digestive health
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How to stop nasty vomiting when a child can’t even hold water down?
My 4 year old daughter became ill recently due to stomach flu. She could not hold anything down, not even water. After she emptied her stomach completely and the situation did not resolve itself (sometimes it does), I gave her a little teaspoonful of honey – I remembered Juliette talking about how honey soothes the upset stomach but I never tried it. I used raw organic honey and to my surprise, it worked like a charm… My daughter seemed to get better quickly and she took one more little teaspoonful of honey and 10 minutes later she was ready to drink some warm chamomile tea with honey and ground nutmeg. And it did not come back! For the slight diarrhea that followed I made her some Raspberry leaf tea (which is a great tasting astringent, even kids love it), Carob balls and Slippery Elm balls.
I always use organic, raw honey
, hopefully you can buy something similar locally. Slippery Elm
is available on amazon or from Mountain Rose Herbs.
Foods to eat after diarrhea
Throughout my childhood the first food I got after recovering from stomach flu was baked (and salted) potatoes along with chamomile tea. Chamomile is a great anti-spasmodic and anti-inflammatory and the taste isn’t too bad either if you don’t make the tea too strong. Cooked carrots, mashed potatoes, white rice, bananas and cooked apples are also mild enough on your recovering digestive tract. If you feel up to eating solid foods, soups containing bland vegetables and/or chicken breast can add helpful nutrients and protein, which supports lean tissue repair and energy.
Tags: astringent, carob balls, diarrhea, digestive upset, flu, Mountain Rose Herbs, Slippery Elm, stomach, stomach flu, tea, vomiting
Slippery elm has been used as an herbal remedy in North America for centuries. Native Americans used slippery elm in healing salves for wounds, boils, ulcers, burns, and skin inflammation. It was also taken orally to relieve coughs, sore throats, diarrhea, and stomach problems.
Slippery Elm Bark Powder is a soothing nutritive demulcent which is perfectly suited for the sensitive and inflamed mucous membrane linings in the digestive system. It will stay down even if all else comes out.
Slippery Elm (Ulmus fulva) for colitis, upset stomach, food poisoning, acid reflux and other gastrointestinal problems
It is often used for its nutritive values during convalescence as it is gentle and easily assimilated.
Slippery elm contains mucilage, a substance that becomes a slick gel when mixed with water. It coats and soothes the mouth, throat, stomach, and intestines; it also contains antioxidants that help relieve inflammatory bowel conditions. Slippery elm also causes reflux stimulation of nerve endings in the gastrointestinal tract leading to increased mucus secretion. The increased mucus production may protect the gastrointestinal tract against ulcers and excess acidity.
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Tags: burns, colitis, Crohn's disease, demulcent, essiac, food, Gastroesophogeal reflux disease, nutritive, soothing, stomach, ulcers
Energetics: Spicy, astringent
Meridians: Lungs, stomach
Sage (Salvia Officinalis) - Heals tonsilitis, throat disorders and helps weaning by decreasing milk supply
Introduction
Sage is well named, coming from the Latin “salvare”, to save, in reference to its curative properties. As a member of the mint family, it has many of the healing properties of its sisters. Of special note are the high levels of calcium and other bone-building minerals in all mints, including sage, and the exceptionally generous amounts of antioxidant vitamins they offer us.
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Tags: bleeding gum, blood cleansing herb, clears bronchial tubes, cold prevention, expectorant, flu, herb stimulating hair growth, herb that prevents night sweats, herb to relieve tonsilitis, herbal remedy for hot flushes during menopause, herbal remedy to mouth and throat ulceration, removes slime from stomach, Sage Essential Oils, sage honey, sage tea, sage vinegar, Susun Weed, thujon, weaning
“Saffron was formerly in great repute as a stimulant, antispasmodic, and emmenagogue; but at present it is scarcely ever employed in this country, or in the United States, as a medicinal agent, except that it is sometimes given to young children in exanthematous diseases from its reputed power of promoting the eruption.” – Henry Trimen
Saffron (Crocus sativus)
Origin and Distribution
This exotic herb finds mention in several ancient texts. It is mentioned in classical western writings and also in the Bible. It is specially mentioned in Bhavprakash Nighantu, an Ayurvedic text. The Arabs, who introduced the cultivation of the plant into Spain as an article of commerce, bequeathed to us its modern title of Zaffer or saffron, but the Greeks and Romans called it Krokos and Karokam respectively.
Saffron is a native of Southern Europe. It was known to the ancient Greeks and Romans. Saffron was imported to England from the East many centuries ago, and was once grown extensively round Saffron Walden, in Essex, UK. One smoke-pervaded spot in the heart of London still bears the name ‘Saffron Hill’. This herb is now cultivated in Mediterranean countries, particularly in Spain, and also in Austria, France, Greece, England, Turkey, Persia, India and China. The La Macha belt of Spain is the largest producer of saffron in the world and contributes 80-90% of the world saffron production. In India the cultivation of saffron is confined to Pampore and Kistwar areas of Jammu and Kashmir, extending to nearly 4000 acres.
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Tags: acne, antidepressant, antispsmodic, aphrodisiac, cold, colic, Commercial Uses, Cosmetic Uses, cough, Culinary Uses, digestion, fevers, liver, melancholia, skin diseases, spleen, stimulant, urinary tract
I grew up in Hungary, and there are a few things from that period that are worth sharing. One of them is the sweet wheat sprout pudding that is part of the holiday tradition on the south-east part of the country, that was my favorite food when I visited my grandparents in the city I was born.
Long ago it was only during the Christmas season that people prepared and ate this special food, but lately wheat sprout pudding is made and eaten regularly from the beginning of October until the end of April. It’s very healthy and easy to prepare, and suitable for children, too.
The Pudding is very sweet, almost like honey, but it only contains natural sugars, you will not need to add any sugar to the ground sprouts, only water.
Wheat Germ Pudding - a childhood favorite
According to analysis by the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture, wheat sprout pudding contains 20-22% sugar (this sugar comes naturally from the starch in the wheat that turns into maltrose and dextrose during the baking process), iron, vitamin B-1, B-6 and the rarely found B-12. It also contains Vitamin A and K.
You may be interested to know that Hungarian doctors have developed a potentially effective medicine against cancer known as Avemar. This drug is made from wheat sprout extract, and in animal research it has been proven effective in preventing the occurrence of metastasis in cancer cells.
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Tags: cancer, cold, digestive health, healthy eating, immune system, recipe, sprouts, sweets, wheat germ pudding, Wheat Sprout Pudding
We all well know the health benefits of the apples. Imagine all those benefits transferred over to Apple Cider Vinegar plus it is fortified with the extra acids and enzymes produced during the fermentation process. Not all Apple Cider Vinegars are equally wholesome, though, always look for unprocessed, raw Apple Cider Vinegar that are darker, less transparent and may contain the Mother of Vinegar.
Mother of Vinegar is a semitransparent gelatinous layer that is formed on the top of the fluid during the fermentation process. It shows that your Apple Cider Vinegar is definitely “alive”. Natural vinegars that contain the mother have enzymes and minerals that other vinegars in grocery stores may not have due to over-processing, over-heating, and filtration.
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Tags: acne, apple, apple cider vinegar, clear skin, dandruff, headache, headaches, heartburn, insomnia, yeast infection
What Is Flax Seed Oil
Flax seed is 1/3 oil, and the rest of it is made up of fiber, protein, and mucilage. Flax seed oil is a rich source of essential fatty acids – it contains alpha linolenic acid, omega 3 essential fatty acid, and omega 6 essential fatty acid, and flax seed oil contains these 3 EFA’s in just the right proportions. Flax seeds are also a great source of lignans, vitamins, and minerals.
Flax Seed and Flax Seed Oil provide a balanced source of Omega Fatty Acids
North Americans are usually lacking omega 3 EFA in their diet, and flax seed oil is an excellent supplement for this. The cells of the body need the omega 3 fatty acids from which they build their cell membranes, which protect them. The brain is largely composed of fats called phospholipids, which are made from essential fatty acids. Thus these oils are essential for the function and structure of the brain and improve cognition, memory, moods and concentration.
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Tags: anti-cancer diet, blood pressure, boost immune system, cholesterol, coronary heart disease, Dr Budwig's diet, eczema, EFA, flax seed, IU, lignan, omega fatty acids, psoriasis, skin problems
Oral Thrush is caused by infection due to Candida Albicans yeast. This Candida fungus is normally already present in the oral cavity and the digestive tract.
Grapefruit seed extract is beneficial when fighting Candida
Your baby may be naturally protected even before her first feeding
Nature does have a system for getting acidophilus to your baby, even before her first feeding. About halfway through pregnancy, the mother undergoes a hormonal change causing the lining of her vaginal wall to build up a lot of glycogen, which encourages the growth of lactobacilli, including Lactobacillus acidophilus. According to the website U.S. Pharmacist, the baby gets bathed with these beneficial acidophilus bacteria during a normal birth. They enter the mouth to begin populating the digestive tract. In addition to providing the first probiotics, the changes in the chemistry of the vaginal wall by the action of the lactobacilli make it more resistant to harmful bacteria. These good bacteria form colonies in the baby’s intestines and thrive on breast milk.
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Tags: acidophilus, candida, FOS, garlic, gentian violet, grape seed extract, grapefruit seed extract, lactobacilli, natural alternative to Nystatin, oral thrush, virafungal fighter, yeast, yogurt
