Simple Fun Ways of Living Naturally

SIMPLE FUN WAYS

OF LIVING

NATURALLY

JoAnn Flanery

Copyright 2013 JoAnn Flanery

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved

INTRODUCTION

Hello again, I am back with another book. This one is totally different from my other books. This time we are going to have some fun and learn a lot.

The older I get the more I want things natural, so when I can come up with something that gets the job done without sending me to the emergency room after just reading the label I write it down in a little book. It was so convenient to just open it and find out say, how to treat my stuffy nose. For some reason, when I need to remember what to do I forget and this makes it so easy. I have done this for years and decided it was time to share my discoveries.

This book is packed with helpful hints and how to do's, taking care of health issues, foods, potpourri, lotions and potions, warnings, using everyday products in a different ways, making makeup and cleaning products, great projects for kids, plus a whole lot more. We will try new things and generally have a good time while learning. I hope you will be as amazed as I was on how easy it is to replace store bought products that cost a fortune and contain nasty toxins with naturally safe things and save money in the process.

Confession, I cannot take full credit for all that I have found. I am good but not that good. My mom was big on saving money and making do with what was in the house already, so she made up her own concoctions using simple things like vinegar and peroxide. She also liked to experiment with herbs and oils. I was fascinated at how well she worked her magic and asked if I could help. We spent many hours in our lab (basement) and now I am glad we did as I can pass on our findings. Also, when I told my friends and family I was going to write this book they all seemed to have something special that they wanted to share because they worked so well. So with that and my own finds and some advice and help from doctors, teachers, and professionals this book practically wrote itself. Most things I have tried but what I have not I will tell you. OK, let's get going.

CHAPTER 1: HANDLING HEALTH CONCERNS

Like I said in the introduction, I am sick of taking medications that can send me to the emergency room just by reading the label, or ingest something that has got to go through my whole body before it finally gets to my nose, or wherever. It's much better to treat just the nose or wherever. Besides, there is a good chance that the side effects of the drugs I take may be worse than what I am trying to cure. Have you ever read those warning and precautionary labels that come with your prescriptions? They are enough to scare you to death. Granted, even if one in a thousand people have a certain adverse reaction they have to list it, to cover themselves but still.… No, I am not saying that we shouldn't take medicine for certain conditions. But there are ways to help us naturally that don't cost half the national debt. I have found some simple solutions to simple conditions that have worked for me, and I hope will help you too.

Just a reminder, I am not a doctor these are only suggestions that have worked for me and my friends. It is up to you if you want to try them.

My all-time favorite is sinus clean out, which I have used for a million years at least. Add ¼ of a teaspoon of salt to a cup (just a regular tea cup not a mug) of warm water, stir it up, pour it into the palm of your hand and sniff it up into your nose. No, you will not drown. The water will go in the nose and out your mouth. Then blow your nose gently. I found out the hard way that if your sinus' and area between your eyes burns while you do this, kind of like when you go swimming and get water up your nose, then you do not have enough salt in the mixture. This replaces the moisture you lose when you have a cold and are blowing your nose all the time. If you have an infection, add a pinch of baking soda to the mixture, it helps the sinus' heal. Sometimes if I am really congested after one sniffing I blow my nose to clear out some of the debris then start again. This blowing and starting again may need to be done more than once, after all you are trying to clear things out so why sniff it all back in. Gross I know but this really works. This can be done about three times a day. My doctor told me that if you do this every day even without a cold it could possibly help you from getting one–gargling once a day can also be helpful. I guess it cleans out whatever bad stuff is in there. Also, blow your nose as often as it runs–why just let it happily live in there.

On the same subject, I discovered Breathe Right Strips about two years ago and have kept them on hand ever since. They contain no medicine just a sticky strip that you put across your nose which I guess opens up the nasal passages and lets you breathe. I lied, just remembered they have one kind that has mentholated vapors, which I have not tried as yet. Let me tell you they really work for me at least. Immediately it opens up my worst stuffy nose and it lasts throughout the night. They do have to be put on correctly though, so I always check out the picture. They come in different sizes, which I just found out after buying my little nose the ones for large noses, and the strip went way out onto my face. When will I ever learn to read labels? I am a grab and go gal.

Here is a simple and easy way to un-stuff your nose and chest: Find an old medicine bottle or something similar, get a cotton ball and put a few drops of peppermint or eucalyptus oil onto the cotton ball, then put in the container. It is like a little inhaler. When you are stuffy, open it up and breathe in deeply. I heard somewhere that they use peppermint oil to open up a horse's lungs before a big race. Really works well for me and is so convenient. Vapor rub on your chest also helps–and so does adding a few drops of peppermint oil onto a very hot wash cloth then putting the cloth up to your nose and breathing in deeply.

Speaking of vapor rubs I decided to try to make my own after reading that the most popular one on the market contains turpentine oil and petroleum jelly which is processed crude oil. Of course, we had all used it for many years, but I guess I never read the label. A little scary huh! I admit I had no idea how to do this at first, but then it hit me, I could use the same kind of recipe I used for my lipstick (I will tell you all about making your own later in the book). All I needed was a solid base ingredient that would make it thick and oil to make it smooth plus the essential oils that are supposed to help with congestion. The lipstick texture was firmer, so I figured if I added a little less base and more oil to the rub I should be able to get what I wanted. First the base, beeswax is always my first choice. Next the oil, I wanted one that was good for the skin, of course, and coconut, almond, and olive oil all fit the bill. As to the essential oils, my first thought was eucalyptus a proven decongestion helper, and good ole peppermint, which I love is also excellent, lavender is good for all respiratory problems, and so is rosemary. There was a lot of trial and error, especially with how much beeswax to add and a lot of smelling the pot for just the right amount of the essential oils. My first batch was made with coconut oil, beeswax, rosemary, peppermint, and eucalyptus and I liked it a lot but wanted to keep experimenting. When I made the next one, I was out of coconut oil and decided to try the olive oil, as I always have it around, and again changed around the essential oils. The following is probably my final recipe–it works just as well as the store bought one:

2 teaspoons of shredded beeswax

¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil

20 drops of peppermint

30 drops of eucalyptus oil

30 drops of rosemary

15 drops of lavender

You can add as many drops of the essential oils as you want.

Melt the beeswax and olive oil in a pan over low to medium heat (it only takes a couple minutes). When melted, turn off the heat and stir with a wooden spoon. Now it is time to add the essential oils. Mix them up good and pour the whole thing into a glass jar with a tight lid and let it cool down. It will harden as it cools, mine only took about half an hour, but after an hour it was really set good. To speed things up I would think you could put it in the fridge for a little while. Then I store it in a dark cool place. By the way, if you need to adjust the recipe to get it thicker or thinner or want to add more essential oils just reheat and add what you want then put it back in the jar. Must admit I did reheat a few times just for the right amount of beeswax texture plus the scent. My biggest mistake was trying to get it to smell like the store bought one and mine was coming out much milder, but I liked it and decided that as long as the decongesting ingredients were in there it was all right. Really I love the stuff.

OK, we took care of the turpentine, so here is my mom's recipe for making your own petroleum jelly–first melt about 1/8 cup of beeswax (sometimes a put just a little more in) and ½ cup of olive oil in a pan over low heat. When melted, pour into jar with a lid and let it cool. How easy huh! Again, you can reheat it, like I just mentioned above and add ingredients. You can also add essential oils if you want, but I personally don't need mine to smell. Quick note: I don't mind using the store bought stuff for uses around the house, but this I use on our bodies.

Maybe this is a good time to sing the praises of peppermint. It can really do some remarkable things. Many years ago I took a night class at our local high school on different essential oils and how they were used–we got printed material on quite a few. I found them recently and decided to at least share the peppermint with you. I would assume the teacher of the class gathered the info but that was about twenty-five years ago, and I am sorry, but I don't remember her name, so I cannot give her credit. Peppermint is a cross between spearmint and water mint and is an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, and analgesic. The main ingredient is menthol which is an expectorant (expectorant's thin the mucus, so you can cough up the phlegm or blow it out of your nose when you have a cold). Peppermint oil is quite potent and much more concentrated than any of the other essential oils. I have used the candy mints for years to freshen up my breath and settle an upset stomach but was surprised that it can keep you alert, boost your energy, and relieve stress. There were many things said about using peppermint directly on your skin and one time when my nose was very stuffed up I sniffed the bottle of essential oil directly and a little dab of the liquid landed under my nose. Immediately, I noticed that I was breathing better, so I just left it there. For hours afterwards I had a happy nose.

To make peppermint tea: Add I tablespoon of leaves to a cup of steaming water, steep for about ten minutes and drink.

A stuffy nose can be caused by dry winter air in the house. Use a vaporizer or humidifier to help put more moisture into the air–it loosens things up and with some serious nose blowing you can get the yucky stuff out. For a quick fix, I run very hot water in my sink, lean over it, and put a towel over my head to capture the steam and breathe deeply through my mouth and nose for about five minutes–you can also put a couple drops of peppermint oil into the water. This can be done several times a day. In the summer I am not too thrilled about adding more moisture to my already moist house, so I stay away from a vaporizer and put a hot washcloth over my nose and sinus'.

So drink a lot of water, it is the best expectorant there is–don't just sniff your nose–blow it good, and get out the humidifier or vaporizer.

Might as well add coughs to the stuffy nose thing as they seem to like to hang out together. I had heard for a long time that you should not take medicine to suppress a cough; your body is trying to get out some trash, and you have to let it–suppression slows down your recovery. Treating a cough is pretty much the same as getting rid of a stuffy nose. Get moisture into the house with a vaporizer–adding a couple drops of peppermint oil to it can help. Or again like I just mentioned in the stuffy nose section–fill a sink full of very hot water, again add the peppermint oil, put a towel tent over your head and breathe in the moisture. Taking a hot shower and breathing in the steam works very well too and so does drinking a lot of water, hot beverages are good too– they loosen up the phlegm. Don't forget the peppermint inhaler either. Even as I speak, I am coughing my fool head off, yes, I have a cold that includes a nasty cough sooo I am going to get into all this right away.

Here is something that I admit really threw me ... that is until I tried it myself. A little group of my friends and I got together for lunch last winter at a near-by restaurant and were comparing notes on what we do when our kids are sick–stop shaking your head, mom's do that kind of thing. One gal mentioned that she tried vapor rub and another asked if she put it on her child's feet. Feet? Here is what I heard: To stop night time coughing especially in a child, but works for adults as well, spread a generous amount of vapor rub on the bottom of your feet and up the back of the foot then cover with socks. The cough stops in about five minutes. I admit I did try the most popular brand of vapor rub on the market first because that is what I was told this whole thing was about, and it worked very well. But after one try I decided to use my own instead–that I told you about above–and very honestly it worked just as well. As an example, one time Chris (my daughter) had bronchitis and was more than sick, and I was more than scared–poor thing tried so hard to cough up her toenails for hours. All of a sudden I thought about my vapor rub and smeared it on– BINGO the coughing stopped, and I was totally amazed. Generously, she shared her cold with me, and it didn't take long for my coughing to start–again, I got out the stuff and the cough stopped. Try it as it really works ... at least for us.

Footnote: I have heard that there is no scientific proof that this works, but many things have not been proven, but they still do. So I figure if it works for me and many others who cares if there is no scientific proof. Try it for yourself.

We are graduating to a good ole sore throat. Gargling had always been my first line of defense, but my doctor told me to really do it with gusto–take a whole mouthful of warm salt water and look up, so it will trickle down into your throat. Do this as often as possible. My doctor also told me that the warm salt water can help remove viruses from the tonsils. I guess the nasty bugs get caught by them before they spread through to our breathing passages. I didn't know that tonsils were such an important part of our immune system. Just had a thought, what if you don't have your tonsils anymore, like me, guess the little buggers just go straight to our systems or perhaps get caught in the back of our throats. Ugh! I had always wondered why we should use warm instead of cold water on our throats as when my throat is burning up the cold sounds best. Well, I guess the warm water is more soothing and can almost make the coated virus' that are holding on for dear life slide off. Interesting huh? When Chris had a tonsil problem, I was told that sugar can make the tonsils swell even more, so it is probably best not to indulge until things are better. I have also heard that sugar can prolong an illness. Not fair, sugar is comforting especially wrapped around a cookie.

Chamomile is an anti-inflammatory and when you make it into tea it can relieve irritated membranes in the throat. Steep one teaspoon of dried chamomile in one cup of hot water, strain, let it cool to lukewarm and gargle as needed. A friend of mine swears by the stuff and told me so many interesting ways to use it. The only thing I have ever tried it for was my throat and to help me relax and sleep, but I guess it also helps with digestion and stomach pain and when applied to itchy dry skin it will calm it down a little. In fact, she said that because it helped her skin so much she tried it on her baby boy when he had diaper rash–worked great. Oh, she said she also used coconut oil to sooth his little bottom. One of her favorites was to use it as a final rinse after washing her hair, I guess it brightens it. Neat stuff!

Good ole ginger can help too with a sore throat. I love ginger for all kinds of things, and we will talk more about it in a minute. Now, take a piece of gingerroot a couple inches long and cut it in half, boil the halves in four cups or more of water–the less water the stronger the flavor–then add two to three cinnamon sticks and continue boiling for about fifteen more minutes. Sip it slowly–works for me.

One more: Mix ¼ of a cup of vinegar with ¼ cup of honey and drink it throughout the day. The vinegar kills the bacteria. I have heard this many times but have not tried it yet, as my throat has been behaving even with the cold I have, but it sounds good.

My mom's favorite was sipping honey and lemon juice, equal parts–very soothing for us little guys.

Have you ever wondered what the differences are between a vaporizer and a humidifier? Since I have used both for many years, I learned as I went along. In fact I was quite surprised at how much I did know, but I guess I never thought about it. Really they are both effective and pretty much the same.

A vaporizer uses water to make steam. The steam causes humidity which makes it less likely for bacteria to grow so the steam comes out clean. The warm steam also makes it easier to breathe. You do have to be careful if you have little children around though because of the hot steam. In my case, if I have to put a vaporizer in Chris' room I put it behind her toy chest in the corner of the room, so she can't get at it. Works! You can add medication to a cup on the vaporizer or just a few drops peppermint oil or eucalyptus oil into the water. They are also cheaper than a humidifier, and you can use tap water. A friend of mine says even when no one is sick in the winter she puts a few drops of lemon essential oils in the water, and it makes the room smell good while producing humidity.

There are two types of humidifiers–warm mist and two kinds of cool mists. The cool mist has a wick that sits in the water and part of it sticks out of the top, so when the water absorbs through the whole wick a fan is waiting to spread the mist into the room. It has the best out-put, but the wick needs to be cleaned or replaced often which is easy for me to forget. It is a little bit noisy also. Unfortunately, it is an ideal breeding ground for mold and bacteria which then goes into the air. The ultrasonic humidifier is also a cool mist, it causes the water to vibrate or shake which creates little droplets of water that form a fine cool mist, then a fan blows the mist out and into the room. It is the quietest of all the models. Again, the filters need to be cleaned and replaced regularly. Both of these avoid the burn risk, as the water is not heated. They may need distilled or pure water. The warm mist literally boils the water in its reservoir and is not very noisy. The unit and container also need to be cleaned on a regular basis. What I do to clean it is put the heating part of the unit in a container of vinegar and let it soak for about an hour but sometimes more, then take an old toothbrush and scrub off what is left. It is best used for colds ... like being in a sauna. So if you like the sauna (personally I do not like saunas, and my house has never felt like one when I used it–I guess it all depends on how large the room is as to how saunaie it gets). As long as you can breathe all right where the humidifier is, then use the moist heat one, if not use the cool mist.

For me I prefer the warm mist humidifier or a vaporizer in the winter as it warms the room it is in and may help with heating costs–not sure. Besides, I don't want to add more coolness to an already cool room.

Earaches are very nasty, and I am thankful I have not had many of them. My ear nose and throat doctor in Michigan explained a lot about earaches many years ago when I did have a bad one. The Eustachian tubes go from the back of the throat to the middle ear and are only 1½ inches long. Basically they keep the pressure in the middle ear normal so that the fluids can drain and keep the tubes clear. So when you have a cold or allergies and your nose is stuffy it can also cause swelling and fullness which can cause a blockage and pain in the ears. Even a change in altitude, can affect the tubes. Boy do I know about that. In Flagstaff were are at 7000 feet and Phoenix is at about 1000 feet–it takes approximately 2 to 3 hours to get to Phoenix and you are going downhill the whole way and believe me you will feel the pressure of the change. I remember one time I went down with a little stuffy nose and within an hour my ears were packed to the gills and stayed that way they whole time I was down there. On the way back up they cleared out. Probably a little unusual, but obviously it can happen.

So how do you keep those little Eustachian tubes open? My mom used to tell me to sit up straight when I had one as it keeps the Eustachian tubes open and relieves the pain. They are usually closed but open when you yawn or swallow. The doctor said to drink a lot of water, gargle with warm salt water, chew a wad of gum (this is great when you are descending in an airplane and your ears pug up). You can also wiggle your ears or eat a spicy bowl of chili or soup as it gets the mucus flowing. Do not use Q tips under any circumstances because it pushes the wax back in. Remember the old warning, Don't put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear. Usually, a hot water bottle, warm wash cloth, or heating pad left on for about 30 minutes will help relieve the pain, or try 3 to 4 drops of warm olive oil. I have heard that if you put a hair dryer on low and keep it about 18" or more from your ear for about 5 minutes that will help too.

Heartburn is anything but fun. Everyone has had some kind of stomach problems and probably had to have the tests to determine if there was something more serious going on, I know I have. Heartburn is caused by eating certain foods, or stress–good ole stress can cause just about everything I think. I read that spicy or fatty foods plus tomatoes, peppermint, coffee, and chocolate are some of the main culprits. Since I have had a lot of experience with the nasty fellow, I have done a lot of experimenting to find something that works. My favorite is a spoonful of honey which seems to stop the burning in just a couple minutes–maybe it coats the stomach. It is not very convenient when on the road, so the next time I went to my health food store I bought some honey in a very thin plastic cylinder. They were very inexpensive and all you had to do is whack off the end and suck on it. Ginger root works wonders too. There