Health Journal - Pain Relief

While we are on the subject of pain, I thought I would mention a product that our family uses for body aches (you may not always have time to sit around drinking clove tea).   Since most pain relievers are so bad for the liver, it's hard to know what to take when you are hurting.   Our family has used Formula 303 for years, and it works great.   We get it from our Chiropractor, but you could find it using Google and order it online.

Formula 303's Ingredients:
Valerian Root (Valeriana officinalis) - used for centuries to calm upset nerves and for treating mood problems, pain and headache. Today homeopaths and herbalists use Valerian root for its antispasmodic, calmative, tranquilizing, carminative (good for upset stomach and digestion) and pain relieving effects. (approximately 264 mg)

Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnata) - discovered in 1569 it is primarily used as a sedative or nervine to combat excess nervousness and anxiety, to tranquilize, and to promote sleep; as an anodyne, anti-spasmodic and anti-convulsant to treat dysmenorrhea, muscle cramps, and so forth. (approximately 132 mg)

Magnesium - is one of the most important essential minerals to promote proper nerve function. It is a key element in the stabilization of nerve cells, without which, the nerves would be in a constant state of excitation (a state known as tetany.) (approximately 65 mg)

Health Journal - Cramps

In my last "Health Journal" post, I mention that I had another use for cloves. If you are one of those women who suffers through cramps every month, we have a remedy for you to try.   Here it is:

Add a heaping tablespoon of cloves and two cups of water to a pot.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  Then strain and add a good amount of honey and cream...if you like.  Drink this clove tea while it is hot.  See if that helps...seems to work around here. :)  Actually, this tea is good for any pain in the body.  Try it!

Farmwife's Journal - January 6th

Yesterday Jonny dug some more carrots from the sand bin in the root cellar.  Mmmm!  For as many years as we have been doing this, you would think that the satisfaction, joy and amazement of storing our own foods would wear off, but it hasn't! :)  The carrot were bright orange, sweet and crunchy! 

We continue, as much as possible considering the weather, to play hockey in the evenings.  On Wednesday the ice was like glass.  Mike had flooded it two day prior to that, and it took that long to freeze due to the warm weather.  Thanks to a heated game of hockey Wednesday night, I woke up yesterday feeling very stiff.  I think that a collision with a teenage boy may have been the problem, but getting lots of exercise and spending time with friends makes it all worth it! :)  We are planning another game for tonight! :)

Jonny started mandolin lessons yesterday.  That was exciting!  For his birthday, in October, we got him a new mandolin, and he has been practicing with a DVD since them, but now he will receive better instruction which he is very happy about.  Winter is the time of year when we focus on music lessons, since there isn't much time for that during growing season.  Emily plays the piano (beautifully, I might add), the guitar, and is learning the banjo.  Ben and Jonny also play the piano.  Last Christmas we got Ben a harmonica, and he immediately started playing songs!  He also has a DVD that he watches for instruction on the harmonica.  Both boys would like to learn to play the banjo too. And Mike and I....well...we listen! :)  Neither of us have any musical talent (although Mike has a beautiful voice), but we thoroughly enjoy sitting around and listening to our children play. :)  I can't think of a better way to spend a cold snowy winter night....is it winter yet?

Boy, this weather makes me kinda nervous. :)  In Minnesota we are rarely rewarded with beautiful weather for very long.  It makes me wonder what spring will be like.  We are hoping for some precipitation! 

You have probably noticed that Mike and I have been working on the blog.  Since it's January, the planning has begun!  Our 2012 season will bring some changes, but we are planning some fun activities that I am sure you will be excited about.  Keep watching the blog for updates.  We will also be sending out emails to notify you of our upcoming classes.....so excited! :)

Who chooses what you eat?

This is Mike... I haven't posted for a long time, but I'm going to try to get back at it again.  I may ruffle more feathers than my sweet wife... but here we go.  :-)

I was listening to the radio this evening while waiting on the aforementioned sweet wife to finish shopping at the mall.  The news person was doing a special report on breakfast cereals.  He was lamenting about how much sugar (and probably high fructose corn syrup) is found in the common breakfast cereal.  It was stated that over 40 of the products on the shelf have more sugar in one cup of cereal than three Chips-a-hoy cookies. Wow.  One product mentioned, Honey O's or something like that, has more sugar in one cup of cereal than a Hostess Twinkie!  Now that is gross.

This is a legitimate concern and frankly quite a disgraceful performance by the major food companies of America.  However, the unspoken tragedy is that people are buying these products and eating them without thought or care for what it does to their health.

This news person then went on a tirade about needing the federal government to intervene in this situation.  He lamented how the current regulations "have no teeth" to enforce the rules against marketing sugary products to kids.  The fact that three times more children are obese today than just one generation ago was declared to be a travesty of justice!

Do you ever talk back to your radio or TV?  I do sometimes.  I wanted to say, and probably did, WHERE ARE THE PARENTS?  I don't know about you, but I have no interest in the the federal or state government regulating the food industry any more than they already do.  They are already doing a lousy job (in my humble opinion, more on that in the next post), so what makes us think it will get better with more rules?  The lobbyists for "big food" are firmly in control of these agencies, the new rules simply harm the small local producers and keep their more wholesome products out of the hands of the consumer.  Rules that often make it illegal or at least difficult to procure "real food".

So in summary, it is your choice.  Big brother is incapable of doing this for you.  YOU must choose your food carefully. 

Health Journal - January 4th (toothaches)

One night, in the wee hours of the morning, Ben woke me up with a toothache.  He had a tooth that was loose, but it would not come out.  He had been wiggling it and pushing on it earlier in the week, but to no avail.  Now the gum surrounding the tooth was very red and swollen.  The pain was keeping him awake, so he figured it was time to call on mom. :) 

As I walked to the kitchen, cloves came to mind.  Consulting with my herb books confirmed my plan.  I grabbed my mortar and pestle and my container of cloves.  After crushing some clove buds, I put them in an empty tea bag.  I wet this down with a few drops of water and added ONE drop of Clove Bud Essential Oil.  Placing the tea bag between his sore tooth and lip, Ben curled up on the couch hoping for relief.  I decided to join him, and we slept together for a few more hours until it was time to get up.

When Ben woke up, he discovered that the tooth felt much better.  I gave him ONE more drop of the E.O., this time on his finger, and he rubbed it on the gum.  There were no more complaints.  At breakfast, lunch, and dinner I gave him some Vitamin C and garlic to help with the swelling and possible infection.  That afternoon the tooth came out and by the next day the gum had returned to normal.

Clove oil is anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, analgesic (pain-relieving), and antifungal.  Because it is so potent, you should use it with caution for children under six years old.

Em and I have another great use for cloves....more about that in my next post! :)

Omamacare! :)

Due to a lack of focus on nutrition by health care providers (and an emphasis on medication with side effects) and for reasons of self-sufficiency, we have tried to take charge of our own health by eating healthy home-grown foods and learning to care for our bodies.

I want to encourage moms to take care of their children's ailments. There are times that it is necessary to see a doctor, but most sicknesses and injuries can be taken care of at home. You know your child better than anyone else, and your love for them will motivate you to seek the best treatments for them.

It is not as hard as you think to be your own doctor! With every answer at your fingertips - the Internet, you can learn to handle almost all health problems at home, without medicine (pharmaceuticals). I hope, by doing some blog posts on natural remedies, to inspire you to take care of yourself and your family at home. With some knowledge of herbs and other natural remedies, you will quickly become confident in your own abilities! :)

Some of us have just gotten lazy.  It seems easier to just go to the doctor, but the problem with going to the doctor is that you will likely come home with a prescription drug which will, in the long run, only compound the problems that you are dealing with. 

My children with Whooping Cough, waiting for their "medicine".  August, 2004

Mama, you can learn to care for your family! :)  You don't need to depend on the government to take care of you!  I will post some practical tips for you in what I will call, "Health Journals".  In these posts, I will share with you the natural remedies that our family uses.  In a notebook, I have documented our families injuries, sicknesses, and other health problems and what I did to treat them. I'll use this journal to help give you ideas of how you can treat your family too.  (I've made sure my children know where my journal is, so that it can get passed on to future generations when I croak. :))

Omamacare...best care there is!!! :)

More Twins?

Have you noticed lately that there seems to be an increase in the number of twins born?  It seems much more common today than it did years ago.  Well, there have been studies done that give us some answers as to why we hear about more and more women becoming pregnant with twins.

Many dairy cows are injected with hormones to increase their milk supply. In 1950, the average dairy cow produced almost 5,300 pounds of milk a year, today, a typical cow produces more than 18,000 pounds.  Not only does the hormone increase their milk supply, it also increases the occurrence of mastitis.  Therefore the cows need to be given more antibiotics - yeah!

The hormone rBGH that is injected into dairy cows is causing much concern due to its link to breast cancer, prostate cancer, and other hormonal problems.  Scientists have also linked the rise in twin births over the past 30 years to hormones in our food supply.

We cannot continue to manipulate nature through the abuse of chemicals and expect to be blessed by it!  As animals are pushed beyond their God given limits due to selfishness, we will continue to suffer for it.  We need to make some changes!

Now...I think having twins would be a blessing! :) But I will pass on the hormone and antibiotic infested milk!  Make wise choices for you and your family! Know where your food comes from, and buy foods that you are not afraid to eat. :)