I am very much a do it yourself type of lady. Also, I am not really into western medicine. So at home, I strive to use natural solutions for our ills and I look for healthy alternatives to what’s on the market. I am going to share with you my current 4 favorites and why I love them so.
Let’s start with kale. This green leaf is one of the super foods nature produces. I love to chop it up really fine and throw it into salads, including tabbouleh. Kale is wonderful added to soups as well. The leaf tends to be rather firm and not so easy to chew, particularly for the kids, hence chopping it up really fine. I recently discovered kale chips. Boy, do they rock my world. As I said in an earlier post, I prefer savory over sweet snacks, so kale chips are the perfect snack for the health conscious! I bought myself a dehydrator for something like $40 (another great thing to have in the kitchen). Now I buy bunches of fresh kale, wash them, remove the thick center stem, lay the leaves on the racks of my nifty dehydrator and a few hours later I have my awesomely nutritious snack. Even the kids like them (my 7 year old loves them). Store bought ones tend to have oil and salt. You could add those ingredients, but, in my opinion, they are unnecessary, adding extra sodium, fat and calories. The flavor of dried kale is rich and nutty. Once the leaf is dried, you could then turn it into flakes or powder. Then you can sprinkle it onto your eggs, rice dishes, deli sandwiches, and smoothies for an extra health boost.
Cabbage is another house favorite. In Ayiti (Haiti), my people make great use of this leaf in natural remedies. It can be consumed as well as applied topically. Months ago, I slammed my thumb in the trunk of my van but was unable to reach the handle to open it up, so i had to pull it out. Ouch!!!!! I couldn’t even speak for a moment. Only tears & wimpering communicated my pain. The throbbing was outrageous and the swelling affected the functioning of my entire hand. When I spoke to my mom, she nonchalantly reminded me about cabbage. She said to get the greenest leaf, mash it up into a paste and wrap my thumb up with it. Well, I was in no condition to mash up anything, so I took a plain leaf and wrapped it around my thumb with a small piece of fabric and went to sleep. The next morning, the blood under the nail was a pale purple and my thumb was normal sized, not swollen! Furthermore, I could move it with no pain. I did it again for that whole day and was able to apply pressure with my thumb with zero pain. So green cabbage is an anti-inflammatory. An herbalist back home told me that men with prostate issues should not only have cabbage soup or tea, but should apply warmed cabbage leaves to the pelvis overnight. Same goes for people who suffer from hernias. Pregnant and nursing moms with engorged breasts can also rest with green cabbage leaves on their breasts to reduce the swelling.
Now, anytime we have a swelling issue in the house, we go for green cabbage leaves. We have also incorporated it, both raw and cooked, into our regular diet.
When most people think of clay, they imagine the hard, dried pieces that are fired in a kiln. Some will think of clay masks used in the beauty industry. But clay has amazing healing properties as well. When I was a child, I suffered from otitis (ear aches). My mother would make a sort of clay patty with dry powdered clay and some water, place it directly over my ear, wrap it up and send me to bed. The clay, as it dried, absorbed out the impurities and the ear ache was gone! I have used clay at home with my children particularly with insect bites. Spider bites, that tend to get really big and last a while, are minimized greatly with the help of a little clay. The same holds true for bee stings. Clay sucks out the toxins in its drying process. This is why it is used for facial masks, to absorb the bad stuff sitting in your pores. A little bit of clay goes a long way:)
Finally, I am recommending copper to everyone. Not only is it beautiful, it is great for our circulation. As an artist, I work a lot with my hands. Crochet, much like working on a computer, has repeated motions that can cause arthritis/carpal tunnel type issues. So I went to an acupuncturist for help. That was helpful, but not the solution. When my insurance decided to no longer cover my treatment, I asked my acupuncturist for an alternative. Initially, she recommended magnets. I didn’t have a way to wear magnets, so I asked for another option. That’s when she said copper. Being that my husband does electrical work and I save his scraps, I had plenty of copper. I made myself bracelets, rings and toe rings. Guess what? I haven’t had or needed acupuncture since! Today, as a part of my line of up-cycled jewelry (ALOUBA- found on Facebook & Etsy), I use a lot of copper. It looks great with patina or shinny pink. Although most people enjoy it in it’s naturally discolored form, some prefer that pink bling. To get that, all you need is lemon. Soak it, rub it, either way it will take away dark/patina areas.
I hope that this information has been helpful and that you will be able to make use of some of my tips. For now, these are my top 4 home must haves. Keep checking back for more helpful hints to healthy living. In the meantime, stay blessed:)