Mama's Home Remedies: Discover Time-Tested Secrets of Good Health and the Pleasures of Natural Living

by Svetlana Konnikova

  ^ Hay fever or hay catarrh (sinus). Abnormal sensibility to flower pollen, blossoming herbs and trees.

  ^ Under the influence of some irritants, people experience bronchial asthma, shortness of breath, hacking cough, mucous membranes, and bronchial swelling. Red, peeling spots on the skin may indicate eczema. When people suffer from severe eczema, the spots may itch and be wet. Sometimes the spots are withered. Eczema commonly occurs on the hands, feet, and other parts of the body. Types of eczema are different. The condition on the hands is called an irritant contact dermatitis and is caused by everyday contact with substances—irritants A Sickness of the 21st Century @ 91

  to the skin, such as home chemicals and detergents. The best remedy, doctors say, is to avoid these harmful substances and to keep the skin moisturized. Another type of eczema is a form of allergic contact dermatitis, which usually develops when the body’s immune system rebels against some metals, rubber, or certain perfumes coming in contact with the skin. As a matter of fact, many of us wear earrings or belts with buckles made with nickel. Some people experience allergic reactions through repeated contact with this metal or “touch” perfume and develop a skin rash and inflammation. Others between 20 and 40

  years of age have so-called infantile seborrheic dermatitis which looks on the scalp like mild dandruff but can be spread to the face, ears, and chest. You may have seen that the skin in this case becomes inflamed or red, then it flakes. Dermatologists believe that yeast growth provokes this condition. What can I say? Many people love to eat sweets. However, consult your doctor, who can prescribe a treatment with antifungal cream. There are two other not very pleasant types of eczema: varicose and discoid. Varicose eczema hits the lower legs of people in their 60s to the late years of their life and is caused by poor blood circulation. To prevent this, walk every day! Move as much as you can and try to prevent this eczema when

  the skin around the ankles becomes itchy, speckled,

  and inflamed. If this condition is left untreated,

  dermatologists say that the skin can break down

  and an ulcer can follow as a result.

  Some people are very surprised and get upset

  when they see suddenly an appearance of coin-sized

  red spots on their lower legs and trunk. These “coins”

  develop fast and become itchy and wet. It is discoid eczema.20

  As far as I know from my research, there is currently no efficient cure for eczema, but scientists are very optimistic and continue to look for it. However I

  can assure you that it is possible to find many ways to

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  minimize the distress and discomfort provoked by this condition. The main solution is an effective skin care régime which is easy to conduct. First of al , we can buy many treatments over the counter at the pharmacy, but I would explore the simplest ways to minimize the presence of al ergens/invaders in my house. Keep it clean, and keep your body and skin consistently refreshed by taking twice a week a warm bath with 16 ounces of al -natural apple cider vinegar dissolved in it. Keep reading. You’l find further in this chapter more useful natural treatments for eczema tested by folk healers through the centuries. Do not neglect physician consultations and prescriptions. Look to your doctor for professional advice and get a second opinion. It is important to catch a “self-invited invader” at the right time. What can we do about allergies?

  For years, thousands of people have suffered with the ill effects of allergies that have disrupted their daily lives and have been desperate for treatments that would help them regain the normalcy they had before stubborn allergies dictated the way they felt. But until recently medical doctors and world scientists have been stumped for answers.

  Currently, I repeat, an estimated 50 million Americans have some form of allergic disease. Approximately 24.7 million people have been diagnosed with asthma, with at least 7.7 million of them children under the age of 18. Asthma is the leading, serious, chronic illness among children in the United States. The good news is that we now can undergo a series of tests to determine specific allergens. Once the allergen is known, a physician can prescribe an effective treatment with well-advertised drugs. No one drug is guaranteed, of course. We are careful about guarantees of any kind.

  So what choice do we have? Perhaps we should trust and help ourselves. We are our own best friends and as such we should be educated about our symptoms and the treatment options available to us. For instance, I know that I am very sensitive to antibiotics and food preservatives, strawberries, and the smell of tropical tiger lilies, and I am careful to avoid these irritants. But with allergies you can always expect the unexpected.

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  Recently I planted roses in my garden and I pricked

  several fingers on their thorns. At first I thought that I was not bothered by the cuts at all…until I showered

  the next morning. It was then that I noticed many red

  spots on my neck. Curiously they did not itch, and I

  did not think it was the sign of a serious condition.

  The next day red spots had spread rapidly over my legs, hands, stomach, and thighs, eventually covering my entire body. In addition to the skin rash, my sinuses

  became inflamed and I could not breathe normally.

  I feared that the rash would spread internally and decided to make an appointment with my physician right away. My advice to anyone who experiences a sudden allergic reaction is to keep a written log of the symptoms before calling your doctor. I recorded the time that the allergic reaction began. Then I listed everything I had eaten in the past two days, what I had touched or inhaled. When I met with my doctor, I brought my notes. I was certain that the reaction was prompted by the cuts I suffered from the rose thorns. I felt that the thorns had pierced my fingers and micro doses of plant secretion had permeated my system and acted like a poison to me.

  My doctor disagreed. The results from my allergy test were available three weeks later. I was told that the “perpetrator” of the allergy was street and domestic dust, but what about the roses and its thorns? No one knows because the test was performed to check only one allergen—dust, probably the most popular one.

  My doctor prescribed two bottles of Zyrtec tablets and three bottles of Flonase nasal spray. These two drugs are well-known brands for allergies that are heavily advertised on television.

  Since childhood I have been conditioned not to use chemical drugs and to opt for natural remedies instead. I try to avoid chemical medicines as much as possible. I believe in the power of Nature and her green wonders: herbs, fruits, vegetables, homemade elixirs, libations, infusions, poultices, and essential oils. I trust the wisdom of preventive measures and try to keep myself at my best. However, since I did develop a skin rash, which was rapidly worsening, I had no choice but to resort to taking Zyrtec—60 tablets in 60 days—and Flonase—three nasal sprays for three months. Total expense: $320.00. 94 ^ Mama’s Home Remedies

  That could buy a lot of herbs, fruits, vegetables, and juices, and I could be enjoying those tasty delights instead of chemical wonders. By the way, Zyrtec helped, I must admit. The skin rash disappeared, but gastric upsets appeared, evidently as a side effect. Flonase, on the other hand, did not reduce nasal mucus or the sneezing I experienced. So I have become a “participant” in furthering the prosperity of the pharmaceutical industry. Now I must do a little planning to keep myself out of trouble and bring my body back into balance. First of all, I begin with a proper diet. I have found that a breakfast consisting of organic farmer’s cheese with organic sour cream and honey and lots of hot green tea works for me. You can make mouthwatering, tasty farmer’s cheese at home. You’ll never find the same in any store. It is so juicy that you don’t need to add sour cream. Try it with fresh raspberries for a delicious breakfast, accompanied with hot green tea with jasmine or a mix of Indian and Ceylon tea.

  r 3. Make fine homemade farmer’s cheese. Po
ur two cartons (you decide how much you want to make) of organic buttermilk into a saucepan and bring to boil. When the whey appears on the surface of the buttermilk, remove from the stove and let it cool off. Then pour it into a large bowl lined with large cheesecloth (washed). Careful y gather the ends of the cheesecloth containing the buttermilk and tie it with a knot. Hang it on your kitchen faucet, al owing the whey to trickle down to the last drop. Your homemade cheese is then ready to eat. Separate into four portions. Eat one part and store the rest in your refrigerator for up to seven days.

  Farmer’s cheese gives you a fair dose of calcium to keep bones and teeth strong and balances the metabolism, which creates a solid foundation to help resist allergies.

  You can add hot oatmeal to your breakfast menu to clean blood vessels and impart a healthy, fresh appearance to your skin. I have observed for many years that people who suffer from an allergy also suffer from a calcium deficiency, so to keep allergies at bay, it is a good idea to maintain the proper level of calcium in our bodies.

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  r 4. Every two to three days make one glass (eight ounces) of fresh carrot juice and drink (chew as if you were chewing food) it before any meal. Parsley can be added to carrot juice as a strong blood purifier.

  r 5. Eat your homemade cheese or three ounces of organic farmer’s cheese, al natural, no salt added. It contains vitamins A and C, calcium, and iron. Add one tablespoon of organic sour cream. Mix it and eat as is, or add fresh berries, raisins, and one teaspoon of honey or cherry preserves.

  r 6. Make one cup of hot green tea with orange, passion fruit and jasmine, Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Prince of Wales, or Ceylon with orange pekoe.

  r 7. Make one glass of hot chamomile tea and drink it to wash out impurities in the blood vessels.

  r 8. Make a hot oatmeal kasha with a banana sliced into it. Drink a cup of hot herbal tea along with it.

  Usually in allergy treatments doctors recommend strong drugs or steroids. I do not recommend such strong measures, but prefer instead alternative medicine.

  The following are Russian folk remedies that can help you strengthen and clean the immune and respiratory systems from toxins so allergens will not find a beneficial environment in which to “blossom” into allergic diseases. Vitamin teas:

  r 9. Combine one teaspoon black currants (fresh or dry) and one teaspoon rose hips (fresh or dry) in a glass pitcher with two cups boiling water. Steep for one hour, filter, and add one teaspoon honey. Drink four ounces three to four times a day.

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  r 10. Mix one teaspoon black currants, two teaspoons nettle leaf, and three teaspoons rose hips. Fol ow directions in #9.

  r 11. Wash two pounds of fresh black currant berries and put into an enamel bowl. Add two pounds of sugar. Mix, rub with a wooden spoon, and mix again. Store in refrigerator, and eat one teaspoon every day or add to hot tea. This mixture keeps vitamins, including vitamin C, fresh for a long time. Herbal compositions in hot teas

  r 12. one teaspoon rose hips

  one teaspoon black currants

  r 13. one teaspoon rose hips

  one teaspoon cranberries

  r 14. one teaspoon rose hips

  one teaspoon blueberries

  r 15. three teaspoons nettle leaves

  three teaspoons blueberries

  three teaspoons rose hips

  r16. seven teaspoons mountain ash berries

  three teaspoons nettle leaves

  r 17. one teaspoon rose hips

  one teaspoon mountain ash berries

  Put one tablespoon of herbs and berries in a pot. Add one cup of water and boil for 10 minutes. Steep for four hours and then cover with a smal cloth to keep this liquid warm. Take ½ of a glass two to three times a day.

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  r 18. Cut 5–10 strawberry leaves (dry or fresh) into smal pieces. Add one cup boiling water. Steep for 10–15 minutes and drink as a vitamin tea.

  Restoration remedies

  r 19. Thinly slice two lemons and place layer by layer in a glass jar. Add raw brown sugar or honey to cover each layer of lemon. Eat three to four pieces every day.

  r 20. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.

  r 21. Eat lots of organic yelow onions. Try this “Mama’s Onion Salad.” Grind 15 baby carrots; add one onion and one green apple cut in smal pieces. Add a pinch of salt and two tablespoons of sour cream. Olive oil can substitute for sour cream. It is important to eat at least three times a day always at the same time to keep your metabolism in balance.

  r 22. After 6:00 p.m., eat a green apple and drink six to eight ounces of organic buttermilk. Drink one cup of hot chamomile or apricot tea before you go to bed. You wil sleep soundly after eating lightly in the evening.

  r 23. Try to fal asleep between 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. to assure that you get a good sound sleep for at least eight hours. This is enough to restore your nervous system and energy for the next day. By following the above suggestions, you can say that you have done the best you can in preventing allergic irritants from making you sick. The following is a list of remedies to use when prevention measures fail. 98 ^ Mama’s Home Remedies

  Ailments: al ergic skin blisters, spots, red swel ings, rashes, eczema, acne.

  Remedies:

  Cabbage is the first and easiest useful natural tool in emergencies. Cabbage has been used since Dioscorides’ time to treat skin and digestive problems, fevers, muscle aches, varicose veins, chronic bowel syndrome, and mastitis. It is known in folk medicine as colewort, which was always ready as a natural medicine for all family sicknesses for many generations. r 24. Cut a fresh leaf from a head of cabbage. Wash, beat the leaf to soften, and bind it to the affected area with gauze.

  r 25. Take ¼ head of cabbage, cut into strips, and put into juicer. Pour fresh cabbage juice into a clean glass bottle or jar. Soak a cotton bal in the juice and apply to the irritated part of skin, a wound, or arthritic joints.

  r 26. Make cabbage lotion for acne. Mix in a blender ½ pound of fresh cabbage leaves and one tablespoon of olive oil. Strain and add two drops of fresh lemon juice. Soak a cotton bal in your homemade lotion and rub the parts of the face with acne twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening.

  r 27. Onion can be successfuly substituted for cabbage. Cut an onion and place a thin rounded piece on the affected area. It wil relieve al ergic rash (nettle rash) caused by food al ergens.

  We know that celery is a nourishing vegetable, but it is also a useful medicinal plant because it has antitoxic properties and it is a restorative and cleansing tonic for allergic conditions and in arthritis, kidney diseases, and nervous exhaustion. It can serve as a natural cleanser, diuretic, laxative, and energy booster.

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  r 28. Make fresh juice from celery leaves, root, and stalks. Take two teaspoons three times a day 30 minutes before you go to bed. r 29. Make celery infusion. Crush two tablespoons of celery roots. Add eight ounces of cold spring water and steep for two hours. Filter and drink three ounces two to three times daily before a meal. r 30. Make fresh cranberry juice. Drink four to eight ounces a day. Soak gauze in the juice and apply to the area affected by al ergic rash, eczema, sores, or pimples.

  r 31. Add 12 ounces of boiling water to one ounce of freshly dried hops. Steep for 30 minutes, filter, and drink four ounces a day before meals. r 32. Combine in an enamel pot one tablespoon St. John’s Wort, one tablespoon eyebright, one tablespoon dandelion root, one tablespoon horsetail, ½ teaspoon corn silk, one tablespoon chamomile, and 1½ tablespoons rose hips. Add five cups boiling water, steep eight hours, and then warm to boiling. Filter and drink three ounces three times a day before meals. Continue for six months. This natural medicine remains fresh in the refrigerator for up to three days. Make a fresh batch again after that. God drew on the earth an image of a human

  being. Then he ordered a dog to be his guard.

  The devi
l tried to seduce the dog. He said, “Dog, do

  not guard the human. Look at you, you are not covered with anything, but I will give you a good fur coat, and you’ll feel fine and warm.”

  The dog was confused, but he went away from the human’s image, which was drawn by God. When the devil saw that the dog had left the human, he grabbed a spear, struck the drawing of the man with it, and inflicted him with 70 wounds.

  When God saw what the devil had done, he created 70 medicinal herbs to heal these wounds.

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  Ailment: eczema

  Remedies:

  The treatment of eczema, as one of the complicated forms of allergy and skin disorders, can be very effective with a proper preparation and the use of herbal medicines. Be patient; sometimes excellent results will appear after several months of treatment. r 33. Avoid drinking coffee or black tea for several years if you want to get rid of al ergic reactions. Instead drink spring water and herbal teas. r 34. Take an agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria) bath. Combine four ounces of agrimony with one quart of boiling water and steep for 20 minutes. Add to your bathtub and enjoy. In the fifteenth century this healing herb was the prime remedy for gunshot wounds on the battlefield. Agrimony has been used since Saxon times to treat wounds.

  r 35. The combination of oak bark, calendula (pot marigold), and yarrow is also a good healing remedy for eczema sores. a) Place one teaspoon of agrimony in a mug. Add boiling water and steep for five minutes.

  b) Place one teaspoon of yarrow in a mug. Add boiling water and steep for seven minutes.

  c.) Place one tablespoon of crushed oak bark in an enamel pot. Add one quart of water and bring to a boil. Add four ounces of agrimony tea and four ounces of yarrow tea in a pot with boiling oak bark liquid. Mix with a wooden spoon. Boil for two minutes. Remove from the stove and steep for 15 minutes. When the liquid has cooled but is stil warm, soak your hand with eczema sore inside the pot and keep there until the herbal medicine becomes cold. Don’t dry your hand with a