Baking Soda Basics

Baking soda is great in a bath if your skin is irritated, especially if the cause is poison oak or ivy, as the soda will help dry up wet blisters as well as greatly reducing the itch. Applying a baking soda and water paste to the site of a bee sting or other insect bite will neutralize the pain and itch. Just remove the actual stinger first, and then smooth on the baking soda paste for instant relief.

A headache can be treated with a teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in a cup of warm water with ¼ cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Last but not least, whiten your teeth and freshen your breath by brushing with baking soda and water.

Two Simples Every Woman Should Know

Red raspberry leaf and chasteberry are each simples that are invaluable for women’s health and healing. Raspberry leaf taken as an infusion can prevent menstrual cramps for most women. Take a teaspoon to a small handful (depending on severity of cramps experienced) and steep covered in freshly boiled water for ten minutes. Head those cramps off at the pass by drinking one cup per day for a week before you expect your cycle to begin. (For severe cramps, take this herb every day of the month!) This herb actually has a pleasant flavor and can be used to make caffeine-free ice tea or sweet tea (but if you are having cramps on the day you plan to drink it, its healing effect will work better if you drink it warm). Raspberry leaf combines well both in taste and effect with many other common simples, such as chamomile or mint, so you can experiment with flavor combinations…or even invent your own custom moon time tea!

Why does raspberry leaf have this wonderful effect? An aromatherapist of my acquaintance tells me that in pharmacological research, this plant has been shown to improve the tone and condition of the uterus! Which is why it is also the number one simple an expectant mother ought to include in her regimen. At least one strong cup daily is recommended to support your body in the process of creation during every month of pregnancy.

Chasteberry (also known as “Vitex” from its scientific name, Vitex agnus castus), is the number one simple for the power surges known as hot flashes frequently experienced by ladies in their middle years. The part used is the berries; simmer a couple of teaspoons low in a cup or two of water after bringing the water to a boil, making sure to cover the pot so as not to lose the medicinal volatile essence. This herb tastes medicinal but not terrible and can be combined with any mild herbal tea for flavor. If you prefer convenience, either chasteberry or raspberry leaf can be purchased in capsules, though it is a bit more costly to take them that way.

Always choose organic medicinal herbs when you can find (and afford) them, not only to be kind to Mother Earth but because their healing effects are stronger.

Remedies at the Ready: Your Herbal Medicine Cabinet

I’ve found that my remedy box has grown into a cupboard over the years. I tend to study and read up on a condition and seek out the most effective and reliably recommended remedy to treat it. Most herbs, tinctures, and essential oils have more than one therapeutic use, and my knowledge has grown as a result of having some of these herbs in my cupboard. Often, the range of uses is wide; for example, lavender oil is indicated for skin conditions, respiratory and circulatory problems, nervous tension and exhaustion, coughs and colds, muscle aches, and menstrual cramps, as well as cuts. I stanched a deep cut on my toe with lavender oil recently, a new use for me, and it worked great. It’s a natural disinfectant, too! I would estimate that this cure cost me about a dime as opposed to a two-thousand-dollar trip to a crowded emergency room, with exposure to myriad viruses. It was peace of mind for pennies.

I keep a well-stocked first aid kit. Instead of expensive over-the-counter products, we use hydrogen peroxide, witch hazel, calamine lotion, aloe vera gel, and both arnica cream and calendula cream. We are ready for (almost) anything!

Creams and ointments are often expensive to buy but can be made easily at home.