Green Options » natural remedies

CankerMelts: Natural Canker Sore Solution

Jennifer Lance — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 09:08:43 +0000

Last month, I shared with you the household herbal remedies I used to treat my daughter’s first canker sore. One of the natural items my herbalist friend recommended was licorice root, specifically glycyrrhiza extract, which I did not have on hand. Now, I have discovered a canker sore product made from glycyrrhiza extract that is all natural: CankerMelts.

CankerMelts not only heal canker sores in 1 to 5 days, but they help relieve the pain too. These slow natural dissolving discs adhere to the oral sore and provide anti-inflammatory pain relief. Recently, my daughter thought she had another canker sore, although I could not confirm it by peering in her mouth. I let her try CankerMelts, and she did not complain about the sore again. CankerMelts are not limited to canker sores, as they can be used on any sore in the mouth, such as from braces or biting one’s cheek. It is advised not to use CankerMelts with children under six years of age, due to choking hazards. CankerMelts are made in the USA.

Head Lice (Leave Mommy alone, She’s Shaking in the Corner)

Jessica Gottlieb — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:28:35 +0000

I was a green mom until the lice came. When I saw the first louse I thought, “My goodness, get me some chemicals.” There were parasitic beings suckling on my child’s scalp. After sitting down and crying for a minute (twenty perhaps), I pulled myself together, grabbed a cup of wine and did what every rational mother does.

I called my mom.

Nothing, she had no advice for me. “Ask your brother, one of his girls had it a few times,” was her only bit of help. I call my brother who chortles, “Ha ha, it’s your turn to throw everything out.” I could hardly reply, I thought I was talking but the words wouldn’t come out. He continued, “Call the Doctor and get a prescription.”

Herbal Remedies: Natural Pregnancy Tea Recipe

Jennifer Lance — Sat, 17 May 2008 00:34:06 +0000

As promised in “Natural Remedies for Morning Sickness“, here is my recipe for pregnancy tea. My midwives always advised I drink a quart a day of this special blend instead of taking prenatal vitamins, as our bodies absorb the nutrients from herbal teas more readily than from vitamins; however, I did both. My favorite Rainbow Light prenatal vitamins included many of the same herbs as my pregnancy tea recipe. Of course, there are commercially available organic pregnancy tea blends, but I preferred harvesting and buying bulk herbs to make my own prenatal tea. This tea should also be drunk by breastfeeding moms.

Pregnancy Herbal Tea Recipe:

To make this tea, add about 1 teaspoon of each herb, except the yellow dock, to a glass quart jar. Use just a pinch of yellow dock, as it has a strong flavor and should be used in moderation. Add boiling water to the herbs, and let the tea steep for at least four hours for maximum absorption of vitamins and minerals. This tea tastes good at any temperature, and a quart should be drunk every day by pregnant women and nursing mothers.

Raspberry leaf: This herb has been called “The pregnant woman’s best herbal friend” by Jeannine Parvati, author of Hygieia: A Woman’s Herbal. The foliage has long been used by native people and midwives, as it relieves morning sickness and eases birth. This herb can also aid infertile couples.