Our Natural Medicine Cabinet
I want to share our family's natural medicine cabinet, including the vitamins we take on a daily basis. This is not medical advice; please just take this as one family's journey toward wellness.
I am a registered nurse, and what I found during my years working in hospitals was that there is very little focus on prevention and wellness. But please hear me say: there is absolutely a place for acute care. If you have a serious illness or injury, by all means, you should see a doctor right away. But for keeping my family healthy and for minor ailments (colds, minor injuries, stomach bugs and infections), I want the tools to help me treat these things from home.
Two books I am studying have helped me immensely as I grow in this area:
+ Essential Oils: Ancient Medicine for a Modern World by Josh Axe, Ty Bollinger, and Jordan Rubin - If you're interested in learning more about the use of essential oils, this is such a valuable resource. It not only covers individual oils and their uses, but recommends supplements as well as recipes for home remedies. It is written from a Christian perspective and includes biblical foundations for the use of oils. It is such a wealth of information, but organized in a way that it's not too overwhelming. I highly recommend it!
+ Be Your Own Doctor by Rachel Weaver - Don't let the title scare you off. These are simple home remedies that can be used for basic ailments, many of which have been used for centuries. She also has a companion volume, Be Your Child's Pediatrician, that I've recently ordered.
If natural remedies or essential oils are brand new to you, please don't attempt to overhaul your medicine cabinet overnight. The next time you need cough medicine, for example, do some research on some natural remedies and switch it out with the over-the-counter meds you may be used to taking. This is a journey... take it one step (and one remedy) at a time.
In general, we try using a homeopathic remedy first (like Earthley brand), a "clean" medicine (like Genexa brand) second, and over-the-counter medication as a last resort. We firmly believe in the body's natural ability to fight infection and disease and do everything we can to support our bodies to do so!
The list below reflects my own family's most common ailments, and yours may be much different! In a future post, I'll explain how we diffuse and apply essential oils. The remedies below are primarily using homeopathic or natural medicines. I hope something on this list points you in the right direction. Everything I've mentioned below has worked for us!
For boosting immunity during cold/flu season:
- Get plenty of vitamin D. We try to get out in the sun every single day, even if it's cold.
- Limit sugar. If a recipe calls for white sugar, we substitute coconut sugar or maple syrup instead.
- Get plenty of sleep. My husband and I do our best to sleep 8 hours each night, and the kids get 10-12 hours of sleep per night, plus an afternoon nap for our little boys.
- Focus our diet on whole, healing foods rich in vitamin C.
- Take homemade elderberry syrup. Here's the recipe I use: Homemade Elderberry Syrup. We each take this alongside our vitamins each morning or add it to a smoothie during cold/flu season.
- Hydrate. We drink lots of herbal tea in the winter.
Vitamins I take every day:
Because I have Celiac disease, I've found that liquid vitamins settle much better on my stomach. You may be feel the same, even without Celiac. I put them all in a medicine cup and drink it together each morning.
- Mary Ruth's Liquid Multivitamin
- Mary Ruth's Ionic Liquid Zinc Drops: For immunity. Especially important during cold/flu season.
- Mary Ruth's Liquid Probiotics: A healthy gut is paramount to immunity!
- Mary Ruth's Women's Wellness Liquid Drops: I've seen a marked difference in my hormonal balance since using these consistently. Less mood swings and hormonal symptoms throughout the month.
- Beef organ supplements: I use this as a natural iron supplement.
When the adults have allergies:
When the adults have a cold or flu:
- Oscillococcinum: I have used this during the flu and during Covid to help with body aches and fever.
- Oreganol drops: I dilute these in orange juice as they are quite potent.
- Wellness Herbal Resistance Liquid: If I feel the hint of a sore throat or cold coming on, I add this to my daily vitamin regimen as an extra boost.
- Propolis Tincture: We actually purchased our propolis at a farmer's market. We add it to orange juice at the beginning stages of a cold. Bee propolis is a powerful immunity booster.
- Cold Crush by Genexa: We take this if we have a full blown cold to help manage symptoms.
For food poisoning or upset stomach:
Activated charcoal: Activated charcoal binds to toxins and helps flush them out of the body. The adults take capsules, and I mix a little into applesauce for my little ones.
Vitamins the kids take every day:
- Mary Ruth's Kids Gummy Multivitamins
- Mary Ruth's Liquid Probiotics: Again, a healthy gut is so important to overall health. A good daily probiotic not only aids the immune system, but affects behavior and general well being.
When the kids have a cough:
- Feel Better Fast by Earthley: This herbal tincture is great for knocking out coughs and sniffles.
- Cough syrup: If I don't make my own using this recipe, I purchase Maty's Organic Children's Cough Syrup.
When the kids have a high fever:
If we've tried a lukewarm bath, a sponge bath, changing into light clothing and blankets, and eating a popsicle and the fever is still high... we give them Genexa Kids' Acetaminophen.
When the kids have a tummy ache:
- Upset Tummy Popsicles: This is a first resort, filled with ginger and peppermint and soothing ingredients. I keep a stash of these in our freezer.
- Digestzen Essential Oil Roller: Roll in a clockwise direction on the belly to help with bloating and pain.
- Genexa Kids' Tummy Relief: This is mostly for indigestion, but has really helped my children if they have crampy tummy pain.
For general pain or muscle aches:
- Arnica Pain Tablets: These are homeopathic and helps with pain and swelling.
- Arnica Topical Pain Relief Gel: If one of our kids has had a fall or gotten bruised, we rub a little of this on the tender spot. It also helps with muscle soreness or stiffness.
- Dr. Teal's Hemp Seed Oil Epson Salt Bath: This is such a soothing bath, and I've even used it for body aches during a high fever with success.
For earaches/suspected ear infections:
Mullein Garlic Oil for kids: One of our children has been prone to ear infections, and this has helped us avoid a full blown infection more than once.
For headaches:
- Badger Headache Soother Stick: If I don't have this on hand, I add a drop of lavender, peppermint, and eucalyptus essential oil to a teaspoon of jojoba or coconut oil, rub on temples, back of neck, and chest, then cup your hands and breathe in for a few moments.
- Pain Potion by Earthley: This is pretty potent when you put it under the tongue, but soothes headaches and general pain.
For feelings of anxiety:
Mary Ruth's Magnesium Calm Liquid Vitamin and Gaba Ease: Before being diagnosed with Celiac, I struggled with anxiety and panic attacks from time to time, and these helped calm my nervous system. I now use them (and a lavender bath) when feelings of anxiety creep in.
For cuts/scrapes/minor burns:
Bee Naturals Herbal Antiseptic Ointment: We've used this for as long as I can remember in place of Neosporin and it helps minor cuts and scrapes heal beautifully.
For sleep support:
- Sleepy Time Herbal Extract by Earthley: This tastes delicious and helps kids and adults get restful sleep.
The links above may be affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission (without added cost to you). I only recommend what our family personally loves and uses. Thank you!
