers we drink a lot of Italian sparkling mineral water. Each afternoon we would sit in the sun with a glass of icy cold mineral water with lemon squeezed into it - just lovely!

Note that Limes have the same properties and can be used instead of lemons.

FROM BREAST MILK TO FARTS: FENNEL SEED

Foeniculum vulgare

Fennel is the tall feathery looking plant that is commonly seen growing as a weed on the side of the road and on wasteland type areas in temperate climates. It looks similar to and can be mistaken for Dill.

Fennel bulbs are commonly seen in the vegetable section of the supermarket these days and is becoming a little more known as a vegetable. It has a strong licorice flavour and can be used raw in salads or cooked as a hot vegetable.

It has long been suggested that consuming fennel helps with weight loss and it is an effective diuretic. Fennel seed is very effective at calming the digestive system, relieving flatulence, and other digestive issues such as indigestion, constipation and diarrhea. It was one of the ingredients in the ‘Gripe Water’ that we used to give to our babies to relieve colic.

Fennel promotes the production and flow of milk in breast feeding mums with the properties of the fennel passing through to the milk and so preventing colicky babies.

It also works for animals such as goats and fennel is used to boost milk production by canny goat farmers!

Other uses for fennel include menstruation problems, anemia, respiratory problems, and eye problems.

How do I use fennel?

Occasionally I buy fennel bulb and use it in cooking or salads, but after doing this research I think I’ll start buying it more often and juice it!

I mostly use the seeds. I use them in soups and stews for flavouring and to impart their wonderful assistance with digestion. I use the seeds to make tea a lot. Of late I combine them with fresh ginger. It makes a wonderful relaxing and refreshing tea. Slice some fresh ginger. Put in a cup along with about half a teaspoon of fennel seed. Fill with boiling water. Cover for a few minutes to keep the steam and with it the volatile oils in, then drink.

The seeds can also be chewed after meals to aid digestion and settle the belly.

Note: as with many things too much can be a problem. Fennel oil like all essential oils is concentrated and can cause unwanted health effects. I prefer to stick with safer options. If you do use it for any reason do your research and find out how to use it and what the dangers are first!

BREATH DEEP AND BE CALM WITH LEMON BALM

Melissa officinalis

Lemon balm has its common name due to its smell of lemons and is an attractive plant that grows well in pots, as it prefers good drainage (wet ground can kill it). It’s not keen on frost so keep it under cover during frosty weather. It self seeds readily.

Lemon balm originates in the Mediterranean and has been cultivated for at least 2000 years.

The Muslim herbalist Avicenna recommended the herb ‘to make the heart merry’.

It has been claimed that it can revitalize the whole body. John Hussey, of Sydenham, who lived to the age of 116, breakfasted for fifty years on Balm tea sweetened with honey, and this breakfast habit was shared by Llewelyn Prince of Glamorgan, who died in his 108th year! When in flower it will attract bees in great numbers for they obviously realise its value!

It is a great herb for the nervous system. It is a tranquilliser, it calms a nervous stomach, colic and heart spasms. The leaves are reputed to lower blood pressure. Its actions are very gentle, as well as being effective and so is often suggested for children and babies. Lemon balm lifts the spirits and is helpful in cases of depression, nervousness and insomnia.

The tea quickly brings on a sweat that will help to combat fevers, colds and flu and has antiviral properties that have been shown to be effective against mumps, herpes (cold sores) and other viruses.

Because Melissa is used in Europe to treat Graves disease (hyperthyroid) there is confusion about its effects on the thyroid - the assumption being that it only lowers production of thyroid hormones. However, it has also shown to raise thyroid hormone in cases of under active thyroid (hypothyroid) and so probably works more as a ‘balancer or regulator’ of hormones. Herbs generally do not work the way that drugs do by causing one specific reaction, they often work instead, with our bodies to correct, balance and heal.

Lemon balm boosts the immune system, stimulates the liver and gallbladder promoting detoxification and has an energising effect on people with fatigue.

How do I use it?

I use it in a tea. Pick a couple of sprigs, put in a cup or teapot and cover with boiling water. Sweeten with honey if desired (always raw honey - not pasteurised) and enjoy!

LOVELY AND VERY HANDY: LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL

Lavender oil is a must have for the medicine cupboard. It can be used for so many things! It’s probably the safest and most well known of all the essential oils and can be used on the skin straight from the bottle without diluting.

Note: Always make sure you buy a good quality, pure 100% essential oil! Not a cheap fragrant oil or mixed oil. Lavender oil is commonly tainted, if it’s cheap, it’s probably not pure and therefore unsuitable for use on your body!

Lavender oil is anti fungal, anti bacterial, anti viral, soothing, restorative, healing and just amazing stuff!

For this I’m going to list its uses - it has so many! I either have used it or still use it for the following:

Massage - mix a few drops with a good quality cold pressed vegetable oil (Olive or Sweet Almond or Grapeseed) - make sure it’s cold pressed though!

Rub a little on the temples for headache

Use straight on bites and stings - especially ant bites!

As described earlier, mixed with slippery elm, and use as poultice for splinters, spider bites, boils - anything requiring drawing

Applied straight for thrush - it burns a bit, but calms itching quickly and I always found it got rid of it quicker than pharmaceutical creams/treatments.

Use straight on pimples

Use straight on cuts, wounds etc

Put a drop on babies bedding and they will sleep soundly

Use a few drops in the bath for relaxation

Use on sunburn, burns and scalds it is one of the absolute best treatments!

Burn it in the oil burner - it’s relaxing and helps stop the spread of colds, flu etc

Use in ointments or in skin care

Add it to natural hair treatments and products

There are so many uses for Lavender oil! I always pack it whenever we go away anywhere - it’s a must have.

BREATH EASY WITH PEPPERMINT ESSENTIAL OIL

Again, as with Lavender, ensure that what you are buying is top quality, 100% essential oil.

Peppermint oil is used a lot in commercial products such as dental products, sweets and more both for it’s flavour and for it’s scent. It’s a flavour that most people are familiar with and many of us are partial to.

Peppermint oil can be taken internally by putting a few drops in a glass of water. Drink it for indigestion, upset stomach or low appetite. It can also be diluted and applied to the forehead to relieve headache.

I think Peppermint essential oil surpasses all others for clearing the nose and congestion when suffering colds, sinus or any time that the nose is congested for whatever reason. It can be used by putting a couple of drops on a tissue or it can be inhaled in steam by adding the oil to hot water and then covering the head and bowl with a towel and inhaling in the vapours.

Used externally it helps to relieve pain and aids circulation.

Inhaling peppermint oil clears the head and makes you more alert. Burn it in the oil burner for it’s lovely minty fragrance and it’s head clearing effect.

USED FOR ALMOST EVERYTHING: APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is another remedy that has more uses than I can list here - do some research! It’s amazing stuff.

Always buy raw, unpasteurised ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) that contains the ‘mother’. You can tell it’s the good stuff by looking through the bottle - it will have the cloudy sediment which is the ‘mother’ floating around the bottom of the bottle. If the ACV you’re looking at is all clear and clean looking (as most of those that you find in the supermarket are), it’s pasteurized and won’t have the same health giving effects.

Of course you can use ACV on salads and in dressings, but it can also be used in other ways.

You can take it in water on a daily basis. The recommendation is 2 tablespoons daily added to water and sipped throughout the day (although some people take more). When I first started taking ACV I personally found this too much for me every day as it seemed to upset my belly, so I started with only half a teaspoon to a teaspoon a day and then gradually increased it. I now take two tablespoons in water every morning with no problems.

Taken in water it helps with weight loss. It also helps with tummy upsets and can be useful if you think you might have eaten something that’s going to give you a dose of food poisoning! It can help to stop diarrhea in it’s tracks also.

Add it to your pets water also, to keep them healthy - they’ll love you for it.

ACV can be used externally on skin complaints and as I described earlier, I used it in my poultice with slippery elm and lavender oil with amazing success for my spider bite!

As I already said, do some more learning on this one - it’s amazing the results some people get with this. Experiment for yourself and see how you go with it.

A great way to take ACV is to mix it not only with water, but add some liquid stevia and vanilla essence to sweeten.

FROM GOUT TO CLEANING: BAKING SODA

Bicarbonate Of Soda or Baking Soda is one of those simple remedies that was used commonly for all sorts of ailments in the past, but has been almost forgotten about by most people in this age of pharmaceutical drugs and scientific medicine.

Bicarbonate of Soda (otherwise known as bicarb or baking soda)is one of the remedies that my little Nana used to use recommend and use herself for an upset tummy or indigestion and it works brilliantly.

First and foremost, make sure that when you buy baking soda to take internally you buy an aluminium free variety. This comes as a bit of a shock to many people who don’t realise that most of the brands carried in the supermarket chains contain aluminium which means that while they’re suitable for cleaning you really don’t want to take them internally. If you visit your local health food store, they’re likely to carry a brand without aluminium or at least be able to order one in for you if you ask.

Baking soda helps keep your body alkaline

Keeping your body PH slightly on the alkaline side is known to be one of the factors that will help to keep you healthy. When the PH of your body is too acid it can cause ill health and be a contributing factor to all sorts of diseases from cancer to arthritis. Bicarbonate of Soda has been used for many years as a home remedy as well as being used both historically and currently in the emergency rooms of hospitals around the world to save lives.

Baking soda can be used to help to keep your body more alkaline and in fact it’s ability to alkalise is the reason it works so well for many of the ailments that it assists with. For example when you take it for an upset tummy, that’s why it works - it’s combating the acidity in the digestive system that’s causing the tummy upset or the heartburn. Note: Do not take baking soda after a very large meal

Baking soda is often very helpful in cases of gout and can work quickly to relieve the terrible pain that gout causes. I have read testimonials from people who having been long time gout sufferers and who have found that they can use baking soda to both prevent and relieve gout attacks successfully from the time that they come across this valuable piece of information.

Baking soda as a cancer treatment

There are a number of doctors around with world who are currently treating cancer patients with baking soda. Baking soda is apparently often used in oncology as an adjunct to chemotherapy treatment and it is being used by an oncologist named Dr Simoncini in Italy to treat cancer patients with amazing success instead of chemotherapy. You can read more about Dr Simoncini’s theories and his work with cancer in his book titled Cancer Is A Fungus: A Revolution in Tumor Therapy.

Another well known doctor using baking soda to treat cancer and more is Dr Mark Sircus. He has written an excellent and in depth book on using baking soda for many health issues including cancer. His book is Sodium Bicarbonate: A Full Medical Review.

Please note: It is highly recommended to test the PH level of your urine and saliva if using baking soda daily as being too alkaline can be life threatening. PH testing can be done with PH strips. For information on taking baking soda safely and contraindications visit Dr Sircus’s website here: http://drsircus.com/medicine/sodium-bicarbonate-baking-soda/warnings-and-contraindications.

Baking soda for odors including bad breath

One of the best applications for baking soda is to get rid of odors - all sorts of odors both in the house and from your body! A dish of baking soda in the fridge will help to stop smells lingering and used in drains it can help to remove bad smells.

Baking soda can also be used to clean teeth. That’s right - just wet your toothbrush, dip in the baking soda and brush your teeth with it. It will neutralise odors and help to stop bad breath leaving your teeth feeling great. If you don’t like the taste, do what I do and use a natural toothpaste that contains baking soda but that is flavoured with essential oils and stevia to make it taste better!

How to take Baking Soda

Dissolve baking soda in a glass of water and drink (it’s an acquired taste so be prepared). Some people take baking soda daily but be aware that there are reports that the salt it contains may contribute to high blood pressure and as already stated, you need to monitor your PH to ensure that you’re not taking too much.

MORE HANDY REMEDIES WORTH KNOWING ABOUT

More Remedies Worth Knowing About

I’ve added some extras here that I use off and on, that I’ve found to be invaluable. I’m certain you will too.

Charcoal

Charcoal is black, powdered, activated charcoal and comes in tablets or capsules. Charcoal is used for belly problems, gas, diarrhea, constipation, indigestion etc.

Charcoal is useful for hangovers - a useful piece of information we discovered many years ago! It is also used in emergencies, as it is effective in absorbing some poisons and can save a life used correctly and taken in a sufficient amount (it is commonly used in A&E departments of hospitals and by veterinarians for patients that have been poisoned).

Charcoal is also useful for bad breath and body odours and can be purchased from health shops.

Bach Rescue Remedy

Bach Rescue Remedy is a flower remedy which are homeopathic type remedies created from specific flowers. It is useful for people and animals alike during times of nervousness, stress, fear, or anxiety. It can also be used in times of bereavement, relationship breakdowns, shock, accident/emergency etc. Rescue Remedy is completely safe for all ages and is a very handy remedy to have on hand at all times (I carry a bottle in my hand bag and have done for many years).

This too can be purchased from health shops and from some Naturopathic physicians.

Coriander

Coriander or Cilantro as it is also called known, is commonly used in Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. It has a strong taste, and can take a bit of getting used to if you are not accustomed to its flavour.

Coriander is a herb that I’ve only added as one of my regulars in the past few years. It has many health giving benefits, but one that stands out is its ability to remove heavy metals from the body. It works as a natural chelation treatment removing heavy metals such as lead, aluminium and mercury from the body efficiently and quickly. This is great news for those of us with amalgam fillings!

Honey

Honey has been used as a food and a medicine throughout history. It’s great for colds and flu. In recent years the healing properties of honey have become more mainstream as it has been realized that it is very effective in treating stubborn, resistant leg ulcers as well as other antibiotic resistant bacterial infections such as Golden Staph. Some types of honey are more efficient than others depending on the flora the honey is made from, but all have health giving properties.

Make sure the honey you buy is raw, unpasteurised honey. Most brands found in the supermarket are pasteurized. Buy organic honey or local honey from a market or the like where it is straight from the hive to the jar to ensure that you get all the health giving enzymes and other goodness contained in natural raw honey (these enzymes etc are killed during the pasteurisation process).

Juicing

Juicing fruits, herbs and vegetables will give your health an amazing boost - guaranteed. Do it often and make it a habit. Be careful not to use too much fruit as it can be too much concentrated sugars, although sometimes more fruit is needed for juicing newbies - particularly for children. Ideally however use just a little low sugar fruit such as green apples to make it taste better and try to make the bulk of the juice from herbs and vegetables.

I have stages where I juice every morning for breakfast and a while back I lived on juice only (no solid food) for three months. What I did is known as ‘juice feasting’. This is where you consume 3 to 4 litres of juice per day for a period of time. Many people use juice feasting to lose weight and to improve their health. I can tell you that after 3 months on a juice feast, I was 12 kilos down, I felt amazing and I didn’t want to stop. The trickiest part of juice feasting is ending it and getting the digestive system working efficiently again - slowly is key! For more info on juice feasting visit www.juicefeasting.com.

Juices are truly delicious and they’re great for your health. Make sure you include lots of green vegetables in your juices. You can use any variety and combinations of vegetables and fruit - cucumbers are one of my favourites when combined with some carrot, celery and apple. The cucumber juice is refreshing and very cleansing!

Find out which vegetables or herbs might help whatever it is you are working on resolving. For example, using celery will lower blood your pressure - add some coriander and you’ll be ridding your body of the heavy metals that are contaminating it - or just add whatever you like the taste of! It’s quick and simple and your body will love you for it.

Fresh juices are almost always used in natural treatments for serious health issues such as cancer and can be very effective for their use but my suggestion is to use them as part of a preventative program to help prevent cancers and the like. It is much simpler and more efficient to prevent disease than trying to resolve the health problem once it’s appeared!

A FEW RESOURCES TO HELP YOU GET STARTED ON SOME FURTHER RESEARCH

Books For Further Reading

http://amzn.to/YfnMmW

http://amzn.to/ZiU7Ad (I have owned a copy of this book for many years and it is very useful)

Websites: Remedies General

http://www.earthclinic.com/

Slippery Elm

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/slippery-elm-000274.htm

Baking Soda

http://www.curenaturalicancro.com/en/

http://drsircus.com/medicine/sodium-bicarbonate-baking-soda

http://www.naturalnews.com/027481_prostate_cancer_baking_soda.html

http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/baking_soda.html

THANK YOU

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For more information visit my site: www.toxinfreefuture.com

For more books by this author: www.amazon.com/SusanWoledge

Table of Contents

Essential Home Remedies

Dedication

Contents

How it all started

The Digestive Healer: Slippery Elm

A Natural Antibiotic: Garlic

Lose Weight and Lower Blood Pressure With Chili

The Healer: Aloe Vera

From Cancer To Morning Sickness: Ginger

Thyme For Coughs and Colds

The Master Alkaliser: Lemon

From Breast Milk To Farts: Fennel Seed

Breath Deep And Be Calm With Lemon Balm

Lovely And Very Handy: Lavender Essential Oil

Breath Easy With Peppermint Essential Oil

Used For Almost Everything: Apple Cider Vinegar

From Gout To Cleaning: Baking Soda

More Handy Remedies Worth Knowing About

A Few Resources To Help You Get Started On Some Further Research

Thank You