Natural Healing Remedies: 5 Tips

Sometimes my stress can manifest in my body as illness or ailments- if you’re anything like me, you’ll love my top five natural healing remedies!

Today, we’re going to look outside the traditional first aid kit at some homeopathic and nature-based ways to clean, cleanse and protect your body.

That may sound like witchy woo-woo, but many of the over-the-counter products Americans rely on include natural ingredients, so why not skip the extra chemicals and try the original recipes?

Keep reading to peruse a few of my favorite herbal remedies, poultices and elixirs for a little homegrown healing.

Dead Head

Nothing kills a productive day like a nasty headache. Before you pop a few pills to clear away the brain pain, consider a natural remedy instead.

Ginger root, with its anti-inflammatory powers, can be taken in capsule form or brewed with your favorite tea (I prefer green tea). 250 mg of ginger powder has even been shown to be as effective as the “conventional headache medication sumatriptan”. And this spicy superfood is also an amazing nausea reducer.  

Another effective and safe herb to try is feverfew. This medicinal plant also has anti-inflammatory properties and in particular, to “decrease of vascular smooth muscle spasm”. Goodbye, throbbing headache!  You can take a supplement of 50–150 mg per day to help reduce chronic headaches.

I Feel A Fever Coming On

Since flu season is creeping up on us faster than Halloween, it’s time to stock up on echinacea. This powerful herb is widely known for its immune-boosting abilities. It can be taken in capsule form, but you can also find echinacea-based teas in your local health food stores and loose tea shops.

If you do end up with a cold, here’s a natural cold remedy: cayenne pepper & lemon. I know it seems simple, but it works. Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin, which actually “stimulates the cooling portion of the brain known as the hypothalamus” and increases circulation. Citrus is naturally high in vitamin C and will help the drink taste a lot better. 😉 Simply sprinkle cayenne powder on your food, or add a pinch to a cup of hot water and a lot of fresh lemon juice.

I like to add in fresh grated or juiced ginger as well to give that cold a good kick in the ass.

Heart Aches

According to the American College of Gastroenterology, a quarter of all Americans report experiencing heartburn at least once a month. That gross, hot acid trapped in your throat and chest can lead to a loss of sleep, appetite and energy. In rare cases, a chronic condition can put you at risk for developing more serious conditions, such as esophageal cancer.

I know it’s tempting to reach for TUMS, but that’s actually the opposite of what you should do, and there are natural, better ways to get relief.

What to try instead? Baking soda. Baking soda is a base that “neutralizes stomach acid so that even if it comes up, you won’t feel that burning sensation.” Drink 8 ounces of water (all of it) with a teaspoon of baking soda. Just don’t use it more than 7 times in a day, though if you need it that often, you should definitely have a doctor check you out for gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD, one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide.

Ginger tea is also another solution (seriously, ginger is a like the super heroine of home remedies!) And for the maximum benefit, have a cup before your meals to prevent the problem in the first place.

If heartburn often wakes you from your slumber, make chamomile tea your new lullaby.  Drink it about 30 minutes before bed to balance the acidity in your stomach and then, sweet dreams!

Sweet Relief

Manuka honey, the golden child of bee nectar, is also an amazing salve for wounds and burns. You probably already have it in your cupboard! The sugar in the honey pulls the water from the wound, allowing for blood flow to increase and the healing process to speed up. It also prevents bacteria from growing in your cut.

Think of it as a replacement for Neosporin, but it is important to only use raw honey for this treatment. Most store-bought brands are altered in their processing, destroying their antibacterial benefits.

The New-Age Dab

If you’re a fan of TV shows set in lands of long ago, like Vikings, The Last Kingdom or Game of Thrones, you may have noticed sick people being treated with mounds of magical mud or clay. A modern poultice is a little cleaner, usually contained within cheesecloth or thin, organic cotton. However, the concept of resting the natural ingredients directly on your skin still remains.

Poultices are great options for insect bites, bee stings, warts, splinters and even colds. Here are some instructions for creating the basic poultice and using our new friend activated charcoal to help reduce the pain and itching of a spider bite.

Native Americans have been applying plantain poultices for centuries because this leafy plant is well-known to heal breaks in the skin. You can make a compress for skin rashes and bug bites by “steeping 1/2 cup of dried plantain in 2 cups of hot water for 10 to 15 minutes”. Then dampen a cloth in the liquid and place it on the skin for up to 30 minutes. (P.S. this isn’t the banana-is plantain you find in the store; we’re talking Plantago major, an oval-leafed plant.)

As you can see, those old wives’ tales aren’t just a bunch of hocus pocus! They’re founded in herbology and science. So which of these remedies will you try out first? Do you have any home cures that you think should be added to the list? Let me know in the comments below!

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LOVE + happy home healing!