Back to Nature at the Wyldhouse Homestead

Natural Pain Relief for Fibromyalgia

Necessary disclaimer: I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on this blog. Please do not construe this as medical advice.

I've found a really cheap, natural way to relieve my fibromyalgia pain. But I don't find time to do it often!

I have found really warm (not hot) soaking bath in epsom salts is a great muscle relaxer. I find the salts really cheap at my local dollar tree. The only drawback is finding the time to take a bath. It's a miracle if I can lock myself in for five minutes without someone pounding on the door (but I don't really mind - I'm glad I have the little guys around to pound on the door.)

Just pour a cup to a cup and a half of epsom salts under warm running water, let dissolve, and enjoy. Or you can make a little bag out of cheesecloth, fill it with the salts, and place it under the running water. Whatever you like better.

I also found a really nice mixture of herbs and epsom salt at my local health food store - but it was really pricey. I'm going to do some research about making my own salt and herb mixture for the bath. I'll let you know what I find. 

Is it Spring Yet?

Okay, am I alone here? When the January winds howl, and snow covers my garden, am I the only one wistfully perusing seed catalogs and planning next year's crop?

The recent cold snap has only increased my longing for Spring, the smell of freshly turned earth, the warmth of gentle sunshine on my back as I bend over the rows, planting seeds.

I received my first catalog in the mail the other day from my favorite seed company, Abundant Life Seeds, based in Cottage Grove, Oregon. They offer organic and biodynamic seeds, sustainably grown seed, and OMRI listed fertilizers and pest controls. Plus, they have my favorite potato - all blue!

I started my 2010 garden preparations in the fall by digging my first raised bed. I have never attempted the raised bed method before. Last season (which was WET), my aunt's garden (all raised beds) flourished when the rest of us salvaged what we could from our pitiful yields.

I used the double dig method: I decided to start small. I measured out a 3 foot, by 5 foot rectangular area. I then started with a 1 foot wide area, dug a one foot depth, and placed it with compost I planned to use in the bed. Once that was dug, I took a spading fork and dug down another 12 inches to loosen the soil. I loosened the subsoil by pushing the fork handle down and levering the tines through the soil.

I continued this trench digging process one foot at a time until I had covered the 3 foot width of the bed. If you have it, a plywood board (at least 5/8 inch thick) is helpful for standing on over the bed as you dig.

I then began to replace soil, compost, and natural fertilizer in layers, shaping the bed with a rake as I dug. Once that was complete, I framed my bed in landscaping timbers, and covered with a tarp to sit through the winter.

I am going to plant mostly cold season vegetables in this bed. Until I had heard of Companion Planting, I was ignorant to the fact that some crops do not go well when planted together (I know, I know - and me a country girl!). So, I plan to sow carrots, onions, and leaf lettuce in the bed when it's time to plant. When warmer weather hits, I will be placing some tomatoes in there, and planting marigold around the borders for pest control. I'll probably also throw in some sparsely planted chamomile here and there.

My dad usually plows the rest of the garden with his tractor. Once the soil is good and loose I'll be building the rest of my raised beds (I have fibromyalgia, so I try to save myself as much heavy work as possible in order to conserve my energy). I am working on the planning for those beds, and I will share those plans once I have them mapped out.

I'm really interested in sowing plants that grow well together, for maximum yield and weed control. With a lot of prayer and planning, I hope this will be my best gardening year ever.   

On the Path to Healing - Dietary Changes

I promised I'd share some of my hints for how the Lord is leading me on a path to healing. To date, I've lost 27 pounds in the last two months, and other than the most recent bout with the EBV and CMV, I think I'm improving.

Two months ago, a doctor told me I was prediabetic and if I didn't change my ways, I was headed down a long road of health problems. I have a diabetic grandmother, who is in the last stages of diabetes. The doctor's grim diagnosis scared me enough to spur me to make serious changes.

First, I decided to cut everything white out of my diet. I cut out white sugar, white pasta, white flour, white potatoes, and white rice. I substitute Agave nectar for sugar. It has worked well in all my recipes - bread, pizza sauce, chili, etc.

I opt for whole grain bread and flour. I make most of my bread from scratch in a breadmaker. That way, I can be assured the ingredients are healthy. When I can't have my own homemade bread, I make sure the bread I buy is whole grain and has no high fructose corn syrup as an additive.

For pasta, I have substituted shredded squash and zucchini. I cook lightly, then cover with my homemade pasta sauce made with Agave nectar. For those allergic to squash, quinoa is a decent alternative to regular pasta.

I eat sweet potatoes or blue potatoes in place of the white ones. When the kids want fries, I cut the potatoes into fries in my veggie cutter, sprinkle with a little olive oil and sea salt, then bake them in the oven. Then I serve them with my homemade ketchup made with (you guessed it) Agave nectar instead of sugar.

I know this takes a lot of prep time, but I try to prepare fresh fruits and vegetables ahead of time. I cut up carrots, celery, and tomatoes ahead of time, and store them in individual containers in the fridge. That way, when I want a snack or a quick salad, the vegetables are always ready.

It has been a challenge to eat healthy when we're on the road so much. I have started keeping apples, oranges, and prepared raw vegetables on hand to take in the car. I make sandwiches on whole grain bread using turkey, or sugar free homemade peanut butter and jam sweetened by its own fruit juice instead of any sugar. You can buy natural, sugar free peanut butter in many grocery stores. You have to stir it up, but I think it tastes better than regular peanut butter.

When I'm really hungry on the road, the kids have eaten all the lunch I packed, and the only place to get something to eat is a convenience store, I buy V-8 vegetable juice. A bottle has only 70 or so calories, and it fills me up until I can get to a place that offers healthier foods.

I also load up on flavor so I'm not missing the mayo and salad dressing, which is often loaded with sugar and fat. I put vegetables like banana peppers, olives, green and red peppers, and others on my salads and sandwiches to perk them up. I hate onions, though, so I leave those off!

I have stopped bringing any candy, chips, or other sweets into the house. That way, there's no temptation in sight.

Instead,visitors will find apples, oranges, bananas, and while the pear tree is producing, fresh pears on our table.

It may seem a little more expensive to eat like this, but diabetes and other health problems are far more expensive than my trips to the grocery store.

I try to buy many of my fruits and vegetables locally, which helps on the expense. Although a small bottle of Agave nectar is more expensive than a bag of sugar, it is sweeter than sugar, so you use less. Plus, it has a very low glycemic index. I love it.

I do not use any artificial sweeteners, as those are bad for the body, as well. Honestly, I don't even consume anything with Splenda in it. I make sure my sweeteners are first and foremost, Agave, then I've tried Xylitol, which is ok, and molasses or honey as a last resort, since those two have a higher glycemic index.

Since I have gotten off the sugar and processed foods, I notice things taste so much better. Fruit is so much sweeter and satisfying. I need less to feel full.

The first couple of weeks of weaning myself off sugar were really hard, and I was a grouch. But once I got used to it, I don't think I can ever go back to my old habits.

Even though I'm in pain many days, I try to push myself to walk at least one mile in the fresh air outside. Even if my pace is a snail's pace, at least I'm moving and getting some exercise and fresh air. Over the past few days, my endurance has improved, and I'm walking farther and faster. It's a wonderful feeling.

When I first started this, I remembered all it takes is a step at a time. Put one foot in front of the other, and before you know it, a mile has passed. That helps me on the days I feel wiped out and don't want to walk.

A rule of thumb I try to live by when choosing foods is if it wasn't grown or raised on a farm, I don't eat it.

We have lots of family get togethers with rich, Southern food, so I have had to employ a strategy to make sure I don't fall off the wagon at these gatherings.

Before the dinner in question, I'll load up at home on veggies, fruits, and maybe half a healthy sandwich. That way, when I arrive at the banquet, I'm not tempted by unhealthy foods or desserts (I avoid the dessert table completely). I can pick out healthier choices from the table without being ruled by my stomach.

I don't feel deprived at all. As I said earlier, food tastes better, fruit is so much sweeter than the biggest candy bar. I don't miss it at all.

I have tried the no dairy carob pudding recipe in my Nutrition 101 book - it's made out of avocados instead of pudding and milk. I was very pleasantly surprised. So, if I want a really decadent tasting treat, I'll whip some of that up - but only occasionally.

I also serve my food on smaller plates. That way, the portions look bigger and I'm satisfied to eat much less.

I held onto my "baby weight" for three years. I thought it was never going to come off. Within two short months, I've lost more weight than I ever thought possible in that time frame, my joints don't hurt as much any more, and my family is getting healthier with me. Also, at my last doctor's visit, my blood sugar has returned to a very normal, healthy level. I still have a ways to go, but this is an encouraging start.

I give God all the credit for leading me on this path, through His word. Genesis and other books of the Old Testament have some great information on how God instructed His people to eat. I think those instructions are relevant to us today.

Also, the Lord's gentle guidance through study of wholesome cookbooks, continued study of His word, and just plain common sense, will keep me on this path to wellness. 

Attempting to Make Essential Oil

Disclaimer: I am NOT a doctor. This is NOT intended to be medical advice. Just information you may find interesting!

Of all the herbs I grew this summer, thyme seems to have grown best. So, I cut some a couple of weeks ago, put it on a screen to dry, and set the screen out of T-Rex's reach.

I read that thyme oil is a good anti-septic and anti-viral agent, so I'm going to try to make some essential oil of thyme to have on hand for cold and flu season. I don't have the finished product yet, but I'll tell you how I'm going to do it.

I'm doing the cold infusion method. I placed 1/4 cup of chopped dried thyme into a pint jar. I covered it with at least an inch of cold-pressed grapeseed oil. I covered the jar tightly with a lid, and set the jar in a windowsill that gets lots of sunlight. I have to shake the bottle twice a day. After two weeks, I will strain off the oil, place it in dark glass bottles, and seal tightly.

I'm reusing some of my essential oil bottles, so I make sure I clean all the old residue out very thoroughly before putting in a new oil. Then I will label them and store them in the fridge (I have an extra fridge for projects such as this).

I'm not sure how this will turn out, but so far, so good. I have to strain off the oil in a couple of weeks, so I'll let you know how it turns out.

Herbs

Disclaimer: I am NOT a doctor. This is NOT intended to be medical advice. Just information that you might find interesting!

It's the end of summer, and one area of my kitchen smells really fresh and clean. Bundles of fresh herbs hang around drying. Spearmint, thyme, oregano, basil, and lavender fills my kitchen with wonderful, "homey" scents.

Since last Spring, I have really felt impressed upon by the Lord to learn more about growing herbs, harvesting wild plants, and using them for food and medicine.

A Bible passage that continually comes back to me is, Genesis 1: 29 - 30: "And God Said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so."

I feel more than ever, in the times in which we are living, it is important to return to what God has given us naturally for our nourishment and healing. That's why I have committed to learn more about the herbs and plants around me. I live in an area rich in these beneficial plants. All this time, I have had "God's pharmacy" growing around me, and I thought most of them were just weeds or pretty flowers!

To date, I have learned a lot about plantain and red clover. Plantain leaves are dark green, long and slender, and arranged in a rosette around a central crown. They are ground hugging plants. I have used plantain for relief of bee stings and poison ivy rash. In one case I just chewed the leaves to a pulp and placed the pulp on a bee sting. Sounds gross, but it worked! In other cases, I ground it up with a wooden mortar and pestle and made it into a pulpy liquid. I'm storing some for the winter by drying, and freezing some of the leaves.

Red clover is generally plentiful in pasture land and hayfields. It is easily recognizable with the globe shaped flower heads which range in color from rose-pink to purplish. Red clover is a great source of calcium, niacin, and tin. (Who knew? I guess the bees and cows did.)

I have dried some, just to keep back for the winter, but I've also been eating it fresh in salads. It doesn't taste bad, at all. Once you become accustomed to the flavor, it can actually be quite good.

I am very sorry. I don't have any photos of either plant to share. I tried looking for some free ones. With my slow dialup, it takes hours to download one photo, so I haven't had much success downloading my own. I would encourage you to google images of plantain and red clover to see what they look like. You'll probably be surprised, as I was, that they may be growing in your own backyard or field.

Laundry Soap Recipe

We have multiple allergies in our family, including three members with eczema. I have tried virtually every laundry detergent out there, hoping to find something we could use.

Then I started doing research about phosphates and all kinds of additives that aren't good for the environment. I feel that, as followers of Christ, and caretakers of God's creation (as He commanded Adam and Eve in Genesis), our family should be mindful of living as eco-friendly as possible, for our future generations' sakes.

With my family's allergies, and my desire to live more nature friendly, I knew that my only option was to make my own laundry soap. I tried many recipes, several of them dismal failures, before I finally got one that works well. Here is my favorite laundry soap recipe:

1/2 cup castile soap - I use Dr. Bronner's lavender, almond, or unscented, depending on what scent I want to use.

2 cups Borax

1 regular size box baking soda

1/2 to 1 cup vinegar

Mix castile soap and baking soda until lumps are dissolved. Add Borax and mix until a thick powder forms. You can stop at this step, or you can add vinegar and stir until a creamy paste is formed. If you add vinegar, the mixture will foam up at first, and the quantity will be smaller than if you just use the powder.

If you don't add vinegar, you will want to use the laundry soap powder within a few days, or it will become very thick, lumpy, and hard to dissolve. The paste works really well when rubbed into stains, and it dissolves better in the washer.

If you use the unscented soap, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil for a nice scent. Some of my favorites are rosemary, orange, and lavender.

If I need something disinfected, I will add a few drops of tea tree oil to the first cycle of the wash. 1/2 cup to 1 cup of vinegar is good for this, too, and it also makes an excellent fabric softener when added to the rinse cycle.

Cheap, Easy Toxin Free Fabric Softener Made With Vinegar

I know, I know, that probably sounds really yucky. I was skeptical at first, but it has actually worked really well for me! I go through a lot of cloth diapers with N., and the vinyl pants used to get holes in them and weakened from the commercial fabric softener. Plus, he is very sensitive to chemicals, so I had to find something to rinse his clothes in. I discovered that vinegar could be used as a fabric softener and great final rinse, but I just hate the smell! So here is what I did:

1. Take a gallon of white vinegar
2. Add 1 - 2 tablespoons natural vegetable glycerin (available pretty cheap at most health food stores)
3. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil (I use lavender a lot because it is very soothing and relaxing. I have also used orange oil because it has a clean, fresh, invigorating scent.)
4. Shake well and add one to one and a half cups to final rinse water. Just be careful not to pour directly on clothes - you don't want to take a chance on spotting. It never has spotted any of my clothes, but you never know.

This mixture worked really well and got the nasty smell out of N.'s cloth diapers. It also made my line dried clothes softer than the commercial stuff did! I now use it for all our clothes. It leaves the clothes really soft and fresh! (You can use more or less of the mixture in your final rinse, depending on your preference)