What You Need for a Natural Medicine Cabinet
Last week I shared all about our daily vitamins and supplements. This week I’m going to share our entire natural medicine cabinet essentials! I try my best to keep things stocked to have on hand. Most things I have to order from somewhere and I don’t want to be ordering it when I actually need it. Don’t feel like you have to go and buy everything at once. Just buy a little here and there. I don’t ever restock all of our things at one time.
I mentioned in last week’s blog post about not being able to out supplement a bad diet, same goes here. We should always be getting nutrients from whole foods, drinking plenty of water, lowering stress, proper sleep, and exercise. The supplements should be just that, supplementing your diet.
Disclaimer real quick, I’m not a medical professional. I’m a wife and mother of 4. You should always consult your physician on what products you should be using.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Get my full disclosure here.
Colds
We continue to take our daily vitamins and supplements, you can read that blog here. But we also add in bio-active silver from Sovereign Silver, Zinc from Mary Ruth’s, Echinacea from Herb Pharm to boost our immune system. I also keep Boiron’s Cold Calm in the cabinet, there’s adult, child, and infant versions of this. For any flu-like symptoms we use Boiron’s Oscillococcinum.
When Illness Occurs
When illness occurs I switch our daily vitamin c to Lypo-spheric vitamin c. I do this because it’s, “scientifically shown to raise Vitamin C 50% more in white blood cells than a powder.” This is the time I make our own elderberry syrup using this recipe. If you don’t want to make your own you can purchase Mary Ruth’s here.
Bio-Active Silver: This is an effective antimicrobial. There’s also a gel version that can be used for first aid!
Zinc : “an essential mineral, meaning that it’s necessary for health, but the human body is unable to synthesize it! Zinc is one of the most abundant trace minerals in your body, and it is present in all body tissues. The optimal concentration of zinc in the body is necessary for healthy immune function, and homeostasis of this mineral plays a role in supporting the health of your body’s macrophages, an important component of your innate immune system. This mineral is needed for several bodily processes including certain gene expression and DNA repair. Zinc also helps to support cellular metabolism and maintain skin integrity.” -From Mary Ruth’s Website
Echinacea : This was used as a “cure-all” by Native Americans. And is still recommended today by herbalists to boost the immune system. It can help to shorten the duration of an illness, as well as, reduce symptoms.
Cold Calm : This is a homeopathic option to help relieve cold symptoms. There is a version for almost any age!
Oscillococcinum : Made by the same company as Cold Calm, this is another homeopathic option. This works with your body naturally to relieve flu-like symptoms.
Stomach Bugs
After suffering from an awful stomach bug at 38 weeks pregnant with our 3rd, that sent me to the hospital passing out and having contractions from dehydration I go full panic mode as soon as anyone says their stomach hurts. I’m so thankful to have found activated charcoal takes care of this! I keep two forms of this in my cabinet. One is powder form that I can mix into water, grape juice…I’ve even mixed into applesauce for the kids. The other is in pill form.
As soon as I think we’re dealing with a stomach bug I take activated charcoal and give it to anyone else that isn’t showing signs yet. The charcoal binds to all the nasty stuff in your stomach and then flushes it out. I also give small sips to the one that is sick. So far this has kept it from spreading to anyone else in the house and the one that is sick is usually feeling better within a few hours of taking it and sleeping.
Ear Infections
Fortunately, we haven’t had to deal with a ton of ear infections. Our oldest probably had the most and she only had them a handful of times. But I do keep Herb Pharm’s mullein garlic oil in the cabinet. It contains calendula flower, St. John’s wort, mullein flower, garlic, and olive oil. I’ve also made my own garlic oil before. Simply cut up some garlic, place in a container, top with olive oil, allow to sit for at least a few hours but preferably overnight. You can slightly warm and drop 2-3 drops in the ear.
Garlic has antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. It can also help with the inflammation and pain in the ear.
Simply eating garlic is a great way to boost your immune system also.
Aches & Pains
Since switching my diet to AIP for my youngest I don’t deal with headaches much anymore. But I keep Leefy in the house for headaches mostly. It’s great for inflammation. I also have Boiron’s Arnica for muscle pain and stiffness.
Essential Oils: What You Need for a Natural Medicine Cabinet
I’ve been using essential oils for at least 7 years now. I’ve switched brands a few different times. But no matter which brand you purchase you should be able to find something similar to these. I prefer to use Plant Therapy Essential Oils, I have an old blog post I need to update that explains why. But here’s my list of oils I keep in stock for helping our immune systems.
- Peppermint: For headaches and nausea
- Lavendar: For relaxation
- Germ Destroyer (Kidsafe): To clean out the air and boost immune system
- Germ Fighter: To clean out the air and boost immune system
- Ginger: For all stomach problems
- Lemon: To clean out the air and boost immune system
If you want to try Plant Therapy, use this link and get $10 off your first order of $10 or more!
So that’s a look into our natural medicine cabinet for now. I’m constantly researching, asking questions, and finding more natural remedies that work well for our family!
I hope this was helpful and gives you somewhere to start on filling your medicine cabinet with natural and homeopathic remedies. I know I feel so much more confident as a mother having this cabinet of things I can reach for whenever something may come up. You can have that same confidence too, mama!
Did you see my post for what we use daily? If not, you can check it out here.
I also have my favorite home remedies in a convenient ebook, grab it here!
These statements have not be approved by the FDA. These statements/products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. All information presented here is not meant as a substitute for or alternative to information from healthcare practitioners. Please consult your healthcare professional.
