Hey all! Wow! The cornucopia's been growing! If you missed the word 'cornucopia' this, it basically means a collection of goodness - traditionally, it was the horn of plenty. Think of a goat's horn overflowing with fruits and vegetables - a real symbol of abundance. The abundance we are looking for for this fortnight's challenge is:
From breast milk to heal things such as ear pain or burns, to a kickass chai tea, this week has done Natural Medicine proud. We love all your entries so far - keep them coming, because we decided you can enter as many times as you like! How cool is that!
So far the prize pool is looking pretty healthy. For the last challenge, we had about 10 steem to give away - how cool is that! It's been great to reward members due to the support of our delegators, which really keep this project afloat.
Chai And Rosemary
This post by @sedgeandsalt writes:
I really like a good warming adaptogenic Chai tea.
This is a remedy that I make up according to what I am wanting at the moment. This usually includes some warming herbs like Ginger, Cardamom, Cinnamon. I usually add Ashwagandha (one of my go-to travel herbs), Reishi (preferably some I harvested myself if I have it) Black Pepper (of which I only like in a tea, not on food), possibly Astragulus and Licorice root. I often add Coconut milk and Maple syrup, sometimes Ghee or Coconut Oil to throw in some fat.
Breast Milk
This post by @trucklife-family writes about a little known cure produced by the body! She writes:
As A woman, our female bodies are perfectly adapted to feed our babies and the composition of milk that we produce changes as our children grow. Meeting all of their needs, at every milestone. That in itself is pretty amazing. But I am not here to sing the praises of breast feeding, and yes there are so many, I will leave that for another day. Instead I wish to talk about the benefits of breast milk as a home remedy.
Garlic Oil Ear Remedy
This post writes about garlic as a home cure, something many of us use. However, this one's a little bit different. She writes:
This home remedy has saved us many trips to our family doctor. No need for antibiotics when you have garlic around. We have used this on 3 out of 5 of our children. With the powerful effects of garlic and the soothing of the olive oil and it’s ability to reduce inflammation it eases the pain of ear infection and speeds up the healing process. It works fast and so well that we only use it once or twice per incident. Usually our kids will tell us their ears are feeling better after the first application of the oil.
@croiselle's homemade ear remedy
Garlic, Plaintain and Valerian
This post by porters raves about three herbs or plants she uses often, including valerian:
I use the juice from the crushed leaves to take away the sting from nettles, the itch from mosquitoes bites and I make a poultice to draw out slivers and bee stings. For sting from nettles and misquito bites I just rub the juice of the leaves on it. To take out slivers and the stinger from a bee sting, I make a poultice with the crushed leaves and hold it place with gauze wrap. I make a poultice from the leaves by crushing or bruising them and putting them over the affected area or if I want to have it on for a longer period of time, I hold it in place with gauze wrap.
Elderberry Cough Syrup
This post by @riverflows writes two recipes for elderberry syrup that can help fight colds and infections (plus, it tastes good)
Kombucha Hair Rinse
This post gives a new spin on kombucha by talking about how she uses it as a hair rinse. She writes:
I like home remedies. While I love browsing drugstores and feel the urge to buy just about every product on the shelf, I don't do it because I would never use them. The truth is, I am a natural girl. A home is not a home unless it has a jar of coconut oil, kombucha brewing, and a large collection of essential oils!
and that
My hair is curly and colored (currently a cross between mauve and fucshia), so shampoo is overkill. It strips away all the good stuff! Since my hair doesn't get that greasy, I often wash with Kombucha vinegar. The best way is to get a spray bottle, but I never remember that. I start at the roots and make sure that I saturate everything really well. Given the lowish level of acetic acid concentration, you don't really have to worry about how much you use. I often use coconut oil the night before to untangle my hair--otherwise it would be a nightmare to comb through--so I use a fair amount as a wash. Then I rinse, and apply a smaller amount in the same way to leave in. This acts like a type of tonic for your hair. If you want, you can add aromatic herbs to the second round for a nice smell. If I have gardenia flowers, I use them.
You can find the original challenge here, but if you'd like to enter, here's a recap of the rules:
- A favourite home remedy - perhaps it's something passed down from a grandparent, or a simple medicine you could not live without.
- It should be something easily accessible that would benefit us all
- Detailed stories, as they help the reader (us) engage with you
- Original content
- Photographs and images, and all round well put together posts.
- Resteems and upvotes - the more this is shared and supported, the bigger the prize pool and the more we can grow so that we can keep rewarding YOU! (share this post, rather than the old one, as it encourages a bigger prize pool for you!)
Can't wait to read next week's entries! Enjoy the rest of your week - look after yourself and enjoy a cup of chai tea perhaps!
