Frugal family medicine. The more natural and doctor free the better.

HeatherLynn

Crowing
12 Years
May 11, 2009
2,045
42
284
Kentucky, Cecilia
Ok all my frugal buddies, I am looking for ways to improve our health and keep us healthy without over depending on doctors. So far the doctors just give us stuff that doesn't work or makes us even sicker. Also with insurance, health care changes, health care shortages blah blah blah.........well knowing how to take care of stuff myself will really come in handy.

So here is what we use so far and for what. Share what your family uses. What you just can't live without. Or even questions about something you have thought of trying.

Elderberry syrup or lozenges_ I love elderberry syrup and we take it at the first sign of a cold or at first exposure to someone sick. I add the dose to a bit of sprite and the littles drink it as super hero soda. They think it makes them invincible. I only like the nature made lozenges. The ones that turn my tongue purple. The white ones from walgreens seem to do nothing. I also have plants finally producing a small amount of my own elderberries now so soon I will make my own.

Honey- infections, sore throats and allergies. My brother provided ours but all his bees were killed so we are out of luck for fresh honey this year locally. Not thrilled. Kids take a spoonful for a sore throat. I also put it on burns.

Aloe- burns mostly, I have heard for tummy trouble but I am not sure enough of myself yet to try that one.

Apple cider/ cloves/ cinnamon/honey/ lemon- I warm these up all together and we drink it. You will sweat like mad at first but it has knocked out many colds and bugs so far. I got this from an old book. The lady said she taught a class on home remedies. Thats all I remember, I tried it, it worked and the family has kept using it.

garlic/willow oil drops- great for ear infections In a pinch I also used it for a sore that would not heal. Kept getting infected. Just rubbed it in.

Unkers- this we buy bulk but it works great for sore muscles and colds. My daughter swears if you have a cough and rub this on your feet it works. she hates how it smells but she grabs a pair of socks and makes me smear her feet when she gets a cough. This is in everyone nightstand.

Probiotics- we are stuck with pill form or buying kefir for now. Hopefully soon I will be making some kefir if I ever get that far down my list. We are pretty liberal about consuming it too. I would say everyone has some probiotics every day. Some are little kefir hogs and probably have tummies of steel by now.

apple cider vinegar- I really only use this for when I have an upset stomache or maybe a UTI. It seems to help a ton with these.

I just bought my first aromatherapy oils lavender, frankincense, and peppermint. Not sure exactly what to do with these as of yet. I put the lavender in some carrier oil and use it at night to help me relax. Peppermint I put in carrier oil and put in the tub. I would like to use these more if I had a better understanding.
 
The things my mother could post on here!!! She is really into home remedies. Some work, some don't. I will talk to her tomorrow and see what she says...if she has anything to add. Back in the 70's or 80's she bought the Foxfire Books and really used a lot of stuff out of them. Good idea for a thread!! Especially with medicine, insurance, and doc bills going through the roof!!
 
tea tree oil - for spots, minor skin infections, and scaring away headlice!
lavendar oil - to get rid of headaches.
 
I am on swanson website this morning, looking through what I need to order before cold and flu season hit. My 4 year old is going off to preschool so its back to catching every bug that comes around again. One thing great about homeschooling, we miss most of the stuff passed around.

So far;
elderberry lozenges x2
Elderberry syrup
hylands allergy relief ( only thing that even helps with hubbies)
hylands flu care 4 kids
hylands sniffles and sneezes
borchitis and asthma aid ( for me, bah)

If I am prepared usually we have a pretty mild season. Thats what I am shooting for.
 
I had a tooth/ gum abcess and no money for treatment. My wonderful neighbor gave me some Colloidal Silver to gargle and hold on the tooth 4 times a day. I kid you not in two days it ruptured, pain almost gone, by the end of 5 days pain completly gone. I love that stuff!
 
Ditto on the colloidal silver. I also was just introduced to Arnica Gel. It helps with bruising and sore muscles. It was given to my 90 year old bedridden Mom because her legs were massively bruised and her arms bruise if you just touch her. The legs were so bad the skin was splitting and oozing. After just a few days there was a great improvement. We found it at CVS in the first aid section. The guy that gave it to Mom uses it on the girls on his softball team if the fall or get hit with a ball. It helps keep the bruising down.
 
I use GSE diluted in water when I am getting ill. I started growing elderberry bushes a few years ago. I add the berries to oatmeal. Fresh garlic is antibacterial.

Catnip to mellow.Chamomile for tummies. Ginger for tummies.Rose hips for that vit C boost.I love to have pots of lemon balm,spearmint,chocolate mint,rosemary,thyme. I know they are each good for things. I mostly like to just brush them with a hand to get that uplifting scent.

I know it is a bane of many but I love my stinging nettle.Dandelion all parts good for you.

For warts rub the inside of a banana peel in it daily.A few weeks and it should be gone.

I like having some herbs for kids Super salve on hand for cuts. Traditional medicinal miso.Good for the gut. Seaweeds good for detoxing.
 
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Ok so recipe for kids super salve?

What exactly does the grapefruit seed extract do?

I get really bad brochitis every year ( I think I am sorta borderline asthmatic, I get asthmatic brochitis only at the same times each year but nothing the rest of the time) I have been using hylands seasonal allergy tabs which actually work for my allergies. I also use a brochitis and asthma aid they sell on swansons. I suck on those elderberry lozenges like there is no tomorrow. I would like to avoid getting these at all. My 2 youngest get spring and fall severe colds every year and we are facing an actual school room this year so ugggg.

Anyone have suggestions to just boosting the overall system. I get tired easily ( well I think so anyway). I just get run down with excessive work to do and excessive stress. I thought about buying the supermom vitamines and seeing if those helped at all.

I would love to make my own stuff for ear infections too. Those ear drops are danged expensive.
 
Sorta restarting this a bit if I may. Recently on the living frugal thread I bought up health problems brought on by what we eat. I have struggled a bit with gall bladder and have a tiny bit of I guess fat on my liver. Doctor said nothing needed to be done about it. Well, excuse me, I disagree. I have come to the conclusion that the most frugal thing I can do is to always consider our health when we are shopping for food, or growing food. That I have to invest in our health for the long term and somehow I will manage to do that while being frugal. That our plans to be sustainable cannot just be about saving money or being debt free. I want to be healthy enough to enjoy this whole debt free thing for a very very long time ( not there yet but close). Anywho I made a promise that unless medically necessary and no other way to avoid it I will not being taking steroids again which seems to be a favorite med from my doctor. I also have made myself a goal of eating 6 fresh, raw fruits or veggies a day. I think this is a good topic but not one that fits on the frugal living thread. It includes frugality but so much more also.

So what health issues do you think has been caused by the fast food, faced paced lifestyle or even the over processed commercial food we eat. Just because we cook at home does not make our food any healthier if it is loaded with chemicals and bacteria. So I am looking for stories, thoughts, advice, others struggling with this same topic. What have you cut out of your diet or added to your diet that really made a huge difference.

Ok so this is what I am doing. We grow some veggies but not nearly enough. I have my chickens but I admit I eat a lot of grocery store chicken. I do by my beef directly from a butcher so its fresher and less likely to be bacteria laden but still the hormones and antibiotics. I did buy some goats who I plan to get milk from but thats at least a year off. I also have a dairy cow. Thats more like 2 years off. So the plans are there. I cut beef and pork only from my diet ( the family still enjoys) and meat is a very small part of what I eat now. I have not yet given up lunch meat but I think I probably will do so. I am eating at least 4 servings of raw veggies each day, i am trying to work up to 6. Its not easy. I drink lots of water and teas ( herbal and green). I gave up caffeine which felt like I was dying and I cut back on soda. That's also one that will be going away. I will save a fortune in soda.

Goals:
more fruit trees
Bred my goats
make my own kefir
eliminate as many toxins from our diet and home as I can.
give up sugar and use natural sweeteners ( this one very well may kill me)
 

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