Category Archives: health

Healing Remedies from the Kitchen

Merry meet all,

Our health is vitally important. Lately I felt ill. I suffered heachaches, an earache, vomiting, and I believed I had a fever (which two doctors confirmed wasn’t true), and a sore throat- which I still have. I went and was tested for the Corona Virus which I don’t have thankfully. I was confirmed negative. I am fine and I happily bought groceries today.

However, I have excellent health remedies that are simple, affordable and available to all. I am happy to share them with you.

Herbal Teas

I know you all want to reach for a cup of joe/ mocha but hear me out. Caffeine can make you more alert and I drink it too. In fact, I just bought a new coffeemaker today. Limit your caffeine intake though. You have to add cream if you do take your coffee that way. That can exacerbate a cold or flu.

Herbal teas are powerful healing remedies. I have a sore throat and I always make sure I have Traditional Medicinals Herbal teas at hand. The Throat Coat variety is the best for truly soothing an aching throat. It is better than cheap lozenges. I am not trying to replace a medical practitioner though. These herbal teas are organic  and full of potent power to help soothe and heal you. Chamomile tea is good too.  Chamomile is anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and has astringent properties. Peppermint tea is healing too. which helps thin mucus and calm sore throats and coughs. Peppermint also has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral properties, which may encourage healing.

Honey is the next best thing to heal your body and soothe a sore throat. Honey is naturally antibacterial. The bees can’t be wrong.

If you are uber muchly into organic remedies. try licorice root for soothing a sore throat. You can try fenugreek and marshmallow root. For an added bonus, these herbs may be in the herbal teas I mentioned above. 

Gargle with salt water. This kills the bacteria present in your throat which can speed healing. 

Dilute 1 to 2 tablespoons of ACV in one cup of water and gargle with it. Then take a small sip of the mixture, and repeat the whole process one to two times per hour. Make sure to drink lots of water in between the gargling sessions.
There are many different ways of using ACV to treat sore throats, depending on the severity of the illness and also your body’s sensitivity to vinegar. It is best to first consult your doctor or healthcare practitioner.

Garlic
Garlic also has natural antibacterial properties. It contains allicin, an organosulfur compound known for its ability to fight off infections.

Studies have shown that taking a garlic supplement on a regular basis can help prevent the common cold virus. Adding fresh garlic to your diet is also a way of gaining its antimicrobial properties. Your grandmother might have told you to suck on a clove of garlic to sooth a sore throat. Because garlic has many healing actions, you might try this, though you may want to brush your teeth afterward to protect your teeth from enzymes and improve your breath.
Cayenne pepper or hot sauce
Often used as a pain reliever, cayenne pepper contains capsaicin, a natural compound known for blocking pain receptors.
Although not scientifically proven, ingesting cayenne mixed with warm water and honey can help with pain relief for sore throats. Remember that an initial burning sensation is common. Cayenne should not be taken if you have open sores in your mouth. Start with just a few drops of hot sauce or a light sprinkle of cayenne, as both can be very hot.

Sore throat remedies for infants and children
Sore throats in infants and young children definitely aren’t fun, but the good news is that they’re rarely the sign of a medical emergency on their own. Still, treating sore throats may be different for infants and children. Here are a few tips and remedies:
Add cool mist or a humidifier to your child’s room. Moisture in the air can help relieve pain from a sore throat.
Keep children hydrated by encouraging them to drink as much as possible. Avoid juices or popsicles with lots of citrus.
Children under 5 years should not be given hard candy cough drops or anything else that might pose a choking risk. Use caution when giving cough drops to children under 10 years.
Don’t give honey to children who are younger than 1 year.
Prevention
To prevent sore throat, stay away from people who are sick with an infectious illness like the flu or strep throat. Wash your hands frequently. Try to avoid spicy or acidic foods, and stay away from chemical fumes or smoke that could cause inflammation.
Over-the-counter treatments
When natural remedies just aren’t cutting it, there are several over-the-counter treatment options. Acetaminophen can be effective for sore throat, and it can be given to young children.
Over-the-counter options like lozenges or numbing sprays can also provide relief. Other potential sore throat soothers include eucalyptus, which you’ll likely find in natural throat lozenges and cough syrups.
Buyer beware
Herbs and supplements are not monitored by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for quality, packaging, dosage, or safety. Also, the batches may be different from container to container. Lack of regulation means that each supplement might give you a different medicinal dose. Be careful using these remedies, and be sure to buy from a reputable source.

Bacterial infections, such as strep throat, whooping cough, and diphtheria, are responsible for only a small percentage of sore throats. Most doctors recommend calling a doctor only in cases of severe sore throat, such as sore throat with a fever or when swollen tonsils block the throat.
Trying out some of these natural remedies may help you feel better more quickly and save you a trip to the doctor’s office. To feel your best, make sure you also drink lots of fluids and get plenty of rest.

There you have it, Hopefully these remedies prove helpful to you. Be well and stay safe!! 

Blessings, Spiderwitch

 

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Organic

Merry Meet All,

Sorry I haven’t blogged in a while. I’ve been busy with things lately. Life gets in the way.

Today I am going to talk about being organic. It is becoming more and more important to me. I am rejecting the non organic foods and other products in the stores. I use organic cotton sheets, organic clothing, and I eat organic food. I am making this choice in my life for the following reasons.

I want to help the environment. I feel better when I know I have made the right choice. We are all getting what we want but at what price? There is always a price. However, I have a conscience. I have chosen to make the right choice. I want to help my health. My health is improved since I have been eating organic food. I want to inspire others to be more organic and make the choice to be more earth-friendly. Mother Earth is being treated terribly for the price we are forcing her to pay for our greed and over consumption of her finite resources. I believe that what happened in Japan was Nature fighting back. You can go ahead and say I”m wrong and you’re entitled to it. Nature does fight back. I’m rooting for her and hope I am not alone in my mission. My cat gets a special grain free organic food diet. I’ve heard people mention her fur is shinier.

Organic cannot be a fad. It must be a commitment in our daily lives and philosophy. If we are out camping, it means not tossing cigarettes on the ground, putting out the fire, and disposing of chemicals in a safe way. We can’t expect the earth to absorb our manmade poisons, especially if the camping site was pristine before people arrived.

There was a time years ago when I would have screamed if I heard the word organic one more time. Now I have researched what it is about and I understand. It is as if a veil is parted from my eyes. I wish we all had that veil lifted to the true evils of the global corporations who believe the earth will continue to produce to meet selfish needs. We all need to dramatically change our lifestyles to save the earth. Or we will have nothing left and what will we do then?

David Suzuki said we all needed to die to save the planet. I agree with him. No other race or species has driven the earth and the human race to a doom so fast in history. After all the earth has given us, it is a fit sacrifice. There is no other planet that can support life to this magnitude. The human race needs to grow up and care for our Earth Mother. It is time to ask ourselves what are we willing to sacrifice for our Earth Mother?

Blessed Be,
Lady Spiderwitch

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Sweet Roots of Mabon (Llewellyn Recipe)

Merry Meet All,

Celebrate the festive magic of autumn with this delicious recipe. The recipe is from the Llewellyn datebook of 2011.

Sweet Roots of Mabon

1 large red potato
1 large yellow potato
1 sweet potato
4 carrots (depending on how many you’re cooking for)
1/8 cup honey
1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1 tablespoon grated ginger root

Scrub all the potatoes and carrots, leaving skins on. Cut off ends. Chop vegetables into 1-inch cubes and combine in large bowl.
In small bowl, combine the apple cider vinegar, honey, paprika, salt, and grated ginger root. Pour over veggies and toss gently to coat all the cubes.
Grease a 9 x 13-inch cooking pan. Spread the vegetables in an even layer in the pan. Cook at 325 degrees for 60 to 90 (30 should suffice) minutes. Every 30 minutes, use a turkey baster or wooden spoon to baste the vegetables with liquid from the pan (or extra honey and vinegar). All vegetables should be tender when done.
Elizabeth Barrette.

* I have added my own notes to this as I have found what works for me with the recipe. Sixty minutes seemed too long to cook the vegetables.
I like using a wooden spoon. Wooden spoons are natural, earth-friendly and reliable and least likely to contaminate food.

Enjoy
Blessed Be,
Lady Spiderwitch

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