Some Natural Help for Night-Time Bedwetting

I belong to a really great list-serve through the Holistic Mom's Network and oddly enough that is where I got the idea for today's post. A mom had written in wondering what she could do for her 5 year old son who was wetting every night. This brought back a few memories of about a year ago when our son seemed to have nightly wetting episodes. People will tell you it's so normal, and that it's a stage, which is all true; but when it's you up every night at 2 am changing sheets and laundering a complete set of bedding every night, you hope there is something to stop the cycle.

There is a lot of literature out there about the effectiveness of using Homeopathics and Bach Flower remedies to stop bed wetting and we found the homeopathic Pulsatilla to be invaluable in helping our son quickly get over his issue with bed-wetting. He completely fit the profile for Pulsatilla and it wasn't long after giving him Pulsatilla that we finally had some dry nights. I stopped giving him the Pulsatilla as a test and found that the problem re-occurred soon after. It seemed like forever, but probably after a month or two of no wetting we again stopped giving him the Pulsatilla and he was able to stay dry at night. What a relief. I still believe to this day that he wouldn't have gotten through that stage as quickly without homeopathics.

Unlike traditional medicine where there is a one size fits all approach, when you use homeopathics and Bach flower remedies you must find the right remedy for the person you are treating. I can't count the number of times I've heard people say - "Oh, I tried XYZ remedy for teething, homeopathy doesn't work." There are half a dozen remedies to try for teething and each one fits a particular personality and situation. It's not always easy to see yourself or child in a remedy, but a little investigation and perseverance usually pays off.

Homeopathics for Night-Time Bed wetting

• Belladonna - helps the child who sleeps so deeply he cannot wake up.


• Causticum - helps the child who wets the bed in the first sleep and is worse in dry, clear weather.


• Equisetum - helps the child who had dreams or nightmares when urinating


• Kreosotum - helps the child who sleeps so deeply he cannot wake and often has dreams or nightmares involving fire or of being pursued.


• Pulsatilla - helps the child who is shy, sensitive, weepy and affectionate.


• Sepia - also helps the child who wets in their first sleep. This child generally loves vigorous exercise and dancing, and is sensitive to cold air.

Bach Flower Remedies for Night-Time Bed Wetting

• Chicory: due to lack of attention - reduces the child's dependence on the parents at night.


• Crab Apple: helps overcome a feeling of uncleanliness. When a child is ashamed of his own weaknesses, it becomes harder for him to overcome them.


• Mimulus: alleviates the anxiety induced by anticipation.


• Pine: relieves guilt feelings


• Willow: due to contrariness, resentment, or bitterness

Any of the Bach flower remedies can be mixed and taken together. Use a combination of Bach flower remedies and homeopathics to suit your child's needs. You can find Bach flower remedies and homeopathics at your local health store. I also purchase a few homeopathics at 1800homeopathy.com.

For those of you going through this stage: Good Luck and remember "This too shall pass"!

Karla

Those Pesky Ear Infections

Do any of your children suffer from frequent ear infections? My little guy is quite prone to them in the winter season. It's completely genetic as I can recall frequent ear infections and the "purple medicine" that tasted like grapes my mother gave me to cure them.

I'm hoping that as he is turning 4 that maybe he will outgrow some of hisear infections, but if not I'm going to arm myself with some good natural remedies to try to fight them naturally.

Here are some ideas:

1. Fresh raw garlic juice applied directly to the ear. (I hear it also keeps the vampires away this time of year!) :)


2. A few drops of lobelia extract applied into the infected ear.


3. Wash the affected ear with colloidal silver. It's a natural antibiotic.


4. Oil of Mullein applied to the ear numbs the pain and has an antibiotic effect. This can be purchased in a store or made at home. Check out my post on mullein for more ideas.

Do any of you have a child that suffers from frequent ear infections? What have you tried that works?

Karla

Cold and Flu Season

I saw on the news yesterday that the first doses of the swine flu vaccine were being given. I haven't gotten into the swine flu debate much up to this point for several reasons.

• For one thing, I really don't know and neither does anyone else whether this virus will really sweep the nation this fall and winter or if it will be a minor blip on the sickness radar. I work in a hospital so I know that last spring there were quite a few serious cases and some deaths attributed to the swine flu. However, there are many deaths yearly from the regular flu.


• Even if the swine flu does sweep the nation, I don't know for certain that a new, as yet untested vaccine will stop the progression. I also don't know what kind of harm the vaccination will cause. Or, is this vaccination really a life-saver? I really don't know the answer and really none of us will until after it's over.

I'm choosing to prepare for this flu season by improving my health and stocking up on a few of my favorite natural remedies. Here are a few suggestions.

• Eat a whole foods diet with 50 to 60% raw food. There is nothing like real food to strengthen your body and immune system to help it fight off bacterial or viral invaders. Search our recipes section for great ideas on whole foods or how to modify favorite foods to get more nutrition in.


• Juice! Raw juice is so full of nutrients and enzymes. Enzymes are important in helping digest your food, but did you know if they aren't used up in the digestion process they actually head over and join the immune system task force? Conversely, if you eat only cooked and processed food, your body must produce all the digestive enzymes and some of those are stolen from your immune system leaving you wide open for attack. Click here, here, and here for great posts with juicing info and ideas.
  
• Purchase some Colloidal Silver and take at the first sign of sickness. Colloidal silver is a broad spectrum product that will kill more than 650 disease producing bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Read more about it in this post.


• My new favorite product is Oscillococcinum. This is a homeopathic that you take at the first signs of flu or when you get that run down feeling. It lessens the impact of the flu and shortens the duration of sickness. I can tell you that it works too! One of the kids brought something home from school the very first week and it spread to both kids and my husband. My daughter and husband only needed one dose of O and they were feeling better the next day. The little guy needed another round but was feeling much better soon after. I was impressed. For more interesting reading on other great homeopathics read these posts.


• Olive Leaf is another potent antiviral that I plan to keep around the house this winter. Mountain Rose sells it in capsule form or in leaf form. Of course the capsule form is sold out (everyone is stocking up), but the leaf form is available. You can add it to a tea, smoothie, or make a nice tincture of it to keep on hand.


• One last thing I would recommend is making sure you are getting enough Vitamin D. Although it's not in a published study, there has been some sort of link identified between low vitamin D levels and more severe cases of the flu. Low vitamin D levels can impact your health on many fronts though so it will benefit you to keep a healthy level, especially going into the winter season with less sun exposure. If you are like me and you don't really like to take supplements without knowing if you are deficient, ask your health provider at your next visit to test your vitamin D level. I was surprised to find this August that mine was low. I'm outside all summer and tan very well, but still mine was low. With the combination of pregnancy and winter on it's way, I'm taking extra vitamin D this winter.

These are just a few of my favorite ways to prevent and treat the flu. The natural remedy world is thankfully rich in ways we can protect and heal our bodies. Most every herb has some sort of anti-microbial properties in addition to healing properties. Feel free to share in the comments section if you have another favorite remedy for our readers to prepare for this cold and flu season.

Karla

Colloidal Silver: Nature's Disinfectant

I came across another helpful natural remedy not long ago and wanted to write about it today. Colloidal silver is an inexpensive healing agent and disinfectant. It is a liquid composed of 99.9 percent pure silver particles that are suspended in water. The basic premise is that bacteria can't grow in the presence of silver and this makes colloidal silver a great internal and external disinfectant. In fact it has been shown to be effective agains more than 650 disease-causing bacteria, including such organisms as Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria and the fungus Candida albicans. It even works agains viruses.

Colloidal silver has been used for years in homeopathic, Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine. It's completely safe when used as directed, even for infants and children. (I know, someone is about to mention the "blue man." A man who purportedly used colloidal silver and turned his skin permanently blue. I looked into that story and apparently he was trying to make his own funky colloidal silver at home. Don't try that.) Back before antibiotics, refrigeration, and pasteurization people used to put silver coins in milk to keep bacteria from growing. You've heard the "born with a silver spoon in her/his mouth" phrase - well, apparently, the wealthy of the time would have their eating utensils made of silver in order to prevent bacteria growth on their food. Silver coins would even be thrown down into water wells to keep stagnant water drinkable.

Here are some ways that colloidal silver can benefit you and your family.

Colloidal Silver...

• is effective externally on burns, abrasions, and cuts - it fights infection and helps to heal skin damaged tissue.


• can be applied directly to the ears for an ear infection or used in a neti pot for sinus infections.


• can help get over the cold and flu virus


• can be used to treat drinking water. It is recommended to use some in travel and camping trips as you can add one ounce of colloidal silver in a quart of water and get the germicidal benefits from it.


• can be used pretty much any time when bacterial, fungal, or yeast infections are suspected. Note: for serious or life threatening conditions one should always consult their physician.

Safe Doses: It's important to use this product as recommended. The bottle you purchase will give you the correct amount to take daily and do not take for more than 2 weeks at a time with a two week rest window in between the next round. Do not take if you are currently on thryroxin, quinolones, penacillamines and tetracyclines as the silver has a definte reaction with these pharmaceuticals.

This is a great addition to your medicine cabinet - check your local health food store or email me and I can give you some other options.

Karla

Homeopathics and Bach Flower Remedies to Keep on Hand for the Stomach Flu

Preschool ended last week for my kids, but not before they were exposed to one last bout of the stomach flu. One of the sweet little guy's in the class was sent home on Wednesday with the big D. I hoped maybe the kids would miss it, but sure enough Sunday morning L. woke up with a fever and complaining of a tummy ache. I kind of twirled for awhile wondering what to do for her and then I thought duh - I can use homeopathics and Bach flowers for her! By dinnertime Sunday night she was up laughing and playing with her brother; her fever was gone; and we had no vomiting or diarrhea. Yeah! I love natural medicine!

Here is a great list of homeopathics and Bach flowers to keep on hand to get you through the stomach flu.

Homeopathics: The basic principles of homeopathy are that the natural state of the human body is one of health and that we possess the natural ability to heal ourselves. What we describe as symptoms are actually the body's efforts to protect itself against disease. Therefore, to effect a cure, we should not suppress the symptoms, but seek to stimulate the body's own natural healing processes.

• Arsenicum Album - Person is restless, fearful, aching, and irritable. They are thirsty for sips of water and are better from warm drinks, worse from cold ones. They dislike the smell or even sight of food. They have burning pains here and there and usually feel worse after midnight.


• Bryonia - Person has a painful cough and pain in the throat and chest. They feel worse from even the slightest motion. They are irritable, quiet, and want to be left alone. They are usually very thirsty with dry mouth and lips.


• Euphatorium perfoliatum - Person experiences deep aching in the bones and even the eyeballs are sore. They may feel totally "wiped out," unable to exert the least effort. They are usually thirsty, especially as the chill begins to come on.


• Gelsemium - There is gradual onset of chilling, aching, lassitude, and fever. Person is not thirsty. They are persistently apathetic and indifferent to life. They lie quietly with eyelids drooping.


• Nux Vomica - This remedy is indicated when a cold has developed into influenza. The patient is irritable, chilly, sensitive to noises and odors, worse from cold or open air. They are better lying down and from warmth.


• Phosphorus - This remedy is for the person who doesn't even act sick. A child, for example, with a temperature of 104 degrees may play happily. Person may feel very weak. They are thirsty for refreshing ice-cold drinks, but may vomit as soon as the water is warm in the stomach.

That is an extensive list. We found Arsenicum Album and Nux Vomica helpful. If you are unfamiliar with homeopathics, look for them in your local health store or you can order them online at 1-800-homeopathy. For more information you can also check out the National Center for Homeopathy.

Bach Flower Remedies: Generally I think of using Bach Flower Remedies during times of stress or emotional problems, so I was surprised to find that they are also very helpful during the flu or other physical symptoms. This shouldn't be so surprising as we generally get "sick" after a period of mental, emotional, or physical stress.

Here is a list of the primary essences one should take as soon as the flu shows up.

• Clematis: This strengthens the resolve to stay healthy.


• Crab Apple: Promotes purification of the blood and helps divert the virus.


• Olive: Gives one reserves of strength.


• Walnut: Strengthens the immune system against pathogens

All of the above can be taken together or mixed in a bottle. Here is another list of complementary essences and you may choose up to two depending on your particular circumstances. (Only up to six essences should be mixed at a time).

• Chicory for a conspicuous craving for love or comfort.


• Elm for sudden exhaustion.


• Holly for groundless irritation.


• Mustard for an inexplicable bad mood.


• Water Violet to treat the need for quiet and the need to be left alone.


• Gentian in case of a prolonged illness or prolapse.

If you are unfamiliar with using Bach Flower Remedies, once again check your local health store as they usually sell them there. My local health store doesn't sell them, but I order them from Frontier. For more information you can also check out the Original Bach Flower Remedy site.

Hopefully this helps you the next time you or someone in your family is faced with the stomach flu! I know it was helpful here.

Karla

Natural Remedies for Acid Reflux

My husband and other members of his family have been long-time sufferers of acid reflux. And despite my best efforts to help him control his heartburn through some small diet changes, he continues to take a daily dose of medication against my better judgement. I am back on a kick again.

As I have done a bit of reading about natural remedies for acid reflux, it is clear that there are lots of thoughts on the subject and that no "one-size-fits-all" solution has yet to be identified. In fact, most experts say that you need to experiment and see what works for you. If one remedy doesn't seem to help try the next.

Below is a list of 10 home remedies you may want to try. Keep in mind that these are not medically proven solutions, but may be worth a shot.

1. Drink a glass of milk. Even though opinions differ on whether it should be whole or skim milk, this is an accepted and often recommended measure for immediate relief for heartburn and acid reflux.

2. Drink water. The water will dilute the stomach acid and wash down anything that might be planning on defying gravity, so a big glass ort wo of water after your meal might do the trick.

3. Chew almonds. A few almonds, taken in the morning and/or after meals, chewed very well, have been hailed as the new miracle treatment for acid reflux by some people.

4. Chamomile or fennel tea. The soothing effects of chamomile or fennel tea are also known to provide acid reflux relief. The tea should best be sipped, not gulped, and should be of a moderate temperature, not too hot or cold.

5. Eat an apple. Eating an apple after a meal has also been found to alleviate acid reflux. Choose organic apples and chew well.

6. Candied ginger. Chew a piece when you're feeling the acid reflux kick in. You can also put a piece of candied ginger in your tea and let it sit for a bit before drinking it if you don't like eating candied ginger.

7. Apple cider vinegar. Swallow two to three table spoons undiluted for an acute attack, or dissolve the same amount in warm water to drink to prevent acid reflux from recurring.
Note: Concerns with swallowing undiluted vinegar include the fact that it can start to eat away tooth enamel. Our recent post on fruit juice/honey apple cider vinegar by Body Ami recommends diluting a few teaspoons with 8 or more ounces of water.

8. Papaya enzyme. Available in the form of papaya enzyme pills, this enzyme has helped end acid reflux symptoms for some people.

9. Aloe. Despite its consistency which takes some getting used to, aloe juice also is some acid reflux patients favorite remedy.

10. Chew gum. After your meals, chew sugarless gum for 30 minutes. This stimulates saliva production which in turn like water that you drink dilutes the contents of your stomach and helps wash down anything from your esophagus into your stomach.

I also read that eating a piece of celery before and after a meal helped one person. Hey, why not try it!

I personally feel that diet is the key to controlling acid reflux and often press on this point when discussing this issue with my husband. It makes sense that a more alkalizing diet (mainly fruits and veggies) would at least help relieve this constant heartburn. Below is a table of foods that should be avoided as you try to get your acid reflux under control.

Foods To Avoid

Fruit • Orange juice • Lemon • Lemonade • Grapefruit juice • Cranberry juice• Tomato
Vegetables • Mashed potatoes • French fries • Onion, raw
Meat • Ground beef, chuck • Marbled sirloin • Chicken nuggets • Buffalo wings
Dairy • Sour cream • Milk shake • Ice cream • Cottage cheese, regular
Grains • Macaroni and cheese • Spaghetti with sauce
Beverages • Liquor • Wine • Coffee, decaffeinated or regular • Tea, decaffeinated or regular
Fats / Oils • Salad dressing, creamy • Salad dressing, oil & vinegar
Sweets / Desserts • Butter cookie, high-fat • Brownie • Chocolate • Doughnut

Processed Snacks • Corn chips • Potato chips, regular

Note: This is by no means a complete list, and in your personal situation, you may either find you can eat the foods from the "Avoid" group with no problem or have problems with foods not listed. It is a good idea to keep a Food Diary. For approximately two weeks, write down what you eat, when you eat and any symptoms you may experience. This will help you and your doctor plan your diet and decide on any change in eating habits you may need.

- Shannan

Sources: about.com, revolutionhealth

What's In Your Medicine Cabinet?? Arnica Montana

Summer is now officially on it's way here in Michigan. The days are getting longer, sunnier and much warmer. My kids already have a fresh batch of skinned knees. Ah yes...Summer. Something I think every household should stock up on for summer is a wonderful little homeopathic called Arnica. Summer is usually full of scrapes, bruises, sore muscles, overexertion and other various injuries. Arnica is a great natural remedy for all of the above.

Some might be unfamiliar with the use of homeopathics. The basic principles of homeopathy are that the natural state of the human body is one of health and that we possess the natural ability to heal ourselves. What we describe as symptoms are actually the body's efforts to protect itself against disease. Therefore, to effect a cure, we should not suppress the symptoms, but seek to stimulate the body's own natural healing processes.

Arnica is made from an herb called Leopard’s Bane that grows in the mountains. German peasants observed that if a sheep or goat fell down on a hillside and hurt itself, it would nibble the leaves of this plant. Arnica is priceless to keep around the house for the aftereffects of a fall, overexertion, injury from a blunt object, shock from an injury, soreness, healing of bruised tissue, and to control bleeding. To sum it up the person who needs Arnica is the one who feels bruised and sore.

One should take Arnica every three to four hours. Place the tablet or pellet (depending on the type you purchase) on or under the tongue and allow to dissolve in the mouth. Discontinue as soon as improvement is noted. If pain is especially intense take Arnica every fifteen minutes until pain subsides. Children can safely take half of the adult dose recommended on the packaging.

As an added aid, apply Arnica externally to the bruised area. A topical lotion or cream will help speed healing and relief. A word of caution, do not apply Arnica directly to broken skin as it will irritate open tissues.

Arnica also works great for those who are undergoing surgery. Take two tablets of Arnica before and afer surgery then repeat as often as needed. This will help reduce pain and minimize the need for narcotic medications.

Now off to enjoy the beautiful day!

Karla

Help for Teething Babies

Recently, I have been approached by three different friends who are mothers of infants/toddlers who are teething. They want to know if there is a safe, effective natural remedy they can give their little one to ease the pain and help their little one sleep at night. Although it's been a couple of years since my two were teething, I can distinctly remember the nights and days of no sleep, crabby babies, and praying that the tooth would just come in already. Sadly, I have to admit that during that time I hadn't been exposed yet to naturopathy so we mostly suffered through it or gave a dose of Motrin as recommended by my pediatrician at the time. When you know better though, you do better and I've come to appreciate that there are other alternatives that are much safer. I've found that homeopathy has many herbal remedies that will help whatever ails you and in teething children homeopathy can usually help to ease the pain.

There are several different teething remedies and the important thing is to find the one that is just right for your child. Even if you have two children, the remedy you used on your first may not be the one that works for your second. Each child is different and needs different remedies. Here are a few that are recommended for teething and their definitions.

• Chamomilla: This baby is cross, whiny, obstinate, and difficult to satisfy. They cry when denied something that they want and throw themselves to the floor if it is proffered. When touched or even looked at, the child manifests its resentment by shrieks, whining, or angry cries. The child is quiet only when carried about.


• Belladonna: This baby will be irritable, delirious, and may strike out or bite. They are usually flushed, restless, and feverish.


• Calcarea carbonica for the baby who has delayed teething, and delayed closure of fontanelles. This baby may actually have difficulty assimilating calcium and calcarea carbonica will help with that, thus facilitating teeth coming in. This baby is often fair, plump, with a sweaty head.


• Calcarea phosphorica has similar symptoms with delayed teething, delayed closure of fontanels, but this baby is usually thin, with dark hair and eyes.


• Silica: this baby has fine-textured skin, fine sandy hair, sweats in the head and neck as well as feet and hands, and has an intolerance to milk. This baby is extremely bright but can be difficult.

I know the definitions above are fairly vague and you may find it difficult to see which one might benefit your teething baby. There are combination remedies that combine a few remedies to make it easier on sleepless parents. I like to order homeopathics from a company called 1-800-Homeopathy. They sell a product called Teething Tabs that contain calcarea phosphorica, Ferrum Phosphoricum, Belladonna, and Chamomilla all in one tab. They also carry Hyland's Teething Gel which contains no benzocaine, sugar, artificial flavoring, dyes, or coloring agents. It has Calcarea Phos, Chamomilla, Coffea Cruda, and Belladonna in it for homeopathics and can be applied right to the teething baby's sore gums.

Another option to relieve the pain of teething is to head to your health food store and pick up a bottle of clove oil. Clove oil is a natural anesthetic and a drop can be massaged into the baby's gums. A combination of homeopathics and clove oil may work really well together to help relieve teething pain and let everyone get some rest!

Best of luck and a little sleep to all of you wonderful mothers of teething babies. I can hear Darius Rucker in my head right now "It won't be like this for long". Trust me, that's a good thing and a bad thing! :)

Karla

What's In Your Medicine Cabinet??

Tea Tree Oil

A really great natural remedy to keep on hand for home emergencies is a small bottle of Tea Tree Oil. Tea tree oil is a pale essential oil taken from the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia which is native to the northeast cost of New South Wales, Australia. Tea tree oil undiluted has a very strong camphoraceous odor (or as my husband described it "like gasoline"). No really it's not that strong. This oil has several very helpful uses around the house.

• It's an antiseptic for wound disinfection, insect or spider bites;


• It's an anti fungal that can be used to treat athlete's foot and fungal nail infections;


• Shampoos with 5% tea tree oil effectively treat dandruff and even kill lice;


• It's a great treatment for acne and general skin care. Add it to your bottle of oil when doing the oil cleansing method for even greater results;


• It's a great topical anti-viral treatment, especially when used for the herpes virus, cold sores, chicken pox, shingles blisters, and warts; and


• tea tree oil can be used in mouth wash for dental and oral health; or as a gargle for colds, and sore throats. It's important to remember not to swallow the gargle as tea tree oil is harmful when swallowed;

Pick yourself up a bottle of this wonderful home remedy. You can add it to your shampoo; dilute with distilled water, or cold pressed vegetable oil to make a rinse or salve. You can add a teaspoon of tea tree oil to a cup of water or natural soap for a wonderful disinfectant spray or wash that will even kill mold or mildew around the house.

One word of caution, tea tree oil is harmful when swallowed. It has been reported to cause drowsiness, confusion, hallucinations, coma, unsteadiness, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach upset, blood cell abnormalities, and severe rashes. It should be kept away from pets and children.

Karla

What's in Your Medicine Cabinet??

I was reading through a variety of things on my desk this weekend (trying yet again to get organized) and thought I would share a few of the things I found. I don't know about you, but as holistic as the rest of my life is, when one of the kids get hurt or sick many times I'm tempted to reach back for the over the counter things I've used for years instead of trying holistic remedies that would be better for us. I thought it might be good to share some ideas of common home remedies and then start stocking our medicine cabinets with good things to prepare for those times when we need them.

• Did you know that grapes are one of the most effective home remedies for treatment of a cough? Grapes tone up the lungs and act as an expectorant. How easy is that. A cup of raw (not pasteurized) grape juice mixed with a teaspoon of honey is a great natural cough syrup.



• For burns (I have many kitchen accidents), run the affected area under cold water or ice for 15-30 minutes. then apply honey to the area. The honey will prevent infection and start the wound healing.



• As I've started to eat more raw fruits and veggies, and started juicing, my body has been detoxing, and it started to show up on my skin as acne. It's always nice to go back to those teenage years! Something I've found affective is to use lemon juice as an astringent and for healing.



• And how about this one...Carrot soup is an effective home remedy for diarrhea. Who knew? It supplies water to combat dehydration; replenishes sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sulphur, and magnesium; supplies pectin; and coats the intestine to allay inflammation. It also checks the growth of harmful intestinal bacteria and prevents vomiting. Wow!

So, on your next shopping trip you should include grapes, honey, lemons, and carrots and you will have the beginnings of a few fantastic remedies for those occasional times when we are not at our best! Amazing!

We will revisit this topic often, but in the meantime, what are your favorite home remedies?? Please share!

Karla

P.S. Make sure to check back tomorrow morning...Shannan and I have a great surprise for you!