Vegan Natural Home Remedies for the sickies!!!!!

For over 10 years now I have refused to take many of the over the counter cold and cough medicines.  I actually don't even take anything for a headache,  I am one of those weirdos that pretty much want to feel pain in my body..  I want to know when something is wrong, I am not into masking pain, or a quick fix.  I want to know what my body is doing all the time.  It has got to be a weird control thing I am assuming.  But what ever the case it has always been extremely important to me to not put anything extra into my body..  (Other than my fun twenties where I put a tad tooo much booze into it ;)!!!!!  I have had endometriosis since high school and have been told to take everything from aleeve to actually being prescribed Vicodin for it at one point..  I also had two natural childbirths one at home and the first one I had a second degree tear and was also prescribed Vicodin which I never took..  I did take ibuprofen for like 2 days but that is it.  while teaching I used to get sick  a ton my first year and same thing, I just did some silly ole school remedies and always felt better in like a day or two.  Now that I am a mom although it is harder to be out of commission with two little ones, I still do not take anything except herbs and few natural remedies..  Here is my run down of what to do for yourself before you resort to those expensive over the counter medicines that do nothing beneficial to your body ..  Some times they hinder your body in its fight to repair itself..


The over the counters, and what they have in them that is harmful!!!!I

First may I add that It is impossible to take drugs that haven't been tested on animals because currently the Food and Drug Administration requires animal tests for pharmaceuticals. Hence, virtually all drugs have been, at some time, tested on animals. But just because drugs have been tested on animals doesn't make animal tests any more relevant, useful or valid to humans......



Nyquil
 Doxylamine succinate, this is a sedating antihistamine/hypnotic. Doxylamine Succinate can cause drowsiness, dry mouth, headache, constipation and dizziness. More serious side effects include trouble urinating, ringing in your ears or hallucinations.

Theraflu
 Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine used to relieve symptoms of allergy, hay fever and the common cold. These symptoms include rash, itching, watery eyes, itchy eyes/nose/throat, cough, runny nose and sneezing. It is also used to prevent and treat nausea, vomiting and dizziness caused by motion sickness. Diphenhydramine can also be used to help you relax and fall asleep.

Tylenol Pm

• if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding
• if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement
• if you have allergies to medicines, foods, or other substances
• if you have alcoholism or if you consume 3 or more alcohol-containing drinks every day
• if you have a fast, slow, or irregular heartbeat; liver problems (eg, hepatitis); or kidney problems
• if you have a history of asthma; lung problems (eg, emphysema); heart problems; high blood pressure; diabetes; heart blood vessel problems; stroke; glaucoma; a blockage of your stomach, bladder, or intestines; ulcers; trouble urinating; an enlarged prostate; seizures; or an overactive thyroid

Benadryl

Drowsiness, dizziness, headache, constipation, stomach upset, vision changes (e.g., blurred vision), irritability, decreased coordination, or dry mouth/nose/throat may occur. These effects may decrease as your body adjusts to the medication.

Advil

 liver damage, heart attack, gastrointestinal bleeding or stroke, abdominal pain, blisters, bloating or swelling of the legs and feet, confusion, difficult, discolored or painful urination, flu-like symptoms, itching, jaundice, loss of appetite, rapid heartbeat, rash, sores in the mouth and lips, unexpected weight gain and vision problems.
If you become dizzy, have rapid eye movements, lose color around your lips and nose, or start having trouble breathing, you might have overdosed on ibuprofen.

 Just to name a few of the popular ones..  The thing is as Americans we abuse everything..  We are so over worked and stressed out that we need to not feel the pain because we need to work, take our children to soccer practice, bake 5 dozen cupcakes, who has the time to be sick?  So people tend to take just a hair more to get though the day and that is what is damaging..  Take the time to be sick people, and take the time to get better..  I have found that back when I was teaching I never had enough time to get rid of one cold before the next one was knocking on my door..  Which ended up often enough making me dead to the world sick because I was stacking sicknesses...  Last week I was sicker than a dog..  You know what I did, I got up only to make food for my children....  I laid my butt on the couch the whole time until I felt better..  I did not take any meds, I literally sweated it out and did a few natural remedies and though I have a tad of snot and flem lingering it is to be expected seeings how I had a mad case of bronchitits... So here we go now for the fun stuff, the natural remedies...  Please check them out and try to incorporate..  Your liver and your body as well as your pocket book will thank you!!!

Cold remedies:

Prevention:

Stay away from sicklings, wash the heck out of your hands...  Colorful fruits and vegetables are sources of the antioxidants, including beta carotene, vitamin E, selenium and vitamin C. The antioxidants work together to boost the immune response and increase resistance to infection, colds and flu bugs

 Zinc. 

The mineral zinc, available in over-the-counter lozenges, nasal sprays, and gels, may work by preventing the formation of proteins needed by a cold virus to reproduce.

  

Vitamin C. 

For decades, believers in vitamin C have said taking this vitamin supplement can nip a cold in the bud. The claim is partially triggered by lab studies that find vitamin C affects resistance to virus

Onions:

 The most ancient remedy for the head cold is to put onions up your nose! Sliver them like toothpicks. Stick head over steaming pot of water, set in sink so you can't spill it on your chest! Throw a towel over your head like a tent. Stick onion stick up nostril and tickle the top beds of the sinus cavity, way up in the nose with the onion sliver. You will sneeze like crazy. ONION is gemicidal. Germs up in there die instantly. It is also an expectorant so mucus flows heavily for a second and then you have no mucus for an hour. Do it hourly, you won't feel stuffy. Want to amp effect up a little? Drop the onionn tip in a slivered garlic piece, rub it all over, then insert that bi-flavor tickler. Boy, you'll taste garlic instantly! (So will the germs! Also germicidal!)

 Nausea:
 
 Ralph tea:
1. Prepare peppermint tea and allow to cool.
2. Grate an onion and squeeze the pulp through a cheese cloth (if desperate, just use a paper towel). Make 1 Tablespoon of Fresh Onion Juice.
3. Hold your nose and swallow the onion juice.
4. Follow with just 1 Tablespoon of peppermint tea. Wait ten minutes. Take another Tablespoon of peppermint tea. Wait 15 minutes.
This remedy should stop vomiting within 15 minutes. The peppermint tea helps to rehydrate you.

 Peppermint essential oil

Add 3 drops of peppermint essentail oils to bottom of feet and feel nausea leave the building...

 

Bronchitis:

Eucalyptus Oil Breathing in warm, moist air is said to calm irritation in the lining of the bronchial tubes. Since eucalyptus possesses antiviral properties, performing a eucalyptus steam inhalation may further promote healing from bronchitis.

Spicy tea:
 1/2t of each ginger, cinnamon, and ground clove. 2 cups water. boil water and mix in ingredients, stir until thoroughly mixed. the tincture will remain cloudy with sediment. sweeten with honey if desired. this is strong medicine for bronchitis.

Whiskey tea:

 1 CUP HOT TEA, ANY TYPE YOU WOULD LIKE. CHAMOMILE USUALLY WORKS THE BEST.
1 SHOT WHISKEY
LEMON
HONEY


HEAT UP TEA AS HOT AS YOU CAN STAND IT, ADD 1 SHOT WHISKEY AND AS MUCH LEMON AND HONEY AS YOU WOULD LIKE. HONEY AND LEMON HELP MASK THE WHISKEY TASTE. DRINK 1-2 OF THEM. CURL UP WITH A BLANKET ON THE Couch!!

Headaches:

Eat some fruit and stay hydradted...

Eat an apple. The natural sugars in it help your headache go away. This reigns true for all fruits, so you're not just limited to apples. 

Peppermint Essential Oil

 contains a significant amount of menthol. Amongst its many uses, menthol is known to help relax and ease tension headaches and muscular aches and pains. Peppermint Oil is quite stimulating and may interfere with sleeping.  Add a few drops to bottom of feet or make a cold compress with wash rag and 3 drops essential oil!!!

Menstral cramps:

Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral found naturally in foods such as green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. It is also available as nutritional supplements. Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions. It helps to regulate blood sugar levels and is needed for normal muscle and nerve function, heart rhythm, immune function, blood pressure...

Natural Anti inflamitory

Any of these can aid you in menstral cramps due to the anti inflamitory!!!!

  Harpagophytum,

 hyssop,

 ginger,  

turmeric,  

Arnica montana, which contains helenalin, a sesquiterpene lactone, 

 willow bark, which contains salicylic acid, the active ingredient in aspirin. Cannabichromene, one of the many cannabinoids present in the cannabis plant, has been shown to reduce inflammation.

If you have any natural home remedies to share please comment below, I am always interested to learn more..  This will be an updated post, for when I find new things to try you will be the first to know if they worked!!!  Tread lightly!!