Natural Remedies and Homeopathic Medicine

A few years ago, I started cutting typical OTC remedies from my life. In America, it's so common to have an ailment and "pop a pill" to cure it. While the overuse of perscription drugs in America is appalling... I am also talking Tylenol, Cold Medications, etc. We all take in so many toxins through pollution, our clothes, laundry detergent, cleaning products (I have converted as much of this stuff to natural and will share on another post)...why not cut out as many toxins and unnatural additives from our bodies as possible?

I have done some discovering and have found some products that work well for me. I am not any kind of doctor so I am not offering medical advice, but am just sharing some remedies I enjoy and feel good about using....and that actually work! If you have a medical problem, seek out the help of a medical doctor. This are just things that I try first before going that route.

I have been hearing lots of complaints about allergies lately. Spring has sprung in San Diego...all of our rain this year has brought tons and tons of lovely wildflowers EVERYWHERE which can be pretty to look at but challenging for allergies. I have only suffered slightly and I attribute this to some of my natural remedies. I took Claritin for years...and it worked pretty well. But I almost think it fought my bodies natural response and ability to fight allergic reactions. Now that I have stopped taking it, my allergies aren't that bad, despite the crazy allergy season we are having.

Allergies

First up for tackling allergies: local bee pollen and local honey. The pretty jar here is actually from France, so it doesn't work for allergies, but I like it for the taste. I did buy the plastic container of bee pollen at Jimbo's and it's local. The honey is local from the farmers' market. Apparently taking these products produces from local bees kicks in sort of immunity to being affected by pollen in the air. I don't really understand it, but I tell you, it works! I believe it's like a natural anti histamine. Just add one or both of these to your smoothies, granolas, yogurt, salad, etc. Everyone loves Honey and I think Bee Pollen tastes good too...just a teaspoon or tablespoon a couple times a week does the trick for me.

When those super natural products don't work, I go to my next step, homeopathic products. My two favorite product lines are Boiron and Hylands. I think they both work well, although you really have to try out different  homeopathic products to see which ones work for you. I have some of each of their products...where I might prefer one to another. They both have products with a single cure "sneezing" and they both have products for multiple problems "allergies including sneezing, itchy eyes, scratchy throat", etc. I use some of both.

Both of these products, Hylands "Hayfever" and Boiron "Sinusalia" work well based on my symptoms. Homeopathic medicines are in a sugar pill of sorts you just let sit under your tongue until it dissipates. It doesn't taste bad, there are no side effects, they are not addictive, you can take as many different types as you want at once, there are no drug interactions... I just can't say enough good things about these products. They work for me, period. And I am happy to put herbs into my body rather than creepy chemicals from money grubbing drug companies.

Sore Muscles


Because of all my recent exercising...I walk around in a constant state of "sore". These products have helped immensely! The first, Natural Calm, is a magnesium based supplement that you add to water and drink. It helps your muscles relax and heal after exercise. It also supposedly helps you stay calm and balance your mood, but I haven't noticed that effect...of course I am high strung, so I need all the balancing I can get! It does work for me and my sore muscles, however.

I also recently read that ginger not only settles your stomach and helps with digestion, it also helps to relieve muscle pain! It's also very cheap, and we all know what ginger is...it's not some weird chemical compound I can't pronounce. I love it. It has definitely made a difference since I started taking it regularly....both with my muscles and with my stomach and digestion.

Traumeel is a topical solution for sore muscles. You just rub it on your body in sore parts. It works better if you put it on places you think will be sore the next day, but also works after the fact. It's not greasy, it doesn't smell weird, and it works.

Lastly is another Boiron product, Arnica Montana. You can get Arnica in many forms and again, it is a homeopathic pill taken under the tongue. I take it after a particularly tough work out to prevent pain the next day or days.

Cuts / Burns / Bites


I started using tea tree oil instead of Neosporin a few years ago. It works better, it's all natural, and I like the smell. It cures everything! Got a burn? Tea tree oil. Got a zit? Tea tree oil. Got a cut? Tea tree oil. I like this ointment for skin issues.

I also love this Burt's Bee's Res-Q-Ointment. I like it for mosquito bites because it takes some of the itch away.

Both are great products.

 Headaches

We all get headaches, right? Stress, staring at our computers for too long, etc. I think this product works better than Aleve which is what I took for YEARS. Aleve has scary side effects including causing stomach bleeding! This product has NO side effects and it works. Really! Try it! I get bad headaches occasionally, and this really, really works.

Sleep Issues

I have struggled with sleep my whole life. The number one thing that has improved my sleeping regularly is yoga. I highly recommended it. But, even with yoga, sometimes I don't sleep well. I like this Hylands product, Calms Forte. Taken an hour before sleeping, it calms with out drugging and you won't feel like a slug the next day. The only thing is that I prefer to take it before I go to sleep if I think I am going to have a hard time sleeping. If I take it in the middle of the night I am slow going the next day...not a drugged feeling, but a tired feeling. It really works and makes you feel sleepy.

This little pouch is filled with organic lavender. Lavender is a natural sleep inducer with very calming effects...so adding lavender oil to your pillow, putting fresh cut lavender in a vase by your bed, or placing one of these on your eyes definitely helps sooth and get you to sleep!

Flu!

Who wants to get the flu? I don't. I also don't want to get the flu shot. Here comes this amazing product to save the day! During flu season I sprayed this into my mouth everyday. I NEVER got the flu. Twice during flu season, I started to feel run down, like the flu was on it's way. I upped my intake and sprayed this into my mouth 4-5 times a day (along with increasing vitamins for immunity)...the flu never came and struck me down like it has every other year of my life. Plain and simple, this stuff works.

Stress

OK, I definitely stress out. So far, a combination of things has helped...number one being yoga. I can't say it enough...Yoga is a miracle drug. 

I do many things to combat stress, including eating a balanced diet, listening to calming music, taking supplements, using aromatherapy, and talking to friends and family. I also use the two following products when things get really crazy.

Holy Basil leaf tastes bad but you just put a few drops in water when you really feel like you are going to freak out...or maybe you already did freak out. It calms me down within minutes. It works well for me as an "on the spot remedy" when my stress levels are already out of control.

The other Boiron product is Sedalia. I take this during times of long term stress...working through a personal problem, a busy time a work, etc. I like this when I think a longer term...say couple of days to a week...of a stressful time is happening.

Well, there you have it. I hope you will all consider looking to some new natural remedies that help you with your ailments without causing some other damage to your body.