Wellness Mama®
Simple Answers for Healthier Families
I’m a big fan of oil pulling. I’ve shared before how I originally started this age-old practice and why I eventually started using coconut oil for oil pulling instead. Why Oil Pulling? If you aren’t familiar with oil pulling, it is simply swishing oil (usually sesame or coconut oil) in the mouth for a period of …
Ever since my first son arrived with his powerful lungs and energetic personality, me and sleep have not been best friends. Not by choice, of course, but our nights have gone something like this for the last 8+ years: fall asleep, wake up because some needs help going to the bathroom, fall back asleep, wake …
Once upon a time, we had a beehive in our backyard. I loved being an amateur beekeeper and we especially loved having a source of (really) local honey. Unfortunately, the kids didn’t love the occasional stings from stepping on a bee, and we had a devastating winter and wax moths took over the hive. Health …
I wrote about oil pulling several years ago, well before it gained mainstream attention in the news and on fashion blogs. It is something I’ve been doing off and on for years and I’ve seen noticeable effects from doing it. I figured that whitening my teeth with charcoal would be my most controversial oral health habit, but …
arberry is noted in folk medicine as a cure for nearly every gastrointestinal ailment, lymphatics, urinary tract and respiratory infection. It has been used as a bitter tonic and antypyretic. Berberine, the primary alkaloid, is a potent antibiotic, astringent and antifungal. When taken for infections, it controls the overgrowth of candida albacans as well as functioning as a bactericide. This is a real advantage over conventional antibiotics. It also controls infectious diarrhea and increases the production of the digestive enzymes.
What is Astragalus? Astragalus root has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine. Like barberry root, it is said to support immune function. Astragalus is a powerful adaptogenic herb that has gained popularity recently as research has emerged about the possibility that it can protect DNA and increase longevity. Recent research has shown that …
I’m often amazed at things that our generation thinks we’ve discovered, only to find out that our grandmothers and great-grandmothers had been using them for years. An excellent example of this is using honey for healing wounds. I’d seen some studies recently on using honey in hospitals for helping wounds and burns heal and I’d also …
Marshmallow Root is an herb that has been around for centuries. In fact, it was mentioned in Homer’s Iliad (written 2800 years ago). It was used in ancient Greek and Indian cultures for its healing properties. Benefits of Marshmallow Root Mountain Rose Herbs details some of the many uses: Marshmallow root has long been used as …
Last year, our whole family started taking Jujutsu. We all enjoy it, but the rolls, throws and climbing aspects definitely come more easily to the kids! Any activity that involves wooden swords and rolling will inevitably create some bumps and bruises along the way. After one class that left us particularly sore, the Sensei (teacher) …
I’ve shared my recipes for chewable gummy vitamins and healthy fruit snacks before, and today I’m sharing a flu-busting combination of the two. It seems that this flu season is going to be a bad one, and elderberry syrup is one of my favorite natural remedies for avoiding or beating the flu. These flu busting …
Black drawing salve is a natural remedy I first heard about when visiting a local Amish community to pick up produce and eggs. I saw one of the farmer’s sons applying what looked like tar to his arm after getting a large splinter from a fence post. I asked what he was putting on his …
I shared my homemade chewable vitamin recipe for kids (or adults) in the past and while that is definitely the crowd favorite at our house, I also wanted to share my herbal liquid vitamin recipe. This recipe is basically an herbal tincture made with certain high-nutrient herbs to create a liquid multi-vitamin. It can easily …
I have several tincture recipes posted (including my two favorites: Chamomile Tincture and Digestion Tincture) but I realized that a post with general instructions on how to make a tincture from any herbs would be helpful. A tincture is a concentrated liquid form of an herb that is easy to make and easy to take. Tinctures preserve …
It seems that the flu has hit many people pretty hard this year! So far, we’ve gotten by with only minor sniffles, but I’ve got some natural remedies on hand just in case! One recipe I’ve finally perfected and am happy with is this one for homemade herbal cough drops! Most cough drops contain sugar …
I get more hormone and fertility related questions than any other topic, and my post on nine ways to balance hormones naturally has been my most visited post every single day for the last several months! Hormones have a much bigger impact that many people realize, and women who struggle from hormone related pain and other …
Yarrow is an herb that I always keep on hand, especially with kids. It is part of my Sweet Dreams Sleep Tincture and I often add it to teas or preparations. What is Yarrow? According to Mountain Rose Herbs: “It is a long-stemmed member of the sunflower family found in the wild throughout the temperate regions of …
Black Walnut Hull or Juglans Nigra is, just as it sounds, the hull of the black walnut tree. The Black Walnut tree grows in the eastern US and parts of Canada, and while easy to grow, it is not plentiful. What is Black Walnut? Black Walnut has been used in herbal medicine for thousands of …
I’ve written before about using elderberries to help beat the seasonal flu. In our house, we are always trying to find ways to support the immune system so we can keep from getting sick (or at least recover more quickly). Elderberries are a great way to do that! What Is Elderberry? Elderberries have gained popularity …
I get a lot of questions about how I get my kids to take vitamins and while mine will just take their cod liver oil, probiotics, and magnesium without a problem … it got me thinking. I combined one of their favorite natural snacks (jello/homemade gummy bears) with vitamins to make a healthy, gut-boosting, and really kid-friendly …
Arnica is well known for its ability to help with bruises, sprains, strains, etc and can remove shock and speed healing. It can be put on areas of trauma after falls, accidents, etc.
Plantain is one herb that I literally would not be without. It grows in abundance in our yard so we use it fresh during the warm seasons and dry and freeze for use in the winter. I make salves with it for calming bug bites, rashes and burns and it works wonders. What is Plantain? …
My remineralizing toothpaste is one of my most visited posts and I’ve gotten a lot of emails from people who have switched and love it. After my husband and I both remineralized our teeth and reversed cavities, I definitely became a convert to natural toothpastes and a supportive diet. The only downfall to my homemade …
Chamomile is one of the most well-known herbs, and one I’m never without, especially with small children. It is widely available in tea form, but can also be made into capsules, tinctures, or used in cosmetic applications. Chamomile flowers are mildly sedative, making them wonderful for improving sleep quality and relaxation. I use chamomile in place of …
Plantain is a useful herb that is often considered a weed by most people. It is native to Europe and parts of Asia, but was said to have been introduced to North America when the settlers came from Europe. It’s scientific name is Plantago Major, and it likely grows in your yard. The leaves are …
