My Favorite Home Remedies plus the Recipe for Super Tonic

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All through the years, our mothers and grandmothers have relied on tried and true 'home remedies'. It's practically an art form. Of course, these remedies are infamous for being despised by children all through history. :o) Mary Poppins was admired for adding a 'spoonful of sugar' to make the medicine go down--do you remember?

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Frankly, I have bad memories of my dear mother's home remedies. I've lived long enough to actually KNOW what an enema bag is for. It may or may not have helped--but I don't think it was worth it. Period. (Sorry Mom--but that was just not one of my favorite memories. :o)

And Mom had lots of other home remedies and so did my grandma. Like all kids--I pretty much remember dreading every one of them. But I also remember that many of them worked. I hated having Grandma swab my throat with iodine (she was a nurse for years), but my sore throat was gone before bedtime!

Regardless, I was quite the skeptic when my mother suggested garlic capsules as a natural antibiotic. It is a fact, though, that she stumbled upon the field of herbs and began to share the possibilities with me many years ago. It wasn't until I had a chronic infection and didn't want to have to pay a doctor (two kids later) that I finally actually tried her 'fail-safe' cure for yeast infections and earaches. Now, I listen when she suggests a new home remedy.

If something doesn't work--I'm not interested period. But these things have worked---on my children--myself--my husband and many friends' families too. If you are on a tight budget or don't have insurance, some of these things may be worth a try too.

 

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Garlic Pills or Oil-- You know, my kids so associate garlic with being sick that they won't hardly let me put it in food. This is too bad because it really is a natural anti-biotic. We used garlic oil (in a squeeze bottle) purchased from a health food store to clear up ear infections as soon as we caught them. The problem with herbs is you have to use them right away and often--every couple of hours.

My kids know exactly what to do when they feel a cold or flu coming on. Get out the garlic pills, the echinacea and the Emergency C drinks. We sometimes still get the cold, but rarely do they get secondary infections like ear infections or sinus infections. Garlic kills bacteria. We've used it for 20 years and my children rarely had to go to the doctor for anything but check ups and shots.

Echinacea enhances the immune system--plain and simple. Take it during cold season.

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And of course chicken soup, and lemon and honey all help too. Is there anyone who hasn't used these? Scientists have even agreed that there is provable benefit from plain old chicken soup when you have a cold.

EmergenC Drink Powder - You can buy this in bulk at Wal-mart, Sam's or any drug store. We start drinking them and drink them often all the while we are sick and whenever the boys mow or spend a lot of time in the heat--they tank up too. Tim, my even more skeptical husband-takes them on trips. He won't leave for a trip without a supply. Like Gatorade, they replace you fluids plus vitamins and other essential elements--but minus the excess sugar. Elisabeth buys her own brand from Germany and knew about the benefit of this drink long before we did.

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Baking Soda--The miracle cure for bug bites and many other things (especially cleaning and of course cooking. ) . How did I learn about this? From the Poison Control Center! My 21 yr.old son was two when he got a spider bite. I didn't discover it until the day after the picnic when his little leg was swollen stiff and hard as a rock. I panicked and called Poison control. They assured me he would be just fine and told me to make a paste of baking soda and water. They said just to put it on the place where he had been bit and cover it with a paper towel until it dried. In no time, the swelling was supposed to go down. I just couldn't believe it! In 30 minutes, his swelling was down and his leg was soft to the touch. Amazing! All five of my kids rely on baking soda! It even draws out mosquito bite venom removing the itch. It doesn't work on chiggers though. You need nail polish for that. (Funny that most chigger medicines work exactly like nail polish!)

Chamomile Tea- This really does work!! If you are having a sleepless night or had one cup of coffee too many, try a warm cup of chamomile tea with some milk. I usually make two bags at once just to make sure I conk out. It so much easier on your system than sleeping pills or something.

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My favorite recipe ever- Debra Raybern's SuperTonic.  This stuff is terribly smelly to make and be sure not to rub your eyes. Wear gloves when adding the cayenne pepper!  When I am coming down with a flu or bug of some kind or fighting an infection, I drink a tablespoon of this stuff down, sometimes several times a day!

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SuperTonic This recipe has been around for many, many years and has been helping people just as long.and SuperTonic is one of the best ways to relieve a bunch health issues from acid indigestion to sinus problems, cardio supportive and a great overall tonic.  Let's look at the ingredients and get a general sense as to why. Cayenne - good for circulatory issues, cold hands, cold feet, the heart, blood pressure Ginger - works on small vessel and capillary circulation, good for digestive issues Onion - may make you cry, but oh so good for a cough and other respiratory issues Garlic - hard to beat for a natural anti-biotic, aids in a healthy heart as well Horseradish - sinus problems run for cover, good upper body circulation, really opens you up Apple cider vinegar - the real unfiltered Bragg's, Hain or Spectrum brands that are not distilled, we know this type of apple cider vinegar is alkalizing, good for digestive stress and helps with circulation The way to make SuperTonic is to combine equal parts (depends on the size of your blender, I use 1 cup as a part), 1 Cup Each each of fresh hot cayenne or habanero peppers, peeled sliced ginger, peeled chunked horseradish, peeled chopped onion, peeled garlic and one quart of apple cider vinegar Pour into a blender and whiz on high for two to three minutes.  DO NOT stand with your nose over the blender when taking the lid off and take a deep smell - it has been known to make people faint - they haven't had good blood flow to the brain in a while. Take the lid off the blender and let stand for a few minutes, then pour into a large wide mouth jar. Seal tightly and shake twice per day for two weeks.  Stain and bottle the liquid - SuperTonic.; The pulp may be discarded, or if you are brave enough you can use as a hot salsa dip. Store in the refrigerator, but you may keep some in a small bottle on the table to use with olive oil as a salad dressing.; Suggested use is one dropper full in 8 ounces of water daily.This is potent, so you may start with just a few drops at a time and build up.; Add a bit of Agave or honey for taste. You can use up to 6 dropper full per day if a bad cold or sinus infection has you down. Taken daily people report fewer colds and coughs, better blood pressure reading and overall better vitality.; A very inexpensive all natural remedy to everyday ailments. Used as a condiment, your family will never know they are taking their daily tonic. While we use lots of essential oils, we still use SuperTonic in salad dressings and in our water as a general daily tonic.

NutriTech

12 Fawn Drive

New Waverly, TX 77358

936-438- 8829

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Personally, I drink it down with orange juice or tomato juice. I need to make a new batch soon, but it's not complicated to make..just not pleasant to smell while it's 'in process'.

There are so many things I haven't mentioned here. What are your favorite home remedies? I'd love to hear about them!

Happy Homemaking!