Natural First Aid Kit for the Summer, Part Two – More tips on healing summer bumps, burns, bites and bruises!
Oh, the joys of summer. The fresh air, the warm days, the freedom, the sun, the beautiful sunsets, the barbeques … the bugs, the sunburns, the bumps, the bruises, the kvetchy children … Don’t despair, be prepared!
I was once teaching a class on natural healing and a person raised her hand and said, “How does a person know what to buy in health food stores? Everything is so expensive. What items are beneficial and important, and what items are just a waste of money?” I then decided to gear my first aid lecture on inexpensive items that are truly healing and worth spending your money on.
In the last article, I discussed Green clay (for bug bites), Arnicia 30c (for bumps and bruises), St. John’s Wort (for muscle and sunburn pain), Yunnan Paiyado powder (to stop bleeding), and the essential oils Rosemary, Lavender, and Citronella (as a natural bug repellent). Now let’s learn some more.
- Homeopathic Hypericum 30c — This remedy is often used after Arnica. It is used with “crush injuries”, like smashed finger tips, puncture wounds, injured tailbones, nerve pain and dental work. The wounds are excessively painful. You can give the remedy initially every 15 minutes for the first hour, then every 3-4 hours for the next day. You can order these remedies from your local health food store.
- Homeopathic Ledum 30c — This remedy is used for puncture wounds like insect bites, or injuries from sharp objects. Give this remedy as soon as possible after the bite or puncture has occurred. Give it every 15 minutes for the first hour, then one more dose 3 hours later.
- Cinnamon — Yes, cinnamon from your pantry. I would not go anywhere without some cinnamon capsules in my purse. Cinnamon is used for all stomach upsets like stomach pain, cramping, food poisoning, or diarrhea. Ask your local health food store if they have empty vegetable capsules (most health food stores have them for sale, estimated cost $2.00-$5.00). Sit at your table and fill a bunch of capsules with the cinnamon powder. You do not have to fill both sides of the capsule. Just scoop up half of the capsule with the cinnamon then cover with the other half of the capsule. In a study conducted at a prestigious medical school, a jar was filled with apple cider that was contaminated with E-Coli bacteria. The students poured some cinnamon into the contaminated apple cider. By morning, no E-Coli were detected. I give a bag of these capsules to all my older children who go to sleep- away camp. They take 1-2 capsules 1-4 times per day as needed for upset stomachs (and relief from camp food!). For children that cannot yet swallow pills, cinnamon can be sprinkled over toast, oatmeal, or applesauce. (Give it to your husband when he has a stomach ache. He will become an instant believer in alternative healing).
- Aloe Vera Gel — This is my favorite relief for sunburns. Do not be fooled by products “containing Aloe”; you want the real thing. At your local health food store you can purchase a small bottle of pure aloe vera gel. It does not need to be refrigerated until after you open it. I do not find that aloe works well on kitchen burns (I use green clay or lavender essential oil for that), but for sunburns, aloe gel is the best. The aloe gel can be applied to the sunburn every hour as needed to help cool and repair the skin. Aloe vera gel can also be mixed with St. John’s Wort oil in equal amounts with 3-4 drops of lavender essential oil.
You now have a very complete and effective Natural First Aid Kit. Relax! You are knowledgeable and prepared to have fun this summer. Lastly, I will share with you a natural supplement that is free — Vitamin D! Your body will get all the vitamin D you need for the whole year just by spending time in the sun. So, relax in the sun and absorb the free vitamins. Enjoy your summer!