Wellness Mama®
Simple Answers for Healthier Families
These natural remedies are effective at speeding recovery from illness and injury. They are a combination of herbs, supplements and lifestyle adjustments to help your family bounce back from ill health.
Did you know summer heat can increase the risk of developing kidney stones? It’s true. Experts have found that as you sweat more and become dehydrated, the minerals that usually stay dissolved in your urine can’t get filtered out, creating a build-up of stones. If you’ve had kidney stones in the past, you probably know …
Over the years I’ve collected some tried and tested flu remedies to keep my family feeling our best. While I love my garlic, raw honey, and elderberry, it’s nice to have a few targeted remedies in the arsenal. This wild cherry bark cough syrup helps soothe persistent coughs, especially at nighttime. How to Use Wild …
Who knew that nearly half of all the plants around us are edible? For many, sumac is one of those plants. Sumac berry clusters have been used for thousands of years as both food and medicine. Here are some sumac benefits and how to use it in your own home. What Is Sumac? Isn’t sumac …
I’m always looking for the safest way to deal with my family’s minor health issues — and that includes our pets too! Fleas are a common issue with cats and dogs but conventional flea products are chemical-heavy. I wanted to find a safer option for keeping fleas away and dealing with infestations when they occur. …
I’m a huge proponent of getting great sleep, but when snoring is an issue, it’s likely that no one is getting very good sleep! Snoring is a common issue in adults (and can happen to kids too!), so it’s something worth investigating if you or your child are not sleeping well. Or if you just …
Chickweed is one backyard herbal remedy that’s good in salad and doubles as a skin salve. You’ll often spot its white flowers poking up through the grass in early spring. Read on to see how to make a chickweed salve (and why you’d want to!). Chickweed Benefits Like many other weedy spring plants, chickweed is …
Weird fact about me: I can’t stand bananas. That said, they still have their uses, like banana bread, as a sleep aid, and to ward off aphids from roses. Wait… what?? Seriously, banana peels have a few surprises up their sleeves. What’s in a Banana Peel? Banana fruit is high in carbs, potassium, and vitamins …
Despite our best attempts to live a healthy and toxin free life, there are times when illness or injury strike. In some of these cases (like trauma) conventional medical treatment is certainly warranted, and I’m certainly grateful that medical treatment is available if needed. But what about the times when the illness or injury is not life-threatening, …
After a surgery my husband had years ago (with resulting secondary infection and IV antibiotic use), his gut needed a little extra help. A gut rehabilitation he was following at the time (see below) suggested he try making a cumin coriander fennel tea to help his bloating and digestive problems. It worked! Now we are …
Medicinal herbs are a great way to help support the body and boost health. Whenever my family needs some support recovering from an illness or mending a wound, I turn to herbal remedies to help. Feverfew is one of those herbs. The benefits of feverfew are powerful, so I make sure I have some feverfew …
I love using herbs and spices to support the body in healing itself. Maca root is a favorite because it’s so supportive of the body’s production of hormones. Since hormones rule a lot of the body’s processes, maca is a great natural supplement for female hormone support. Maca: A Root for Almost Anything Maca root …
I always prefer natural remedies at home for cold and flu symptoms if possible. We use a neti pot daily when cold and flu season comes around and it makes a huge difference! This ancient nasal wash technique is incredibly beneficial and can give natural relief for colds, allergies, dryness, and more. I promise it …
Not long ago one of our kids broke her leg while playing outside. Luckily, she recovered quickly and was back on her feet in just four weeks. I believe that the natural broken bone remedies that we used helped her leg get better as quickly as possible. How Do Fractures Happen? Bone breaks or fractures …
I love to use herbs and spices in everything from infused water to breakfast sausage since they are full of nutrients and flavor that make any dish healthier and more appealing. Fennel is an herb and spice that can offer a burst of flavor to many recipes (not to mention health benefits!) but many skip it …
Between postpartum hair loss (six times!) and Hashimoto’s, I saw too much hair go down the drain in the past. I use castor oil for hair growth and this hair growth serum, but there’s a lot more to how to stop thinning hair. Here I cover how to care for thin hair and encourage hair …
Ever had a cold or congestion and instinctively inhaled the steam from a mug of warm tea or taken a steamy shower for the benefits? Depending on what you were drinking, this could have had benefits other than just the temporary relief the steam provided. The steam technique is a great one to keep in mind …
We don’t get sick often, and when we do, I prefer to let the body fight the illness naturally whenever possible. That being said, illnesses that include coughing (like bronchitis or a particularly bad flu season) can be exhausting and uncomfortable because they limit the ability to sleep well. In those cases, I use this homemade cough …
I’ve written about my extensive natural “medicine cabinet” before, but I’m always asked what my favorites are, and which remedies are really worth the money if you have a limited budget. When I thought about it, it wasn’t hard at all! These are the go-to staples I always have on hand no matter what. These …
Nettle is one of my favorite herbs. Also called “stinging nettle,” it is packed with nutrients and is even one of the ingredients in my homemade pregnancy tea. Stinging nettle benefits go far beyond pregnancy though. What Is Nettle? Nettle (Urtica dioica) is also known as stinging nettle, common nettle, and garden nettle. It is …
I mentioned the Vinegar of the Four Thieves when talking about natural bug spray alternatives, but this health tonic is so much more! This herbal tincture is easy to make and works for so many purposes (more on that below). We use it both internally for illness and externally for a natural insect repellant. The …
You won’t find a bowl of oatmeal at my breakfast table, but I do keep oats on hand for DIY skincare projects like these cleansing grains. An oatmeal bath is another skin-loving way to use oats. People have used oatmeal baths for centuries to soothe damaged skin. Research in recent decades reveals even more evidence …
I first discovered a recipe for fire cider years ago. It didn’t sound like something I wanted to try immediately, but when I read about the immune-boosting benefits I decided to be brave and give it a try. Years later, it’s a staple at our house around cold and flu time. Fire cider is a …
Ear infections are rough, especially for kids who are suffering through one. We recently took a family trip to the beach and all of my children practically lived in the water for a week. I typically bring 3% hydrogen peroxide to use in their ears after swimming in the ocean but forgot it this time …
I get quite a few questions about skin problems like eczema and psoriasis. I’m not a dermatologist by any means, but I have had some personal experience with eczema (in myself and family) and have found some natural remedies that have helped us so I wanted to share. As always, ask your own doc and …
