Home remedies

[Grower]

This may belong in the health thread, but since it often involves home-grown fruits and herbs and such, I thought I'd put it here.

I would love a collection of home remedies. I know I have books about it, but often people have recipes handed down through the years form their families that you just can't find in print.

I'm starting by linking Cynus's excellent elderberry syrup recipe, which is touted as being great for inhibiting 'flu and other viral symptoms.
(thanks Cyg!)

http://www.doomers.us/forum2/index.php/topic,19531.0.html

[Cornelian]

Peppermint (or spearmint) tea for indigestion and/or irritable bowel symptom. Make it as black and as thick and as strong as you can for maximum effect. It is very very effective.

Lemon balm for calm and to have a good night's sleep. Ditto re the strength.

Hawthorn berries, simmered for half an hour then taken as a tea (strained, don't eat the berries themselves) for heart strength and to reduce blood pressure.

Dandelion roots and leaves - use as a diuretic for whatever purpose you need a diuretic.

Garlic to reduce cholesterol. A clove a day if your bowel can stand it (eat the clove raw, just swallow it down with some water - it tastes fine and won't give you garlic breath). This will cause bowel irritation though, so be careful with it.

There are other things I use but for now can't think (have just had my main meal for the day and my brain has gone to sleep LOL).

[mtlouie]

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[Grower]

Thanks!

Two questions about the hawthorn berries -- how many for a cup? and how can you tell if it's helping your heart/blood pressure? I mean, can you OD on it? (serious question, though!)

[Cornelian]

Grower - I use about two desertspoons of dried berries to about a pint of water and just simmer it. They're fairly bitter so then I add it to peppermint leaves for the final steep. I don't think you can overdose on them.

Also, cystitis (I knew they'd come back to me LOL).

Every woman needs to know what to do for cystitis (urinary tract infection) and it is very simple. Just drink a pint of water every 15 minutes. Just keep on doing it. Drink that damn water. ALL of it. What this does it completely flush out all the bacteria from your bladder and urethra. They can't keep on replicating because there is such a volume of water moving through they're washed right out. It will cure you within about 2 hours.

If you do not have high BP then you can add the occasional teaspoon of soda bicarb to that water but do NOT do this if you have high BP. But you don't really need it. Just drink that much water.

PS This does not work so well for men, but there's no harm in them trying it. I think. I'm not a man so I don't know. LOL

[Grower]

Interesting. I'd try it. However, I'd rather try blueberry or cranberry cordial!!  (can't get off cordial tonight! )

[anicosh]

I just posted this somewhere else, maybe should have put it here instead.  I found a book at my local library called Jekka's Complete Herb Book, and I love it.  It not only lists medicinal uses of many herbs/flowers, but culinary uses as well, and has pictures of all of them.  I am currently planning my herb garden to do double-duty!  In fact, the book has suggested garden layouts by purpose - aromatherapy, salad, medicinal, cook's, natural dyes (so we can be fashionable post-peak?!?)...with enough cross-referencing you could have a herb garden to suit all of these needs!

This weekend I am making medicinal tinctures from the information in this book for common conditions such as coughs/colds.  (Tinctures will store if done properly for 2 years without losing potency...unlike dried herbs.)  If I don't drink all the vodka myself, that is!

[Earthdog]

Peppermint (or spearmint) tea for indigestion and/or irritable bowel symptom.

Peppermint can actually cause acid reflux if you drink it too often and too strong. Better for the tummy is ginger. Also, Grandmother gave ginger tea for menstrual cramps.

Mullein and coltsfoot for respiratory ailments like asthma (I drink it for mine).

There are lots of books out there from growing to preparation.

Two questions about the hawthorn berries -- how many for a cup? and how can you tell if it's helping your heart/blood pressure? I mean, can you OD on it? Cheesy (serious question, though!)

I use a tincture prepared by my Naturapath. It seems to be working. She says there is a particular hawthorn that is best. I'm digging through my desk for the botanical name. It grows in England.

[Meg]

Every woman needs to know what to do for cystitis (urinary tract infection) and it is very simple. Just drink a pint of water every 15 minutes.
 

Some caution with this remedy.  You can have too much of a good thing!  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_overdose

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/219952/can_you_overdose_on_water_a_look_at.html

[Cornelian]

She says there is a particular hawthorn that is best. I'm digging through my desk for the botanical name. It grows in England.

It also grows down the back line of my property where the English settlers planted it. See http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Crataegus+monogyna for the specific variety. You do actually need the specific variety. We don't need Strange doing the poisoning oneself thing again ...

Quote from the above link:

Hawthorn is an extremely valuable medicinal herb. It is used mainly for treating disorders of the heart and circulation system, especially angina[254]. Western herbalists consider it a 'food for the heart', it increases the blood flow to the heart muscles and restores normal heart beat[254]. This effect is brought about by the presence of bioflavonoids in the fruit, these bioflavonoids are also strongly antioxidant, helping to prevent or reduce degeneration of the blood vessels[254]. The fruit is antispasmodic, cardiac, diuretic, sedative, tonic and vasodilator[4, 9, 21, 46, 165]. Both the fruits and flowers of hawthorns are well-known in herbal folk medicine as a heart tonic and modern research has borne out this use. The fruits and flowers have a hypotensive effect as well as acting as a direct and mild heart tonic[222]. They are especially indicated in the treatment of weak heart combined with high blood pressure[222], they are also used to treat a heart muscle weakened by age, for inflammation of the heart muscle, arteriosclerosis and for nervous heart problems[21]. Prolonged use is necessary for the treatment to be efficacious[222]. It is normally used either as a tea or a tincture[222]. Hawthorn is combined with ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) to enhance poor memory, working by improving the blood supply to the brain[254]. The bark is astringent and has been used in the treatment of malaria and other fevers[7]. The roots are said to stimulate the arteries of the heart[218]

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Don't forget honey smeared on dressings and and then placed on wounds.

[Doe]

I like to rec. books by Susan Weed for herbalism. Just bear in mind that it comes with a healthy dose of goddess love and a way of approaching health that isn't allopathic. They are treasures in my library on the subject and I will never fight chickweed in the garden again

Anicosh, no suggestions really on layout but I do have some Lady's bedstraw seeds and woad. Woad is biannual but only 1st year plants are good for colour. I'm trying to source more so I don't have to skip a year as it is. Lady's bedstraw roots are apparently harvested in the 3rd year of growth or later. I'm excited to plant both though I won't get to use the bedstraw for a while, and I am expecting to get enough woad dye for only about 3 oz. of yarn. And then there is the reducing problem with woad but I might have to save up for a sig vat if Hub will allow it (google it if you don't know what I mean). A great book regarding wildcrafting is "SK Wayside Wildflowers" by Linda Kershaw. It includes lots of herbal uses for various native wild plants.

[Earthdog]

Quote
She says there is a particular hawthorn that is best. I'm digging through my desk for the botanical name. It grows in England.

It also grows down the back line of my property where the English settlers planted it. Wink See http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Crataegus+monogyna for the specific variety. You do actually need the specific variety. We don't need Strange doing the poisoning oneself thing again ... Wink

Thanks, Corny for the reminder. Had a brain fart and couldn't remember where I put it! 

Crataegus oxycantha.

[Grower]

I'm sure it won't be that one, but now I'm curious about what grow native in north central Ohio.

[lady-t]

i moved it here and will "sticky" it for at least a while to see if it gets the response i think it will. 

[cygnus]

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