Health on the Homestead

    Sometimes at our house life will seem to take on a theme. Between the books we are reading, the things we think and talk about and work on. Lately it seems like one of our themes has been health. That has not been the only thing on our minds by any means but it has played a major part.

  A few things that have caused us to think on those lines have been:

1.  Finding "Exploring the History of Medicine" by John Hudson Tiner on my shelf (My parents have been very generous to give us many of the books from their years of homeschooling and this was one of those- one that I don't remember however- I think they got it after I left home) and deciding to read it to the kids. It has been a very fun and interesting book!
2. Getting the book "Be your own Doctor" by Rachel Weaver from the library through inter library loan after readers of my blog and other bloggers had recommended it. I was thoroughly enjoying it but was unable to finish it before it had to got back. I have now ordered my own book and am looking forward to its arrival.
3. The weather. With warm weather here we have started getting more physical exercise which has caused me to think about the health benefits of that.
4. Getting a deer tick bite which reacted and working on dealing with that in the best way.

My tendency when it comes to all things health related is to try to live in a way that is natural as possible. That means I don't want to take medicine if I can find some herb or lifestyle change that would work instead, I prefer eating good food over taking lots of supplements (I don't take any), I prefer good hard work or doing things like biking to go places over using any sort of gym equipment, I like to avoid going to doctors if I can and instead study up on things and care for my own health. I am not saying that the other things are wrong but simply it is not the method that I prefer. I may at times decide they are the right thing to do for a certain situation but for the most part I stick to my natural living.

  Reading about the history of medicine has been quite interesting lately as we read about the discovery of pasteurization. I am very grateful for that discovery as we use that knowledge all the time when we do things like canning food. I do also find it interesting that we have to struggle with the over use of it (in my opinion) in instances like the issue with milk - where many of us believe that raw milk is better for us but the government has butted in in so many places and made it illegal (or restrictive) to sell unpasteurized milk. I also found it interesting to read about the discovery of vaccinations and it does seem like at that time that was a very good and helpful discovery but at this point in time I have chosen not hardly vaccinate my children at all. I have found reading about these things enlightening and fun.

Here is some of what we have been doing lately to encourage good health:

• Collecting herbs to dry and use. Currently above my kitchen sink we have lots of wild red raspberry leaf drying as well as some mullein leaves. All of these were growing wild in our garden and would have been tilled up if I didn't collect them first. I have read that it is very important that red raspberry leaf dries thoroughly and doesn't get any mildew on it so I tried to put them in fairly small bunches to encourage good airflow. I am planning to start using a lot of RRL as I read that it is very helpful for some issues that I have been dealing with. I may report more on it later after I see if it really helps or not. The Mullein leaf I read is good for coughs and since Megan has had one off and on all winter I decided I would have her use that. It is supposed to help loosen up phlegm and help clear up the lungs. Here is an informative article on Mullein. We have also been enjoying and using mint and chives from our garden.
• 
  We have been doing a lot of biking- both as fun family outings and for going to church and running errands. I am finding that I am losing weight and getting more in shape which is nice.
• When I got my deer tick bite as soon as I noticed it was a yucky looking red then I looked through "Be your own Doctor" for ideas on treating it. Deer tick's are known for transmitting Lymes disease as well as a couple of other serious illnesses. I read that Activated Charcoal will help to remove toxins from the body both by drinking it and also by applying a poultice to the problem spot. I did both of those things for nearly a week and have thus far not experienced and problems from the bite and it has basically disappeared on my skin.

  

  My tick bite before I started to treat it.
  It did not have the bulls eye (but I wonder if it would have developed into one) but it was definitely looking "angry".

  I will be keeping a watch out for any other symptoms of problems but I am quite hopeful that the issue is over. Here is a site with a lot more information on using activated charcoal. I hadn't realized before that you could even use activated charcoal - much less how many ways you could use it.
• We are working to make sure to stay well hydrated with water.
• We are trying to work to remember to breath deeply often. Our body works better when we get enough oxygen.
• I have been doing more reading on natural ways to deal with tooth problems. I am trying some things out but am still in the learning and experimenting stage. I hope to blog more about this soon. The more I read the less I like the idea of using regular toothpaste and some other things that most dentists suggest.
• The kids and I have been doing stretches every morning (it only takes around 3 minutes and we have been doing while either listening to classical music by composers we are learning about or while reciting the books of the Bible) to help us maintain a healthy spine. I have had neck problems in the past and have often used a chiropractor but over the course of this school year we have done these stretches and I have also concentrated on sitting and sleeping in ways that my neck is in its proper banana shape (not curved down) and my neck has felt so much better! I haven't gone to the chiropractor for months.

It is fun exploring new ways to care for our bodies. I am just in awe of how God made our bodies so that they can often repair themselves and also all the plants and minerals that he made to help with healing too. Do you enjoy learning and practicing caring for your own health? Not only can it be fun but it is also smart and can save you a lot of money!

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and and not attempting to give you medical advice for any specific ailments that you have. I am simply telling you about what I am trying and doing in our household. I will not be held responsible for any treatments that you try out. I just recommend paying attention too and caring for your own health.



I am linking this to Homestead Barn Hop at Homestead Revival.