Tag: natural

Closer to Nature · Health

Safe, Natural Remedies For Common Ailments

JayneLeave a comment

When we get sick, our first instinct is to go to the doctor for advice. We trust that they have the skills and medications to correct whatever is wrong with us. 

Unfortunately, though, that’s not always the case. Many people wind up going to a local defective drugs and devices attorney because their physician prescribes them medication that actually harms their bodies. 

So what’s the solution? For many, it’s choosing safe, natural remedies instead. It turns out that there are already proven compounds out there in nature that can address the symptoms and causes of most diseases. What’s more, because they’re mostly just regular foods and herbs, they’re almost always safe (so long as you consume them in small quantities). 

Let’s take a look at some natural remedies for common health issues. 

Lavender For Anxiety

Natural remedies

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If you have anxiety, physicians will usually prescribe you drugs that change your brain’s chemistry. These can work in the short-term, but they’re a quick fix and don’t actually deal with the underlying issue. What’s more, some of them are unsafe or even addictive, making it possible to develop dependencies. 

Fortunately, lavender is not like this. This purple flower is natural and emits a scent which helps to calm the mind considerably. People who take lavender regularly report feeling happier and healthier as a result. Just pop some drops of essential oil in your diffuser or bring freshly cut lavender into your home. 

Ginger For Nausea

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Do you ever feel a little nauseous? If so, you might want to try ginger. 

Ginger is a bit of a superstar in the wellness field. Research suggests that it can do everything from protect our DNA to reduce migraines. It also contains compounds that help to soothe the receptors in the gut that cause nausea. 

If ginger doesn’t work, you can also try peppermint. Again, this herb helps to settle the stomach and improve the muscle tone of the bowel walls. 

Apple Cider Vinegar For Acid Reflux

Acid reflux occurs when stomach acid leaks out of the top of the stomach and begins to damage the surrounding esophagus. Long-term, it can lead to some nasty conditions, including Barrett’s disease and cancer.

Acid reflux is mostly the result of poor diet. If you eat too much sugar, meat and fat, and not enough fiber, your stomach acids will bubble over, causing you pain. 

To deal with this, you can use apple cider vinegar. It stimulates the digestive juices, preparing them for the food that you are about to eat. By itself, it doesn’t taste good, but it is extremely effective. 

Prunes For Constipation

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Prunes contain a special type of fiber called metamucil. When eaten as part of a whole prune, this fiber bulks up in the gut, providing it with a greater surface area on which to push. This, in turns, makes it easier to move stools out of the colon, helping you go to the bathroom. 

Just sprinkle six to ten dried prunes on your breakfast in the morning and then wait for the magic to happen. 

Health

8 Essential Items in a Natural Medicine Cabinet

Jayne1 Comment

Making the switch to holistic medicine is a change that can benefit both you and your family. Otherwise known as “complementary and alternative medicine,” holistic therapies include acupuncture, chiropractic care, homeopathy, and massage therapy among others. However, holistic practices also avoid pharmaceutical-grade chemicals in favor of natural healing remedies. If you’d like to learn more about all-natural medicine and which items can offer relief, keep reading—we’ve curated our top essential picks to have on hand when times are rough.

  • Immunity Boosters

At the first sign of a cold, having vitamins C and D on supply in order to boost your body’s immune system and ward off sickness can be a life saver. Vitamin C (or ascorbic acid) is a powerful antioxidant, is helpful to many bodily functions, and can be found in citrusy fruits such as oranges. Vitamin D supplements are especially helpful during winter months when sun exposure is low—and germ contamination is high—because it enables your body to produce over 200 antimicrobial peptides, which are indispensable for fighting off a wide range of infections.

  • Flu Relief

If you do succumb to a flu or cold, have peppermint essential oil available to help with nausea. A few drops into tea have proven to alleviate upset stomachs, while inhaling the scent of peppermint oil can trigger a sense of fullness and suppress the appetite. Massaging several drops of oil into the inner wrists can sooth general nausea or motion sickness, and rubbing it into the soles of your feet may help break a fever. Eucalyptus—in either loose leaf or essential oil form—is great for soothing coughs and clearing lungs. When inhaled through steam, it can help clear out your sinuses and congestion. I recently read a great article about how zinc can also be a great natural flu remedy.

  • Indigestion

The next time you experience digestion issues such as heartburn or acid reflex, try taking ginger capsules as an antidote; ginger root is one of the best natural remedies for treating acute stomach problems. You can also consume ginger in a number of recipes to add a delightful kick to food (which is also great for your health!).

  • Pain Meds

Arnica montana is an all-natural homeopathic healer that has been used for centuries to treat bruising, swelling, and pain associated with soft tissue injury. Arnica pills are essential for when you need relief for painful strains or sore muscles. The plant can also be applied topically to treat insect bites, arthritis, muscle or cartilage pain, chapped lips and acne.

  • First Aid

There are a number of natural medicines to use for first aid treatment. Cayenne is a powerhouse that should be stored in tincture or powder form. It can be rubbed into wounds to stop bleeding (beware of burn!) and, when consumed, rapidly dilate blood vessels through increased circulation. Aloe Vera is a plant most people are familiar with for its effectiveness at treating burns. Look for gels that are free of added chemicals and preservatives for when you need cooling relief.

  • Acne Infections

When your skin is infected with the P. acnes bacteria strains that lead to break outs and blemishes, turn to your trusted tea tree oil. This miracle worker has strong antimicrobial properties that can kill bacteria long after it’s applied, offering a natural skincare solution. Be sure to dilute the oil with water before swabbing it onto your skin, however, or you could risk irritation.

  • Anti-Stress Support

Located in the pantry instead of the medicine cabinet, chamomile is your go-to herb when you need to lower your stress levels. Its flavor is great to cook with, and has a calming and relaxing effect. When drank in a warm tea, chamomile can sooth anxiety and sleep difficulties, too. Lavender is another flower great at promoting relaxation; sprinkle some into a soothing bath for an aromatic soak.

  • Multi-Vitamins and Minerals

You should always have an ample amount of multi-vitamin and mineral supplements in supply. Look for a comprehensive formula that can help improve your health and vitality all year long. Depending on your current condition, look for labels that promote:

  • Nutrient absorption
  • Sustained energy levels
  • Bone strength and support
  • Collagen production
  • Detoxification
  • Cellular growth

Nature offers a solution for the most common ailments in our day to day lives. If you’ve decided to forego the chemicals found in pharmaceutical products, give these holistic treatments a try! As always, refer to your doctor for the best advice regarding your health.

Home

Products We’ve Replaced with Natural Alternatives

Jayne2 Comments

Since having kids, I’ve been a lot more aware of what’s in the foods we eat, as well as the products we use around the home and on our bodies. Obviously, we want everything around us, including ourselves, to be as clean as possible, but I really worry about the ingredients used in toiletries, cleaning products and other stuff that we’re exposed to on a daily basis. Recently, I’ve been trying to replace some of these things with more natural products, and I thought I’d share with you a few of them:

Aftersun/Moisturiser

Having as many different skin conditions as I do (psoriasis, dermatitis AND eczema) means that I have to be really careful about what I put on my skin and although the girls (thankfully) don’t have the same issues, they do both have sensitive skin. Many moisturisers are too heavily scented and full of preservatives for me, so I tend to opt for natural products containing Aloe Vera, like AloeClear. It’s soothing and moisturising and never irritates my skin like other products do.

Facial Cleanser

This one might sound bonkers, but I recently started using a facial oil to cleanse my face and realised that it’s basically just sunflower oil, scented with a few things! Once I’ve run out, I fully intend to start using grapeseed oil to cleanse my face as it’s great for your skin and a really neutral oil, with minimal odour. Adding a few drops of geranium oil will make it smell amazing, too!

Disinfectant

There are a number of all-natural disinfectants out there, but to be totally honest, you can’t beat white vinegar and bicarb for cleaning things around the home. They tend to do a better job of cleaning, don’t leave streaks over everything and I don’t have to worry about what the kids are breathing in.

Carpet Deodoriser

Because we have a dog, I’m always super conscious about the smell of our carpet, but all of the highly-scented carpet powders seem to make us feel chesty when we use them. Opting for bicarbonate of soda works just as well, if not better, at soaking up odours and it’s a fraction of the cost, as well as being totally natural. You can also add a few drops of essential oil if you want to make it smell nice, and it also makes your vacuum smell good when you use it, too!

Oven Cleaner

I’m not gonna lie, chemical oven cleaner SCARES ME. I used it once and splashed some on my arm and got an actual chemical burn – I am FAR too clumsy for hazardous materials! These days, I make a paste from bicarbonate of soda and apple cider vinegar and smear it all over the surfaces that need cleaning, leave it for a couple of hours and then wipe off with a scourer and warm water. Great cleaning power and no chance of losing layers of skin!

Do you use any natural alternatives? I’d love to hear them.

Closer to Nature

Closer to Nature – Moon Corner

Jayne3 Comments

Yesterday, I had to go and pay a cheque into the bank and as it’s only a ten minute walk and it was a nice day, I took a wander during my lunch hour. On my way, I spotted this little mosaic which was pretty run down and overgrown, but striking nonetheless. I loved the way that it looked as though the earth was reclaiming it again and there was something a bit spiritual about it, especially as I noticed it was called ‘Moon Corner’.

I couldn’t believe I’d never noticed it before and was excited to tell Husband about it when I got home. I barely got the word ‘mosaic’ out before he said “Yeah, that’s Moon Corner, it’s been there for years”. I did a quick Google search and didn’t come up with much info about it, other than one piece which said it had been made in collaboration with the Zimbabwean community, but I don’t know how true that is.

So, for my first ‘Closer to Nature’ in AGES, I give you Moon Corner, which may not be a natural occurrence but it certainly looks like nature is taking over once more.

 

 

So. I’ve shown you mine. Now it’s your turn to show me yours!

Mum's the Word

Review

Jackson Reece Review

JayneLeave a comment

Husband and I have always been pretty careful about what we use on Sausage’s skin as she’s quite a sensitive soul and her beautiful pale skin is often brought out in red rashes, just from brushing past the slightest thing. Even though she’s well out of nappies, we still have baby wipes around the house for wiping hands and faces, and of course now she’s toilet trained, moist toilet wipes are also a must to stop her from getting a sore little bottom!

When Jackson Reece asked us if we’d like to try out their range of baby wipes, I was nervous until I read their website which says:

Our wipes do not contain any of the following:
  • Alcohol
  • Parabens
  • SodiumLauryl Sulfate (SLS)
  • Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
  • Lanolin
  • Phthalates
  • (MIT) Methylisothiazolinone
  • Triclosan
  • Propylene glycol
  • Petro Chemicals
  • Benzoates
  • Phenoxyethanol
If that wasn’t enough to convince us that they were great for Sausage, it also says:
  • Certified Organic Aloe Vera naturally hydrating, healing & cooling.
  • Certified Organic Tea Tree Oil, naturally antibacterial.
  • Certified Organic Lavender Essential Oil, soothing and calming.
  • Bio-degradable wipes made from wood pulp which is a sustainable resource.
  • Compostable wipes which will degrade in twelve weeks in aerobic conditions and are registered by DIN CERTCO in Europe as compostable.
  • Cloth is made from nature and will degrade by nature
  • Our cloth is not chlorine bleached
  • Contains High Purity Water
  • Wipes are suitable for sensitive skins.
  • Wipes are really moist.
  • Are manufactured in the UK thereby reducing our carbon footprint.
  • Formula is not tested on animals.
  • Formula has a balanced ph.
  • Dermatologically and hypoallergenic approved.
  • We have disclosed the function and use of each ingredient on our packets so that parents can easily understand our formula. This is our open and honest approach to better care for babies & the environment.
  • A refreshing scent.
  • Do not leave hands sticky.
  • Degradable packaging that will degrade in a landfill site more quickly than regular baby wipe packaging.
  • Formula uses renewable natural plant resources derived from a unique vegetable based preservative system which is suitable for vegans.
Jackson Reece have also won a slew of awards from a series of big hitters in the baby world
So, what did we actually think of the wipes? Well, we were sent a selection including the Soothing Herbal baby wipes, the Unscented Herbal baby wipes and the natural flushable wipes. Sausage’s skin responded well to both lots of baby wipes, even the scented ones, whereas in the past we’ve struggled with scented products. The scent in the wipes is very natural and fresh, totally unlike any other baby product we’ve ever used actually, and made a very refreshing change from the usually highly scented, slightly talc-y smelling wipes. The wipes themselves were made from a brilliant material which meant that one wipe was enough for face and hands, rather than needing a whole bunch, as you so often do with the cheaper makes.
The toilet wipes were a godsend, the packet was small enough to slip into a handbag for trips into town where the loos inevitably have scratchy, horrible paper and knowing that I could flush them without pangs to the environmental conscience was a great aspect too. As a fairly fussy consumer, and an even fussier Mum, I feel like I can recommend these products to anyone without the slightest hesitation and Jackson Reece has actually taken the place of preferred brand in the Mum’s the Word household.