Natural Cold Sore Remedies

09. August 2012 · Comments Off · Categories: Health, Herbalism, Remedies · Tags: , ,

Waking up to find a big red dot on your face is never a good way to start the day, but knowing a few natural cold sore remedies will help put you back in control. I was reading through a few natural cold sore remedies on Reader’s Digest the other day, and it got me thinking about the wide array of herbal remedies we can find for just about anything. That’s the beauty of herbs. Can’t get ahold of one thing? No problem. There’s always something else to try.

Let’s take a look at a few options you have if those cold sores won’t leave you alone.

Gold Thread (Coptis trifolia): This is perhaps my favorite remedy because it’s a neat and tidy one. At that very first tingle, apply a few drops of gold thread tincture to the area. You can do this liberally and often, so if you’ve got to go to work or chaperone a class field trip or overthrow a small empire, you can take the tincture with you easily. A strong tea of gold thread will work too, but the tincture is far superior in strength.

Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea or angustifolia): If repeat outbreaks are an issue for you, echinacea tincture is a good option. Cold sores are actually a result of the herpes simplex virus, and since echinacea has a way of building up the body’s defences, it can help you toss that virus out on its ear. Take 50 – 60 drops of tincture in some water up to three times a day. I like a good root tincture or a whole plant tincture that includes the root. Alternatively, balsamroot tincture can be taken 20 – 50 drops up to four times a day. Just like the echinacea, it helps support the body’s ability to make macrophages, these cool little Pac Man type thingies that gobble up all sorts of virusy badness. (At least, that’s how I envision them…)

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis): No, this isn’t some weak, wimpy grandma tea. Lemon balm packs a fierce punch in the herbal world when you’re not talking old brown leaf crumbles found in tea bags at the grocery store. You can choose to apply the tincture topically several times a day, or you can make the tea from freshly dried leaves (no older than one year maximum) and drink it as often as you choose. It’s really good stuff, trust me. You’ll not only see an improvement in the whole cold sore thingie, you’ll feel a lot better about life in general.

Are these the only herbal remedies out there for cold sore outbreaks? Nope. There are numerous and this is a sampling of a few of the best. It’s a good start to not only building your natural cold sore remedies arsenal, but to learning to rely herbal remedies for chemical-free health.

How to Cool Off Naturally

04. June 2010 · 7 comments · Categories: Herbalism, Remedies · Tags: , ,

When summer gets hot and steamy, you could crank up the air conditioning and stay indoors.  But that’s no fun! Instead, you may want to try to learn how to cool yourself off naturally with a few easy – and pleasant tasting – ideas.

Mushrooms for dinner, anyone?  Add fresh mushrooms to your summer salads, or perhaps enjoy it in your stirfry and other dishes.  Edible mushrooms (any variety) tend to cool off the body, so it’s a tasty and healthy way to beat the heat.

Don’t enjoy the fungi?  No problem.  Another great way to cool down is to enjoy some citrus fruits.  Fresh oranges, grapefruit, tangerines etc. can quickly turn down the heat.  Take some peeled oranges with you to the beach or on the trail.  Or keep some fresh organic lemons on hand to squeeze into your tap water or mineral water.  You’ll be hydrating yourself while keeping cool and comfortable.  See?  Your grandma knew what she was doing when she served you that fresh squeezed lemonade instead of the yucky powdered stuff.

Lemon balm is perhaps the most lovely way to cool off naturally.  It’s unbelievably easy to grow in your garden, and whenever you need a little cool-down, snip off a few bits and toss them in your water glass.  Or prepare a sun tea by crushing a few handfuls in a large sun tea jar, cover with water, put on a lid, and allow to steep in the sun for several hours.  Refrigerate and enjoy over the next couple of days – if it lasts that long!  Everyone will be filling their canteens with this one.  Oh, and if you need to relax after a “stressful” day of outdoor fun?  The lemon balm will help you kick back and enjoy long summer days despite the heat.

Natural Relief to Curb the Menstrual Monster

16. September 2009 · 1 comment · Categories: Herbalism, Mommy Care, Remedies · Tags: , , , ,

 

This Would be a Good Day to Back Off

This Would be a Good Day to Back Off

Got cramps? How about bloating up like a blowfish, enough irritability to scare a WWF professional wrestler, flow as heavy as Niagara? Then I certainly don’t blame you for being cranky.  When that menstrual monster rears its ugly head and makes it impossible for you to remember what “normal” is, there are some natural period remedies you may want to keep at your side so you don’t break any more dishes.

 First things first: get some dried raspberry leaf.  This makes a tea that covers a wide range of symptoms, including cramping, bloating, and irregular bleeding.  You can drink several cups of it a day, and it’s pretty good stuff in my opinion.  A little honey and your day may start getting sweeter again.  

If your period is unusually heavy, you can try some yarrow.  Yes, yarrow is an herb that’s famous for its abilities to stop a cut from bleeding, but interestingly enough it works internally as well.  No, it won’t stop your period altogether (drat), but it will regulate excessive and heavy menstrual cycles.  In fact, if you have a very light period and need it to kick into gear, yarrow will assist you with that as well.  You can make a tea out of the dried flowering tops, or you can take it as a tincture.  

For natural pain relief ginger tea is always a favorite of mine.  It helps take the edge off the cramping, and it’s soothing as well.  One word of warning here: it can increase bleeding, so if that’s already an issue for you, you might try some valerian instead.  

And speaking of valerian, if you’re extra edgy and unable to sleep, and if you’ve got cramps to top it all off, valerian is very helpful.  Yes, it smells like cat pee.  But it works incredibly well. It works so well I’d like to take a moment to ask you: please don’t drink valerian tea and drive. No heavy machinery, no choosing that day to go to battle, etc. 

Those are a few of my favorite natural remedies for PMS and other menstrual frustrations. Keep them at the ready so when that ugly monster rears its head it won’t bite you – or anyone you live with!

How to Soothe Children’s Indigestion Naturally

16. March 2009 · 1 comment · Categories: Herbalism, Remedies · Tags: , , ,

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When a child has a gassy tummy, this simple tea should settle things down.  Keeping fennel seed in your kitchen not only adds an important component to this delicious tea, it also assures you have a child-friendly remedy for all sorts of tummy troubles.

For an indigestion tea, gently simmer 1 Tbs. fennel seed and 1 Tbs. dried sweet orange peel in 2 cups water for about 20 minutes.  Sweeten 1/2 cup of the tea with honey and serve it as warm as your child can comfortably drink it.  Continue giving them 1/2 cup of the tea every two hours until they feel better.  You may refrigerate the remainder for up to two days.

Such a simple remedy for soothing your child’s indigestion! Those are my favorite, naturally.  You can purchase fennel seed at any grocery store, but I find purchasing herbs and seeds in bulk from either online stores or your local health food store is usually cheaper.  If you can get organic sweet orange peel, all the better!  This can also be obtained online or at many health food stores.

Natural Ways to Stay Warm!

19. December 2008 · 9 comments · Categories: Herbalism, Remedies · Tags: ,

It’s a blizzard out there.  I’ve watched the snow grow deeper seemingly by the minute all morning, and it looks like there’s no end in sight, at least not for today.  My son and I braved the cold to shovel the driveway a mere two hours after my husband shoveled; six inches of new snow was waiting to be removed!  For 2 1/2, my little boy can really shovel, although he seems to put it right back on the driveway.  After shoveling twice, since it was full by the time I got to the end, we were both pretty chilly.  What does a dkMommy do to warm up her Frosty the Snowbaby?  One trick is tea!

As soon as we stomped back inside, my son asked, “Can I have some warm tea, Mommy?”  I happily complied, making him a nice brew of chamomile with honey.  Warming and a versatile healthy herb, it helped calm him for the nap that was soon to follow.  

For me, I prefer ginger tea.  One of my favorites, it’s perfect for warming you up from the inside.  Whether you dice up fresh ginger (about a 1-inch chunk) or boil dried slices, make sure to let it sit for a long enough time to get good and strong.  I prefer to make a larger pot, boiling the water down to about half of what I started with.  Add honey and you can say bye-bye to any throat problems the chilly air has given you.

For a real warm and cozy atomosphere, I’ve started setting aside some orange peels and letting them dry instead of tossing them.  When my home needs a toasty, comforting scent to help chase the chill out, I  gently simmer a pot of water with the orange peel, a couple of cloves, and a cinnamon stick.  In cold weather like this, it’s hard to keep humidity in the air.  With dry air comes dry irritated sinuses, so the steam pulls double duty.

Probably the best warming advice I can give is to go grab your little snow angels, a fluffy blanket, and a stack of books.  Camp out on the couch with your tea and each other, and watch it snow! That’s just what we’re going to do.  Because baby, it’s coooooold outside!

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