Homemade Cough Syrup

September 19, 2016 · 11 Comments

Homemade Cough Syrup

Recently my hubby got a really bad cold and cough. He doesn’t often get sick and it really knocked him around. As well as my regular cold and flu fighting remedies, I also made him up a homemade cough syrup. It worked so well I wanted to pop it on the website for you all to try out too.

This homemade cough syrup is from the amazing Aussie naturopath, Mim Beim and her book, Natural Remedies! It’s a must have book for anyone that wants simple home remedies for a huge range of common ailments.

What I love about this remedy is that you probably have the ingredients already in your pantry. No need to source weird herbs or ingredients! You can’t get much simpler.

So this is how you make it:

Homemade Cough Syrup

What you need:

1 onion
enough raw honey to cover

*use organic ingredients if you can get them

What to do:

Chop the onion and place in a bowl. Pour over enough honey to cover and set aside in a warm place for a few hours or overnight. The onion will steep into the honey! Strain into a sterilised jar.

How to use:

Mim says that adults can have one dessertspoon of honey every hour and children can have one teaspoon.

I can’t believe how well it worked, within two doses, he had stopped coughing! That was a relief for all of us, I can tell you!! 😀

When I mentioned this recipe on social media, some of you suggested adding lemon and garlic and you could totally do that as well. In fact the beauty of natural remedies is that you can tailor make them. Pretty cool huh.

Just make sure you are using a good quality honey – not that yucky supermarket stuff!

6 Vapour Chest Rubs that are all natural!

August 6, 2015 · 12 Comments

6 Vapour Chest Rubs that are all natural!

It’s winter and time when the lurgies and germs abound.

Vapour or chest rubs are often used to help relieve symptoms of coughs, colds and flu. However, did you know that the leading vapour rubs on the market contains several toxic ingredients?

Petroleum can be problematic for a number of reasons. It’s one ingredient I steer clear of in skincare.

Camphor is a highly toxic poison and can cause serious problems if consumed. Turpentine oil, while a natural product, can burn the skin and cause respiratory problems.

There are some really great options out there though, so it’s easy to make the switch to something more natural. Here are some of the best!

♥ Chesty Rub by 123 Nourish Me

This Chesty Rub from Alisa and Danni at 123 Nourish Me is fresh and minty. It’s suitable for children over 6 months old and contains high quality organic ingredients and flower essences. Get it here.

♥ Baby Breathe Balm by Bubbles Organic

Bubbles Organics is an awesome Gold Coast based small business, owned by sisters, one of whom is an aromatherapist. Get it here.

♥ Chesty Calm Breathing Balm by My Gypsy Child

Cairns mum Sacha is seeing her organic baby range, My Gypsy Child going from strength to strength. Get it here.♥ Lhami Eucalyptus Balm

New South Wales natural new age mum, Natalie makes this Eucalyptus Balm as part of her natural skincare range, Lhami. Get it here.

♥ Simple As That Vapour Rub

This pharmacist formulated range is great for anyone with sensitive skin who reacts to skin care with lots of ingredients. Also in a Baby Vapour Rub version. Get them here.

♥ The Physic Garden Eucalyptus Rub

The Physic Garden make a huge range of balms and rubs and their Eucalyptus one is a best seller. Get it here.

♥ Kiwiherb Baby Balm

I had to add one more because this one is just so good. It’s very safe and gentle for babies with just herbs and a teeny bit of lavender oil. They also make a De-stuff Rub for everyone else. Find them here.

So, there you have some fabulous alternatives to toxic vapour rub!! I also love supporting Aussie family businesses who are making a difference and have a real passion for health and wellbeing.

If you are handy and have some oils on hand at home, you could also try making your own chest rub.

What do you use at home for chest rub? Is it time to make the swap to something a bit more natural?

*Please always double-check any product or ingredient containing essential oils that you use on babies and toddlers. Here is the current safety information regarding peppermint oil and eucalyptus oil around children from a source I trust, Robert Tisserand.

(parts of this post are sponsored)

Make your own natural chest rub!

July 20, 2012 · 46 Comments

Make your own natural chest rub!

Did you know the leading chest rub on the market contains petroleum, camphor and turpentine oil??

Petroleum in products can be problematic for a number of reasons. It’s one ingredient I steer clear of. Camphor is a highly toxic poison and can cause serious problems if consumed. Turpentine oil, while a natural product can burn the skin and cause respiratory problems.

So, why not make your own chest rub using organic, natural ingredients? It’s cheaper and your family will be safe and toxin-free.

Homemade Chest Rub

Okay so this is what you need:

Coconut Oil

Eucalyptus Essential Oil

Peppermint Essential Oil

Lemon Essential Oil

* If you want to use a ready-made blend of oils, you could also just use Sinus Clear or Wellness Warrior

Okay, so this is how you do it:

* Melt your coconut oil by placing the jar in a bowl of hot water

* Pour 1/4 cup of the oil into a glass jar (clean and sterilise if using a recycled jar)

* Add 20 drops of eucalyptus oil, 20 drops of peppermint oil and 10 drops of lemon oil

* Mix well

* Let it re-solidify for easier use (pop it in the fridge in summer time)

Okay, so this is how you use it:

Rub on the chest, throat and back if you have a cough or cold.

Rub on your feet at night and pop on some socks to help ease a cough.

Rub a little under your nose.

Add a couple of teaspoons to hot water in a bowl to use as a steam inhalation.

The coconut oil is so rich and moisturizing, you will get the extra benefit of soft skin!

If you can’t be bothered making your own chest rub, check out these natural vapour chest rubs that I recommend.

You might also like to read: How to make your own natural hand wash.

*Please always double-check any product or ingredient containing essential oils that you use on babies and toddlers. Here is the current safety information regarding peppermint oil and eucalyptus oil around children from a source I trust, Robert Tisserand.

How to beat cold and flu – naturally!

May 31, 2012 · 29 Comments

How to beat cold and flu – naturally!

Colds, coughs, snotty noses, flu ….. ugggh! Is there anything worse?

Well, it doesn’t have to happen at your house quite so frequently. We haven’t had a flu or even a bad cold in years at our place!

There is no ‘cure’ for the common cold but natural, toxin-free remedies can help stop the lurgies from getting too bad. As you know, I am not a doctor or a naturopath or have any medical qualifications at all. All I know is that my family hasn’t had a flu or even a really bad cold in ages (actually, this probably coincides quite nicely with our decision to go toxin-free!)

All I can share is things I have researched and tried out over the years that work for us.

First though I think we need to talk about prevention. Everyone says ‘prevention’ is better than cure, right?

What we do to prevent colds and flu:

* a diet high in fresh, organic fruits and vegetables

* a healthy lifestyle (exercise, sleep, toxin-free, no smoking, no drinking, not getting rundown)

* probiotics or fermented foods on a daily basis

* lots of water

* thorough washing of hands

* essential oils like Immune Boost blend from Twenty 8

* drink bone broth (with lots of ginger, turmeric and garlic in it) regularly or put it in our food

* freak out and run away from anyone with a cold 😛

What we do if we start feeling a bit sick:

* olive leaf extract – a couple of doses a day. It tastes feral, but we mix it with a little juice and do a juice chaser. It makes me shiver every time !

* several doses of Super Greens and Reds green powder

* rest, rest, rest

* extra fruit and veges (green smoothies usually do the trick)

* ingest coconut oil, usually in a herbal tea or smoothie

* Immune Boost blend essential oil in the diffuser and on the soles of the feet overnight

What we do if the germs get us:

* all of the above, plus

* a natural chest rub that we make ourselves (and we also use it on feet at night)

* manuka honey, coconut oil and lemon in chamomile tea