Thieves Vinegar – Immune Booster & Germ Killer

No matter what you call it, thieves vinegar has a long history of use.  From Scientific American’s 1910 reference to  “medicated vinegar was invented by four thieves of Marseilles who successfully employed it as a prophylactic during a visitation of pestilence” to current references recommending it as an insect repellant and a popular essential oil company creating a product line based off of the blend, antimicrobial herbs have a well earned reputation for their usefulness.



History of Four Thieves Vinegar
Vinegar has been used as a health tonic for centuries.  It is mentioned in the Bible and the writings of Ancient Greece.  All of the four thieves vinegar stories that I read are set during the Bubonic plague, but there are a number of variations.  Some say that condemned criminals were sent out to bury the dead, but some survived by drinking large amounts of vinegar infused with garlic.  Other say that there were many thieves robbing the homes and corpses of those that had died, and most of them died, but one particular group of thieves survived.  They were granted leniency in court when they shared the secret of the herbal vinegar blend they used to protect them from the plague.  The name “Forthave’s Vinegar” was used to describe the vinegar tonic of Richard Forthave.

How to Make Thieves Vinegar
My friend, Chris, from Joybilee Farm, referred to Thieves Vinegar as a “folksy recipe”, and said that when she listened to Rosemary Gladstar, a well-known herbalist, Rosemary used the herbs she had on hand.  Mountain Rose Herbs offers this version of the traditional recipe, which uses dried bulk herbs that you can find at their online store:

Basic Four Thieves Vinegar Recipe
Ingredients

1 tbsp organic sage leaf
1 tsp organic lavender flowers
1 tsp organic rosemary leaf
½ tsp organic thyme leaf
½ tsp organic peppercorns
16oz raw organic apple cider vinegar
Directions

Place the herbs in a pint jar and fill to the top with gently warmed (not boiling) apple cider vinegar. Close with a plastic lid or place a piece of natural parchment paper under the lid to keep the vinegar from touching the metal. Allow to extract for four weeks. Strain the vinegar into a clean glass jar. Store in a cool, dark area.

Rustic Thieves Vinegar Recipe
My friend, Betty Jean, uses this homespun version:

I just throw a couple heads worth of peeled garlic into a 2 quart jar along w/ hot peppers (cayenne), a handful each of oregano, cloves, thyme, and other herbs with antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-fungal, antiviral properties such as

lavender blossoms
rosemary
cinnamon stick
lemon balm
sage
ginger
Pour apple cider vinegar over it to the top. Put on a lid and let sit for at least 2 weeks…  I usually steep for about 6-7 weeks. Gently shake the jar each day. Strain. Take 1-2 tablespoons with a tablespoon of raw honey several times a day when sick or take one tablespoon per day for immunity boosting.

I went out in the garden to see what was still fresh, snipped a bit from the herbs in the window sill, and dug around in the herb cabinet for a few other odds and ends.  (Top photo in the post.)

I ended up with:

Lemon Balm
Yarrow
Aloe Vera
Oregano
Sage
Rosemary
Mixed Hot Peppers
Garlic
Chocolate Mint
Calendula
Garlic
Plantain
Cloves
Licorice Root
Ginger Root

Licorice Root and Ginger Root are both specifically mentioned in the book Herbal Antivirals:  Natural Remedies for Emerging & Resistant Viral Infections, so I wanted to make sure to include them with all the nasty viral illnesses going around.

You can use the strained vinegar as a base for a vinaigrette.  You can also use wine as a base instead of vinegar, with complimentary herbs, so make it more pleasant to consume, or make an thieves herb blend in a vodka base to use as a tincture.

Ways to Use Thieves Vinegar
For illness or immune boosting.  Take 1-2 tablespoons with a tablespoon of raw honey several times a day when sick or take one tablespoon per day for immunity boosting.
As a surface disinfectant – put strained vinegar in a spray bottle, spray on surfaces and wipe clean.  Chris mentions that the pH will rise after steeping, so the spray will be milder on surfaces.
As a insect repellent – put 1/4 cup vinegar in a spray bottle and fill the rest with water.  Spray on skin, clothes, etc.  From Wellness Mama.
Diluted, as a topical treatment for dandruff, or as a foot soak for nail fungus.
Remember, in case of serious illness, always contact a trained healthcare professional.  This post is intended for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any illness.

Have you ever tried thieves vinegar or do you plan to?  Do you have a favorite home remedy for cold and flu season?  I’d love to hear about it.*
source:http://commonsensehome.com/thieves-vinegar/

How to Make Lavender Oil at Home in 6 Simple Steps

Did you know that lavender oil was used to dress wounds during the First World War due to the shortage of antiseptics? This oil is used not just for aromatherapy, but for various healing purposes as well. So, try making lavender oil at home and enjoy its benefits.

Lavender oil is one of the most commonly used multipurpose oils. This oil can be added to the bathtub, some drops can be sprinkled on a pillow, or it can be used for a massage. It has relaxing properties and can also be mixed with a carrier oil and used over burns and cuts as it has antibacterial properties too.


Lavender oil not only heals the skin but also provides a scar-free healing! Lavender also helps in sinus problems, and this oil can be inhaled deeply to reduce congestion.

It is not possible to make lavender essential oil at home, but the process of making infused lavender oil is fairly easy and can be done at home. In this process, you just have to let the lavender herb soak in a carrier oil, and then strain it. A carrier oil is a base oil, which is usually used to dilute pure essential oils.
Mass Producing Lavender Oil
Commercial manufacturers use the steam distillation process to make lavender essential oil. This process is a type of distillation process used for natural aromatic materials, wherein steam or water is added to the aromatic compounds to lower their boiling point. They are then allowed to evaporate at lower temperatures, because such compounds tend to decompose at high temperatures.
Steps to Make Lavender Oil
Here are the things you require and the procedure you should follow:

Things you will need:

◆ One big bottle of carrier oil

◆ Bunch of lavender flowers

◆ A small glass jar

◆ Rubber band

◆ Plastic cling film

◆ Strainer

◆ Saucepan

◆ Spoon

Step #1: The process of making lavender oil from dried lavender plant is also possible in case you don't have fresh lavender flowers. Take the twigs of lavender and run your fingers along the stem to take out the flowers. Collect enough flowers in this way and then fill them up in the jar.

Step #2: Now, take the carrier oil in a saucepan. The quantity of the oil should be enough to fill the glass jar. Slightly warm this oil and then pour it slowly in the jar till it has nicely covered the jar. You can choose from a range of carrier oils available. The most suitable is olive oil, as it can be used for skin care and massage as well. My favorite choice of oil is jojoba oil, as it is non-greasy and gets absorbed by the skin easily. But, jojoba oil is not a preferred massage oil, as it doesn't have the slippery effect. Another good choice for a carrier oil is almond oil, as it is good for skin care and has a high amount of vitamin E in it.

Step #3: Take a piece of cling film and wrap it around the opening of the jar. Secure the plastic cling film using a rubber band.

Step #4: Let this essential oil mixture steep for a month. Keep shaking the bottle lightly everyday to let all the ingredients mix well. Store the bottle in a cool and dark place.

Step #5: After a month's period, take out the jar and strain the mixture and use a spoon to press the lavender flowers to completely separate the precious oil from the flowers.

Step #6: Pour this oil in an amber-colored glass bottle and close it using a cap. There you have it; your own homemade lavender oil.
So, what are you waiting for? Grab all the things you need and follow the above steps for making this essential oil, and enjoy all the benefits and uses of it!
source:http://www.buzzle.com/

Infographic: Nature’s 11 Most Powerful Antibiotics

Every day, millions of Americans swallow pills that endanger our entire population by making bacteria increasingly resistant to antibiotics. Scientists worry that one day soon, our antibiotics won’t work any more, leaving us vulnerable to all sorts of infections that will spread around the globe without stopping.




 To break this cycle, we need to be using fewer antibiotics — not just in our medicine, but also in our animal food supply.

source:https://www.dherbs.com/blog/natural-antibiotics/

Amazing Weight Loss Diet From Cardiologists – Lose 10 Pounds In Just 5 Days!

The breakfast is the same throughout the whole diet plan

    1 fruit (orange, pear, peach, melon, watermelon, but no bananas or any grapes)



DAY 1

Lunch

1 orange

1 boiled egg

1 cup yogurt (about 200ml)

 Dinner

 2 tomatoes or 2 dl cooked tomatoes

2 boiled eggs

1 small piece of lettuce or ½ cucumbers

2 pieces of rusk

 DAY 2

Lunch

1 orange

1 boiled egg

1 cup yogurt (about 200ml)

 Dinner

 125 gr boiled beef

1 tomato

1 orange

1 rusk

1 cup of tea or coffee without sugar

DAY 3

Lunch

1 orange

1 boiled egg

1 cup of yogurt (about 200ml)

1 piece of lettuce or 1 cucumber

 Dinner

 125 gr boiled beef

1 orange

1 rusk

1 cup of tea or coffee

 DAY 4

Lunch

125 gr cow milk cheese

1 tomato

1 rusk

 Dinner

125 gr boiled beef

2 tomatoes

1 apple

1 rusk

 DAY 5

Lunch

200 gr boiled meat or fish

1 tomato

1 rusk

 Dinner

½ kilos boiled vegetables (carrot, peas, potato)

NOTE

The meat and the vegetables are cooked with no or just a pinch of salt.

The 6th and 7th day you should stop the diet, and then continue it at day 8 in the same order.

You mustn’t consume any alcohol during this diet plan.

After the 5th day you’ll lose 5 to 10 pounds, and after the 2 days break, the diet plan should be repeated 3 times ( 5 days + 2 days break) and you’ll have no health consequences and still lose 30 pounds. If you continue eating regularly every day except Mondays, you won’t gain back the pounds. On Mondays, you should eat this:

Breakfast: 1 cup of lemon juice without sugar

Lunch: 1 apple, 1 rusk

Dinner: 1 boiled egg, 1 tomato, 1 rusk

All these foods can be taken hot or cold, but it’s important to be taken in the right order and not to omit any. If you don’t take them in the right order, or you just replace one food with another, you won’t achieve the desired effect.
source:http://www.tophealthylifeadvices.com/

This Exercise Is More Powerful Than 1,000 Sit-Ups: Spare 60 Seconds A Day And In Only A Month You Will Have A Flat Stomach

The belly is probably one of the most problematic areas of the body when it comes to losing weight. All of us dream about a flat and toned abdomen, but it seems that we all hate sit-ups.


However, we have some good news! Finally, fitness experts have found a solution which, they claim, can replace even a 1,000 sit-ups.

This amazing exercise is called “a plank”, and it is static, but all the weight of the body lays on the hands and toes, while the body is straight as a board. The body cannot move an inch, and this is the way to a flat and sturdy stomach, as well as to the painless back, because the strong abdominal muscles support the spine.


What is extremely important about it is that if you practice it several times a week for ten minutes a day, you will have better results than if you did 1,000 sit-ups.

Nevertheless, you need to make sure that your body is in the correct starting position, and respect these instructions:

Press your palms firmly on the floor and stretch your shoulders so that they are as distant from each other as possible. Your neck should be elongated. Moreover, you should feel your hands comfortable, not like they are about to loosen up.
Although the main focus is on the abdominal muscles, you should also feel “fire” in your legs. If not, set your heels further relying on the toes of the feet so that the quadriceps are more tensed, and then squeeze your buttocks in order to activate the muscles in the lower body.
Do not raise your buttocks, but hold them lower. Your body must be as a straight line, and not as a triangle.
You need to breathe in and out rhythmically, in order to hold this posture a bit easier.
Holding your body in the right position is essential and you can easily achieve this if you imagine a glass of water balancing on your lower back or a ball rolling from your nape to heel without being stuck in the lower back.
Now, you can start doing this exercise:

Press your hands and knees on the floor so that your wrists are in line with your shoulders and your back is straight.
Look up about 30 inches ahead of you. Your nose facing the floor, position the back of your head in a parallel position to the ceiling.
Stretch your right leg to back so that the fingers are bent and then extend your left leg. At this point, your entire body should be resting on your hands and toes.
Tighten your abdominal muscles and hold for about 20-60 seconds.
Bending your knees, sit on your heels so that the big toes touch while your knees are separated.
Lower your knees toward your thighs, while lightly touching the floor with your forehead. Stretch out your arms in front of you and relax.
Do this exercise three times in a row. Once you get used to doing it, extend the time for more than 60 seconds.
Source: www.yourstylishlife.com

Amazing Acne Cure: This Fruit Will Remove Them Forever

Surely no one wants to have a problematic skin, especially with spots or acne scars.amazing-acne-cure-this-fruit-will-remove-them-forever

In the treatment of scars left by acne, it is important to distinguish between the scars and dark spots because they are usually temporary. The dark spots are caused by infections and they cause redness on the face, which usually subsides in three to six months.



Acne scars are permanent and have a different shape and size. They appear after you squeeze the acne, and since the skin closes after it is healed, it leads to scars.

Many think that the only way to get rid of the pesky acne is to do some expensive laser treatments. But the secret lies in a very simple ingredient, which almost all of us already have it at home – a tangerine.

Tangerine, or any other fruit which has a high level of citrus, can be used in the preparation of a facial “oil”.

This fruit can permanently remove the appearance of acne and what’s more, in a few hours. Moreover, this mask moisturizes the hair, beautifies the complexion, gives freshness to the skin, leads to a youthful glow and has many other benefits.

To prepare the citrus “oil”, follow these steps:

First step: Peel your citrus fruits (tangerine, lemon, grapefruit …).

Second step: Pour some boiling water over the peel of the fruit and leave it thus overnight.

Third step: In the morning, strain the water, soak some cotton in it and dub it on the face or simply put it in a spray bottle and spray to the face.

Fourth step: Soak your skin nicely and that’s it. What you’ll get is a fully hydrated and radiant skin without acne.

Citrus fruits are not only incredibly good for the skin, but they can help the whole body. They are good for your hair, as they provide a fantastic shine, and if you consume this fruit, you will detoxify your whole body, you will improve the metabolism, increase your immunity, energize your body and it will even help you lose some excess weight.
source:http://www.naturalcuresandhomeremedies.com/

6 Tips For Better Sleep With Diabetes

When you have diabetes, poor sleep can disrupt your blood sugar, your mood and your health.

An estimated 40 to 50 percent of people with diabetes say they don't sleep well, according to Dr. Kingman Strohl, director of the Sleep Disorders Program at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center.



Since quality sleep is so important to well-controlled blood sugar, making adjustments to get better shut-eye should be a top priority if you have diabetes.

Here are six ways you can improve your nighttime routine and get better sleep:

1. Lose the extra weight

Carrying too much extra weight can lead to sleep apnea - a condition that causes disruptions in sleep patterns and drowsiness during the day.

One study in 2009 found that 86 percent of people with diabetes experience sleep apnea, yet the condition can usually be quickly reversed once a person loses weight.

Shedding extra pounds will also correspond with better nutrition and exercise habits, which will both help to improve your sleep.

2. Have a routine

Having a routine for your blood sugar management is important for diabetes control, but it's just as important to have a regular sleeping routine.

Humans are habitual creatures that have set biological rhythms. Oversleeping, lack of sleep or an erratic sleep schedule are all factors that can disrupt your biological clock and affect the ongoing quality of your sleep.

3. Get tested for neuropathy

Diabetic neuropathy - a condition characterized by numbness, tingling, or pain in the hands or feet - could also be disrupting your sleep quality.

Restless leg syndrome, which may have similar symptoms to neuropathy, can also be caused by high blood sugar.

Ask your doctor to be tested for diabetic neuropathy and alert him or her of any symptoms.

4. Manage stress

Stress can directly interfere with quality and duration of sleep (as well as blood sugar management).

In addition to creating a routine for sleep, aim to make bedtime a relaxing experience. Shut off electronics a few hours before bed, sleep in a dark room, and unwind with a relaxing activity before you sleep, like a hot bath or a cup of tea.

5. Avoid alcohol

While drinking a glass of wine may seem like a good way to induce drowsiness, drinking too close to bedtime can disrupt your sleep - and also your blood sugar levels.

Avoid alcohol unless it's several hours before you sleep, and try to have no more than one to two drinks.

6. Quit smoking

In addition to the stimulating properties of nicotine that can disturb your sleep patterns, smoking can lead to all sorts of health complications that prevent a restful night, including poor glucose control, headaches and restless leg syndrome.

Smoking cessation can help you not only better manage your health, but also drastically improve your sleep quality.
source:http://www.informationaboutdiabetes.com/