Gaye Levy
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Although I have always had an interest in using natural products for health and wellness, the elimination of toxic chemicals and drugs from my medicine cabinet was a slow process. It was not until I began to embrace preparedness and self-reliance that I took the time to learn about using natures remedies for health and wellness purposes. And then, like a proverbial light going off in a dark room, I got it.
I mean I really got it. Drawers full of OTC remedies and ointments were dumped into a box along with bottles of pharmaceutical drugs that I had hung on to “just in case”.
Although I have been using natural remedies and DIY salves exclusively for almost a year, things really came to a head when a root canal was canceled after ingesting a brew of lemon juice, turmeric, and cayenne pepper that I named “Dee’s Cocktail”. Imagine my utter surprise when my dentist grinned at me, canceled the procedure, and encouraged me to continue to use “nature’s antibiotics” including turmeric, cayenne, cinnamon, and oregano!
How Do Plant Derivatives and Essential Oils Work?
Being a seeker of knowledge, I wanted to pursue the science of how plants and their derivatives such as essential oils work on the human body. I found this recent article on the National Library of Medicine (part of the National Institute of Health) website: Effect of Essential Oils on Pathogenic Bacteria.
The increasing resistance of microorganisms to conventional chemicals and drugs is a serious and evident worldwide problem that has prompted research into the identification of new biocides with broad activity.
Plants and their derivatives, such as essential oils, are often used in folk medicine. In nature, essential oils play an important role in the protection of plants. Essential oils contain a wide variety of secondary metabolites that are capable of inhibiting or slowing the growth of bacteria, yeasts and moulds.
Essential oils and their components have activity against a variety of targets, particularly the membrane and cytoplasm, and in some cases, they completely change the morphology of the cells. This brief review describes the activity of essential oils against pathogenic bacteria.
To see something like this is writing from a credible source was encouraging. To that end, over the years, I have learned so very much from the shared experience and knowledge of others. I wish I was smart enough to be an expert at everything. Since I am not, I often call upon others who have already done some of the heavy liftings in seeking out information on topics I find important.
Today, with the assistance of Contributing Author Rebecca Schiffhauer, I share some thoughts about natural remedies and why they work. Treat this article as a starting point for opening your mind to the miracle of nature and the herbs, plants, fruits, seeds, and oils that can contribute to our health and wellness in a holistic, safe manner and natural manner.
Natural Antibiotic Remedies & Why They Work
“The ability of oils from various spices to kill infectious organisms has been recognized since antiquity. Natural oils may turn out to be valuable adjuvants or even replacements for many anti-germicidals under a variety of conditions.”
Harry G. Preuss, MD, Professor of physiology and biophysics, Georgetown University
You can find nature in one of its most powerful forms, the essence and life-force of plants found in what we commonly refer to as essential oils. Essential oils are derived from flowers, trees, grasses, leaves, roots and fruits. Their powerful essence is indispensable to medicine. Western medicine seeks to create chemical copies of essential oils because of their extremely effective and complex medical system.
Essential oils provide a system of medicine that not only is in total biochemical harmony with our bodies, but they’re non-invasive too! Their delivery system is so efficient that synthetic drugs look crude in comparison.
This is why: Synthetic antibiotics cannot penetrate the cell wall to get at the virus but, PURE essential oils can! You don’t have to take my word for it, read about the following studies and what the experts have to say:
Essential oils to fight superbugs
Oregano Oil May Protect Against Drug-Resistant Bacteria, Georgetown Researcher FindsGiven the science, why is it that doctors readily write prescriptions for ineffective antibiotics that break down our immunity instead of fortifying it and are inferior to what has been under our feet and noses for centuries…NATURE?
I could write a short novel on this subject however instead, I’ll encourage you to do your own research and, ask questions! Always ask questions when seeking medical help and keep asking until you’re satisfied with the answer. Amen.
Over the course of time as I’ve turned to a more holistic approach to health and wellness, I’ve tried to blend organic ingredients to create an even more powerful remedies. Here is an example.
Antibiotic Tea
Stir a heaping teaspoon of Manuka Honey and 2 drops of Shield Protective Blend in a cup of very warm water along with 1 drop of Lemon for a powerful dose of nature’s antibiotics! Perfect for a sore throat, cold and cough, congested chest and flu symptoms. Drink as needed.
If you’ve never heard of Manuka Honey that hales from New Zealand, now is the time to Google it! This particular honey is Live, Raw, Unpasteurized and Organic.
Manuka Honey is produced by bees who forage on the Manuka Tree (Tea Tree) creating a very special medicinal honey.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I share this with you because it’s time to turn back to the gifts of the earth. Reach for nature’s medicine first. Nature’s medicine cabinet has answers that modern medicine just can’t duplicate hard as they try!
Speaking of natural medicine cabinets and the inhabitants there of, here’s yet another natural remedy with antibiotic properties. This is a great remedy to whip up when you have a nasty cold or flu bug trying to get hold. Start this antibiotic protocol (that works!) just as you begin to feel symptoms.
Natural Antibiotic/Anti-Viral Blend aka Cold & Flu Bomb
3 drops Oregano
3 drops Melaleuca
3 drops Shield Protective BlendTake 3x daily, for 5 days. If your symptoms are acute already, every 3 hrs. For the nastiest of stubborn bugs, rub extra Oregano diluted with a bit of carrier oil on bottoms of feet as needed!
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I hope I’ve been able to pique your interest in considering a better way to wellness. Thousands are discovering the old (essential oils) is new again and embarking on this new journey! I’m happily dedicating my time and efforts to share what I know in order to bring all of this exciting information back into the mainstream of our crazy, busy lives!
Natural Remedies Are Only Beneficial if You Use Them!
I will be the first to admit that if someone had told me ten years ago that I would shun the drugstore in favor or herbs, spices, and essential oils, I would have looked at them cross-eyed. That was then and this is now.
Today’s article is meant to educate and challenge you into action. You may already have gathered books and other materials about natural remedies and nature’s antibiotics. That’s great, but until you actually read them and try these remedies and concoctions yourself, you really will not know whether they will be effective or not.
Heck, even with pharmaceuticals, sometimes things just do not work out.
The use of natural remedies requires experience. What works for one person may not work exactly the same way for someone else. This is nothing to be fearful or hesitant about; it is simply nature’s way.
The Final Word
It is my belief that in any sort of collapse or global disruptive event, practical knowledge that helps us harness Mother Nature will go a long way in maintaining our health and wellness. As always, if you have questions or concerns, discuss them with your personal health care professional.
If you are lucky like I was, they will not only encourage your use of nature’s remedies but also educate you so that you can continue down this path with their blessing.
Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!
Gaye
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Spotlight: If you are just getting started in using essential oils for wellness purposes, I recommend the Health and Wellness kit which includes all of my favorites or the Essential 4 Pack which includes Lavender, Lemon, Melaleuca (Tea Tree) and Peppermint. Be sure to use the discount code “BACKDOORSURVIVAL” to receive a 10% discount.
Bargain Bin: Here are links to items related to this article as well as a few first aid essentials.
Wedderspoon Raw Manuka Honey: Even if you don’t normally enjoy the taste of honey, you will benefit from its healing qualities. Manuka Honey can be used internally (as in the “Antibiotic Tea” described above) or topically on cuts, scrapes, and wounds.
Starwest Botanicals Organic Cayenne Pepper Powder: It should come as no surprise when I tell you that for health and wellness purposes, I choose certified organic herbs and spices. That is not to say that standard, supermarket cayenne pepper is not useful. It is. But if your preference is for organic, this is the one that I choose.
Oregano, Melaleuca, and Shield Protective Blend: Here are direct links to a few of the oils mentioned in today’s article.
Quikclot Sport Brand Advanced Clotting Sponge: A must for any first aid or emergency kit, Quikclot Sport stops moderate to severe bleeding until further medical help is available.
Israeli Battle Dressing, 6-inch Compression Bandage: This is another inexpensive, yet critical item for your first aid kit. Combat medics, trauma doctors, and emergency responders all recommend this Israeli Battle Dressing (IBD) for the treatment of gunshot wounds, puncture wounds, deep cuts, and other traumatic hemorrhagic injuries.
Ticket To Ride: What can be more ordinary than playing a family board game? This is my favorite board game, bare none. Family friendly, you will spend hours in front of the fireplace playing Ticket to Ride with your favorite people. This is worth the splurge.
Help support Backdoor Survival. Purchases earn a small commission and for that I thank you!
12 Responses to “Using Natures Remedies for Health and Wellness”
I just saw your company suggests using oils neat and ingesting them. This is HORRIBLE and UNSAFE!! Essential oils are wonderful and used responsibly can be very beneficial. But this makes EVERYTHING else on your site suspect. Please remove me IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!!
an “antibiotic” is a substance that kills or inhibits the growth of bacteria. we should not be taking antibiotics, natural or otherwise, for viral infections like colds and flu. we have been doing just that for decades, which is why our synthetic antibiotics are no longer working very well; many disease-causing bacteria have become immune to antibiotics after repeated use. the only reason one should use antibiotics during a viral infection is to prevent secondary bacterial infections from developing, which is usually not necessary. if a person has compromised immunity (from hiv, for example) or has a strong history of secondary infections (a child who always gets an ear infection after a cold, for example) or has a chronic condition that may make a secondary infection more likely (copd, for example), then using an antibiotic during a viral infection may be justified, to prevent a secondary bacterial infection. but when a healthy person gets a cold, an antibiotic will not cure that cold, and is likely to make that particular antibiotic less effective in the future when it is really needed. of course, we all want relief of symptoms when we’re sick, and many natural remedies work very well for that, but for that purpose we should use the remedies that are not also antibiotics.
Is there any actual science to support these views – – – or is it just hope and belief?
One of the goals of this article was to point you to the documented science from credible resources. This article //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3873673/ was an example from the National Institutes of Health. There are many more on Pubmed.
I do believe that there are many “snake oil” claims out there and surely, I would be reluctant to claim that essential oils and other natural remedies “cure” disease. On the other hand, they can provide relief for many ailments and can help build a strong immune system, thus preventing further health woes.
That said, I am not a health care professional and always recommend seeing a licensed physician for serious medical matters.
A comment or two on this statement:
This is why: Synthetic antibiotics cannot penetrate the cell wall to get at the virus but, PURE essential oils can!
None of the studies indicate that essential oil can get at viruses. The compounds in the oils work on the cell surface and then once inside additional compounds found in EOs can affect life processes of bacteria, yeasts and molds. Viruses live inside of the animal cell except for the brief period when they escape the cell to infect new ones. Even if the EO compound got to the virus it wouldn’t be able to do much to them since they do not have cell membranes but a very protective protein coat.
Synthetic antibiotics such as penicillin most definitely DO disrupt the membrane of the gram-positive bacterial cell. There are loads of Youtube videos explaining the mechanism of action of penicillin. The compounds in EOs work in similar ways.
“This could explain why EOs are generally most effective, with some exceptions, against Gram-positive microorganisms”
Remember that gram positive bacteria can be both good or bad. If you take any compound that destroys gram-positive bacteria you destroy equally both good and bad bacteria. Take too much or too long you can disrupt the natural flora of your intestines. Take too little the bacteria can become resistant.
“At low levels of thymol, the membrane can adapt its lipid profile to maintain membrane function and structure.”
Quoted statements from the article “Effect of Essential Oil on Pathogenic Bacteria.”
Gaye, do you take the nine drops of the Natural Antibiotic Blend in something or just ingest them?
They are placed in gel capsules or veggie capsules that you can purchase from any store that sells supplements, Amazon, or directly from Spark Naturals. I personally have a tough time ingesting the capsules so I apply the oils on the soles of my feet (using a roller ball) instead.
Thank you for all you do. You have piqued my interest in essential oils again. Can you tell me what the shelf life is of both opened and unopened bottles? Refrigerated vs. unrefrigerated?
In my experience, the storage conditions and the environment determine the shelf life. Most oils will last for years and years if kept in a cool, dark, location. If you live in a warm climate, I would definitely refrigerate the oils during the heat of summer.
Essential oils do not go rancid but they can oxidize if subjected to heat and light. This is especially true of citrus oils so if you are stocking up, refrigeration is wise.
Just an FYI: I am trying to put together a 3 year inventory of the oils I use the most and will keep my spares in the same location as my food storage which is about 50 degrees. At that temp, I don’t feel the need for refrigeration.
Thank you!
DO YOU HAVE AN OIL/NATURAL REMEDY REC FOR DEGENERATIVE ARTHRITIS AND/OR NEUROPATHY?
Daniel – I don’t have an direct experience with these issues but according to the “Essential Oils Desk Reference” (my huge 800 page EO bible), a blend of the following will be helpful:
3 drops Frankincense
3 drops Geranium
3 drops Lavender
This could be diluted 50/50 with a carrier oil and applied 3 to 5 times daily. Or you could apply 2 to 4 drops neat (directly).
Hopefully this will bring some relief; don’t be afraid to experiment.