Ever wonder if those old-time natural remedies really worked? I love old-fashioned things, but I also know some things we used to do way back when just weren't smart. That's what we're looking at today my friend, the smart things!
Seems everywhere I look, people are turning back to the old ways. There's something to be said from our mother's, grandmother's, great-grandmother's wisdom, or great-great-grandmother (you whippersnapper you).
One of my favorite things is learning about old-fashioned skills I can use in my every day modern life. You, too? Ahh, I love kindred spirits. And because we're kindred spirits you need to make sure you get yourself on this Pioneering Today Free newsletter to get our weekly old-fashioned tips and articles, and our Ultimate Home Food Preservation Guide, putting up food like our great-grandparents!
I bet when you come down with the sniffles or common ailments, your mother or grandmother had a bunch of different remedies she'd recommend. Some of them are plain odd and really have no place accept for the fondness of telling the tale.
My grandmother told my mother quite seriously when she was pregnant with me to never lift her hands above her head or the cord would tangle around the baby's neck. And she seriously meant it. My grandmother was a smart woman, she survived the Great Depression and was widowed twice. She had her last child in her forties. She could squeeze four quarters and a penny out of a dime. But some of the things she was taught about medical things, we now know to not be true.
Resource for Old-Time Ways and Living
One of my absolute favorite old-timey ways is the Foxfire Books! I purchased the first of our set for my husband for Christmas, and they instantly became one of my favorite treasures. Full of pictures and old-fashioned wisdom from the Appalachians, you're going to love them.
This is the edition I have with over 100 page section on herbal remedies–> Fox Fire Book 11
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You have to take old-time remedies with a grain of salt and do a bit of investigating before using them. After researching common old-time advice and “cures” this is a list of 6 that have been proven or have evidence that they actually work. This isn't an exhaustive list, but a great place to start. We'll be diving further into herbal medicine and treatments coming up soon!
6 Old-Time Natural Remedies that Work
1.Chicken soup is good for a cold. Grandma knew her stuff on this one. Chicken soup is good for a cold and there's science to prove it, even though us homesteaders knew it before they did, cuz we're cool like that. This article from the New York Times says: “In a study done in 2000 by Dr. Stephen Rennard at the University of Nebraska, lab tests on both homemade and commercial chicken soup with blood samples from volunteers, showed that chicken soup could help reduce upper respiratory symptoms.”
Homemade chicken soup made with traditional bone broth and lots of vegetables is going to be even more beneficial. As we move into cold and flu season, I recommend stocking up on your stock. (You got that little pun, right?) Here's How to Make and Bone Broth & 5 Ways to Preserve It
2. Mustard plaster for chest congestion. My husband's mother and grandmother swore by this one and he still remembers having to wear the stinky mustard plaster. This is one of those that goes both ways. It's actually better for sore muscles and pain because it's a counter irritant (good info here on the actual enzyme), think capsacian cream, and warms the skin.
Note: mustard plaster applied directly to the skin can result in blistering burns! Do not apply it directly to the skin. Here are instructions on how to make a mustard plaster, application and how long to leave it on.
3. Baking soda for a bee sting. My daughter was stung by a bee a few weeks ago. The sting itself wasn't hurting, but she was itching it like crazy. I mixed up a paste of baking soda and water and applied it directly to the sting. It took away the itching and she was back to playing and running around in no time. This gets a thumbs up as works for me!
Note: If you're allergic to bees or suspect an allergic reaction, Benadryl or Diphenhydramine is always smart, along with a call to a Doctor.
4. Inhaling steam. When your nose is congested and you feel like you can't breath, take a hot shower, fill a sink or pot with hot water and make a tent. Take a towel and cover your head with it while leaning over the hot water, trapping the steam and allowing you to breathe it in. Make sure you use common sense and don't burn yourself. The steam will help loosen up your congestion (sounds much nicer than saying snot, right?) and allow you to cough up the ick easier.
Menthol (derived from the mint family) is often used in humidifiers and as aroma therapy and you can try adding a vaporizer or diffusing the oil to help. However, some small children and others may have sensitivities to peppermint and especially eucalyptus, so it' s not recommended to use this method with infants or small children. Watch for any signs of irritation when using this method of adding in the menthol family to your steam.
5. Honey. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down…. well, actually, if you're using good raw honey, your medicine is in the sugar. A cup of warm honey tea with a bit of lemon doesn't just help warm you up, it actually helps your cough symptom.
Honey is now being (again, us homesteaders were ahead of the curve on this one, because we're cool that way) recommended as a cough suppressant in the medical community instead of over-the-counter products. Is there anything more cool than being able to use your food storage as your medicine cabinet, too?
Here's an article from the MayoClinic that talks about honey being an excellent cough suppressant all on its own.
I prefer local raw honey for all of the benefits it offers. If you can find a local bee keeper or local source, I'd go with that, otherwise look for raw honey at your local co-op or grocery store.
Learn how to make this ginger infused honey for a powerful two for one punch!
Note: Do not give honey to children under 1 years-old due to the risk of botulism.
6. Ginger for nausea and upset stomach. If you had an upset stomach, there's a good chance your granny might have given you some ginger tea. Turns out, ginger is actually a powerhouse in the medicine cabinet and can be used for not only nausea and upset stomach, but also for headaches, arthritis pain, and cold feet. Check out this article from WebMD on the powers of ginger.
Note: Ginger works well for helping soothe an upset stomach, but if you're on blood thinning medications or have a blood clotting disorder (such as my daughter) you shouldn't use ginger.
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When feeling like you are having an allergic reaction to something ( food or other ) quickly take an Alkaline Seltzer GOLD. It stops the histamine effect. It is the first go to in our home.
This information came to me from an alternative medicine doctor in Houston.
It WORKS.
Not easy to find but I get mine at CVS. Buy all on the shelf for my medicine stores. Keep it in my purse. Recommend it to all my friends .
These remedies are wonderful. Here are a few more : Slice, and boil a large onion in
in a pint of water. Cool and strain. Add 2-3 Tbsp. (or more!) of honey. Keep in tightly covered glass jar in fridge. Take a couple of spoonfuls as needed. Very effective for colds, coughs and congestion.
Combine peppermint and sage (great if you can get them fresh, but dried is good, too)
in equal parts. Add boiling water to make a tea, also to inhale the steam from. Smells a lot like menthol.Great for colds.
If you’re out and get bitten by mosquitoes or get into stinging nettles,get some plantain leaves -those leaves with a slender seed stalk sticking up in the center
that grow flush to the ground -the ones that bother the perfect lawn folks as much as dandelions. Crush up the leaves with your fingers and apply directly to the bite.They’re called Babka leaves in our neighborhood. You can probably get a photo off the internet.
Also good for stinging nettle and bee stings, what we call pitcher plants or jewel weed.Crush up the little orangey-yellow blossoms and apply to the sting. They often grow right next to nettles- what a wonderful Provider we have!
Georgia,
Love your tips! We have plantain here, it grows all over the yard and driveway. Next stinging nettle encounter I’ll try it! I’ve got sage growing in my container by the door, too.
Correction and addition to my comment about jewel weed: It’s also a great remedy for poison ivy. Best research the hows and whys, but it cured a family member’s poison ivy, and it commonly grows near that. Also, a common name for it is touch-me- not.
I think pitcher plant may be an erroneous name from my childhood days-long time ago!
A paste of 1/2 baking soda and 1/2 meat tenderizer with water is also good for stings. I used this for my son when he got a sting in the face. He was crying, had a large red blotch, and I could see the puncture. After one hour, there was no evidence that he had even been stung – no redness, no itching, no swelling, and definitely no crying.
Actually, maggots & leeches are approved by the FDA & are used in hospitals in the US & around the world. Personally, just shoot me.
Lol, Linda,
Yeah, can’t say I want that treatment either.
I was so impressed with this method, Jenni!
Here is one for athletes feet. There is a yech factor involved but it works.
I had some serious athletes foot after Vietnam. Nothing worked. I read about a method used by Native Americans and gave it a try.
I stood in the shower and urinated on my toes. Then I showered normally. Two applications and I have never had the problem again. Fast forward many years and my high school aged son had a bad case of athletes foot. I told him what to do and it worked for him with one application.
[…] Seems everywhere I look, people are turning back to the old ways. There’s something to be said from our mother’s, grandmother’s, great-grandmother’s wisdom, or great-great-grandmother (you whippersnapper you).” Read more on Melissa Knorris. […]
Hi Melissa! Love the series, this one is good as it gets. Do try apple cider vinegar directly on a bee sting. Best to remove the stinger quickly! Not by squeezing, but drag a finger nail across the sting area or a credit card. The stinger still has a poison sac that is actively pumping so sooner is better!
God bless!
Jerry
Thanks so much, Jerry! I’ll remember that on the bee sting.
Sore throats and coughs: raw honey, fresh lemon juice and Ceylon cinnamon. Take spoons as often as you need.
For pain relief I use: fresh Borage leaves and boiling water to make a tea. Be careful not to take too often.
Love Ceylon cinnamon and I just stocked up on more raw honey today!
I too love the Foxfire books and have for years!
My grandmother taught me all of the above, and I raised my kids with all but the mustard plaster. While it works, I still remember it stinking to high heaven!
Rebecca,
That’s what my husband remembers, the odor!
Ginger/turmeric tea with raw honey and a homemade cold and flu tea mix are 2 of my favorites.
Whenever my children had a diaper rash, my mom said to use browned flower(flour that you put in a dry skillet and cook and stir until it browns.) I thought she was crazy until a dermatologist told me to do the same thing. It really does work – although my husband hated having to use it because he said that it made our daughter smell like a biscuit. He used it though!!!
Cathie,
That’s fascinating! ANd smelling like a biscuit isn’t a bad thing, lol
The B.R.A.T. diet, or the honey, whiskey and lemon remedy. Don’t dehydrate yourself when not feeling well, stay hydrated with Gatorade for adults and Pediasure for children. Putting Vicks on a spot where you hurt yourself so a bruise doesn’t happen. Vicks on the bottom of the feet, then socks at night so it helps get rid of stuffy nosess (or under the nose or on the chest). Chew on a piece of Peppermint for an upset stomach for toddlers older than 3 and up. Gargle with warm salt water for a sore throat or suck,on,a candy called “Horehounds”.
Good read, thanks. My husband also has a blood clotting disorder, Factor 5 Leiden. I’ve tried to give him ginger for migraine before and cooked ginger in a dish once for dinner, and both times he said it made him feel sick. I never thought there could be a connection! Is there anything else you would have your daughter avoid related to her disorder?
I am looking for something for the kidneys. Thanks
Drink cranberry juice for kidney infections.
Bacon fat rubbed on your runners will not only make your sled go faster down the hill but also bacon fat taped over night on a stubborn splinter will help draw it out.
Tape fresh garlic sliver on warts every night for about 2 weeks. protect surrounding area by onlyncutting garlic to fit wart. Works like a charm!