written by Dr Meghan Birt CECP / CBCP

I don’t care for the term “Medicine Cabinet”. It’s too… Medical. I prefer Supplement Cabinet or Nutrient Cabinet. But I guess that doesn’t make that much sense. So, I will be referring to it as a Natural Medicine Cabinet. Now that has been debated, we can move onto the rest of the post!

I want you to know first and foremost how powerful the nutrients and herbs below are going to be for your families health. I am a firm believer (and passionate about) that natural ways are superior to conventional or medical ways to build health. Viruses, bacteria, colds, cuts, wounds and insect bites happen throughout our days. It’s important to know what to use to fight off those microbes and infections and get your body healing again. I have outlined and explained 9 of my favorite items I have around the house that make up my Natural Medicine Cabinet. If you have these, you will be ready and prepared to tackle 95% of all things that come your way! These products, supplements and herbs are how I keep my family and patients healthy! And they will make you and your family healthy too!

Activated Charcoal

Activated Charcoal is a binder. It binds toxins, chemicals and poisons. You may know about activated charcoal because they often use it in emergency situations to get toxins out of the body quickly (You know it as pumping the stomach). Activated charcoal can help with GI toxicity or can be use topically for wound healing. If you have leaky gut, activated charcoal can be something you use on a regular basis to bind toxins and prevent them getting into the blood stream. When toxins and foods get into the blood stream, symptoms occur. One of the biggest ones being brain fog and fatigue.

If you are killing of candida or bacteria in the gut and are having a kill-off reaction, activated charcoal is perfect for binding those toxins. In some people, activated charcoal can help with constipation. But, on the flip side, others can become more constipated from taking it. It that happens to you, just take magnesium or vitamin C in higher doses to get the bowels moving. One warning with activated charcoal is that it is so good at binding, you need to take it 1 hour away from food, supplements or medications. It will actually bind the nutrients and not allow your body to absorb them. When I take activated charcoal I take it at night before bed because I know I will have an empty stomach. I will take 2-4 capsules. If I need more toxin binding I will take it 2x/day. Also, you can use it for wound healing by mixing activated charcoal with 3 parts salve or coconut oil and 1 part activated charcoal (empty a capsule). Here is an article full of precautions when using activated charcoal.

Vitamin C

We all know that Vitamin C strengthens the immune system. But did you know that vitamin C’s benefits go way beyond only the immune system? Vitamin C helps in detoxification, can clear out bacteria and viruses from the gut, destroys free radicals and much more. All animals can make their own vitamin C except for humans. That is why we need to consume vitamin C on a daily basis in the form of fruits and veggies. But there are often times when supplementing vitamin C is necessary. At the first sign of a cold, start taking vitamin C. I would even recommend taking more vitamin C in times of greater stress (more C is used in our body in stressful times). Everyone has their own tolerance to vitamin C, but I suggest taking 2,000- 8,000 mg per day. If you take too much, you will know because it will cause diarrhea. Speaking of diarrhea, you can also use vitamin C to do a vitamin C flush. It is great for constipation and clearing out pathogens in the gut. A vitamin C flush also helps in flooding the tissues with vitamin C, which in turn floods the body with healing. To perform a vitamin C flush you will take a heaping teaspoon of vitamin C (buffered ascorbic acid) every 30-45 minutes until you “flush”. It’s as simple as that.

Thieves Essential Oil

Thieves is an essential oil from a company called Young Living (learn more here). It is a blend of Clove, lemon, Eucalyptus Radiata and Rosemary Essential Oils. It got its name from 4 Thieves in France who rubbed oils on themselves to avoid contracting the deadly plague as they were robbing the bodies of the dead and dying. Once they were arrested, the thieves disclosed their formula in exchange for a lesser punishment. That makes up Thieves essential Oil. Thieves is anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-infections and anti-septic. It’s anti-everything, I swear! Here are some awesome ways to use Thieves.

 

  • A couple of drops of Thieves in a little water taken orally to fight a cold or virus
  • Add 8-10 drops of oil to vinegar and water to make a cleaning solution to clean your house (works great in bathrooms and on floors)
  • Add Thieves to cuts and scrapes to prevent infection
  • You can brush your teeth with Thieves and help prevent cavities and gum disease
  • Put a drop of Thieves on your finger and rub it on babies gums when teething to help with the pain
  • You can breathe it directly from the bottle to help relieve a headache or sinus congestion
  • Diffuse Thieves in the air to maximize the benefits of Thieves throughout the day

Usnea Lichen

Usnea Lichen is something that grows hanging on tree branches. It looks a lot like moss. It’s also called Old Man’s Beard. It grows all over the world and is a mixture between a fungi and algae. Usnea Lichen is a powerful anti-bacterial. It can be used as a natural antibiotic for all kinds of thing. It has been used for over 1600 years, way before antibiotics were invented. It can help with:

 

  • Bladder infections
  • Kidney infections
  • Strep infections
  • Skin rashes and wounds

It also strengthens the immune system. It comes into a liquid tincture you take orally. My favorite way to take it is 2 dropperfuls 2x/day for adults (at least 1/2 that dose for kids). You can dilute it in a little bit of water to make it easier to take. You can also mix it with shea butter or coconut oil to apply topically. Just be careful not to come in contact with the eyes.

Colloidal Silver

I use colloidal silver often in my home. Ionic silver is silver ions suspended in filtered water and is clear in color. It is an anti-viral and antibacterial. It’s a powerful antibacterial! Colloidal silver can be taken orally and applied topically. You may be wondering, how do I use it?

  • You can put it on a burn, cut, scrape or wound to prevent infection
  • You can take it internally at the first sign of a cold
  • You can put a drop in each eye 1-2x per day to fight pink eye or a stye (don’t use in eye for more than 7 days)
  • Fights the flu
  • Better than antibiotics (and it’s much safer too)

Colloidal silver never expires! And the most potent silver contains the smallest particle size. And I want to be clear that it is very safe to use and can be used on a daily basis. I don’t personally use it daily, but you can. My favorite brand is Sovereign Silver and it can be bought with a dropper top, spray or screw top. My favorite is the eye dropper one because I think it’s the most versatile.

Calendula

Calendula is an herb, which comes from the marigold flower. I use Calendula in creams, gels and salves. It is used to disinfect minor wounds and infections of theskin. It has antibacterial properties and stimulates the immune system. It is very helpful in healing slow-healing wounds and it actually stimulates the production of collagen which will reduce or prevent scarring. You can think of it as a replacement for conventional first aid antibacterial ointments. You can also use calendula for diaper rashes, chapped lips or hands and with other skin irritations. You can also use if for animals. I have put it on my dog when she had a cyst open up and when her paws froze in the snow.

Schisandra Berry

Schisandra Berry is  mainly grown in China and is commonly used in Chinese Medicine.  Schisandra Berry is anti-inflammatory, supports the adrenals (it’s an adaptogen) and my favorite benefit is that it stimulates the immune system an fights viruses. It comes in a liquid and I take it to fight off a virus. I do approximately 2 dropperfuls 2x/day (adult dose). It doesn’t taste the best so I dilute it in a little bit of water to make it easier to take.

Oil of Oregano

My oh my Oregano. Oregano holds a special place in my heart! It is an amazing healing properties and I use it specifically for the lungs. I don’t know if there is anything that is so effective in helping the lungs. It helps when colds and viruses move into the lungs and you have drainage sit in the lungs. That drainage (made up of fungus or bacteria) can lead to bronchitis, bronchial congestion, a lung infection or pneumonia.  Oregano is a very powerful oil and has strong antibacterial and anti fungal properties. It can be used to help:

  • Food poisioning
  • Intestinal Infections
  • Sinus infections
  • strep throat
  • Lung infections
  • Pneumonia
  • Bronchitis

The best way to use Oil of Oregano is to ingest it or apply it topically. You MUST get a food grade and therapeutic essential oil if you are going to take it orally. You can float 2-4 drops in a little water to take it or add the drops to an empty capsule. I prefer the capsule because oregano is so strong that you taste it for a while after taking it if you only put it in a little water. When you apply it topically, it can be too strong to rub directly on the skin. Then you can use a carrier oil like coconut oil and apply it that way. For the lungs, you would rub it over your chest and on your back over your lungs. Oregano is not recommended for small children. (You can order here)

Garlic

Garlic is great for cooking. But is also carries many health benefits! Garlic is a powerful anti-microbial (known to kill H. Pylori), antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral and can boost the immune system. Garlic is known to kick out a cold faster than any medication. You can take garlic in many forms. If you are using cloves of garlic you want to consume it raw. You can add it to your green juices or just eat a smashed clove raw (if you’re really brave!). You can also take garlic in capsule form to get the benefit of many cloves (sometimes up to 100) in one capsule. Garlic cloves are also useful in healing yeast infections and skin irritations. I have even seen it used in pregnant women trying to fight Strep B naturally (and have effectively killed it off pre-birth. Do you know what that means, no antibiotics!).

Resources

http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/activated+charcoal

http://www.naturalstandard.com/index-abstract.asp?create-abstract=schizandrae.asp&title=Schisandra

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schisandra_chinensis

http://www.naturalnews.com/032027_vitamin_C_immune_system.html

http://www.beyondhealthnews.com/wpnews/index.php/2012/08/the-vitamin-c-flush-a-critical-weapon-in-the-fight-for-health/

http://www.naturalnews.com/038579_colloidal_silver_healing_water.html

http://purehomeandbody.com/essential-oils-2/single-and-blended-essential-oils/symptoms/colds-and-flu/oregano-essential-oil-a-natural-antibiotic/

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/09/23/garlic-health-benefits.aspx