The Difference Between a Weed and a Flower Is The Reference Book You're Reading
I really don't like pumping my kids up with some drug to make them feel better. Laugh all you want, especially if you knew me in college, but it's true. If my kids get sick, I refuse to pick up a bottle of ibuprofen or cough syrup or baby-anything drug. Now before you pick up the phone and call CPS, hear me out.
Natural Cough Remedies
The pharmacy shelves are stocked with cough syrups full of chemicals, alcohol and dyes. Are there natural cough remedies to try?
Home Remedy for Coughs
Here are two of my favorites (excerpted from my book, Gentle Healing for Baby and Child ... A Parent's Guide). The first is prepared and consumed right away, while the second may be prepared and stored in your refrigerator all winter long.
Ginger for an Upset Stomach
The common ginger root used in cooking has been found to alleviate nausea, indigestion and motion sickness. For motion sickness, ginger is more effective than the common Dramamine, says the British medical journal Lancet.
Candida: Restoring Balance with Ayurveda
Candida albicans is a yeast-like fungus that lives in the mouth and throat, the intestinal tract and the genital tract. Normally, the population of candida is in healthy balance with other intestinal flora. However, sometimes its population explodes because of various factors such as an improper diet, bursts of intense stress or ongoing low-grade stress that isn't managed effectively combined with poor sleep/exercise routines or antibiotics or oral contraceptives.
“Midstream” First Aid Kits For Athletic Kids
From football to soccer to ballet and cheerleading, this fall sees little athletes of all sorts returning to practice. Athletics are a fantastic way for children to get some much-needed exercise, to learn teamwork and to develop discipline — but on occasion, injuries do happen.
10 Smart Reasons to Use Fish Oil
We are in the grip of an omega-3 fish oil wave. Every day, more studies are published showing just how important this nutrient is to us. Last week, it was children with concentration problems; this week, it is children with autism.
My daughter has pink eye. Does she really need antibiotics?
If your daughter is enrolled in school or child care, she probably will not be allowed to attend until all her symptoms are gone or until she’s been on antibiotic drops for at least 24 hours. Bacterial conjunctivitis (pink eye) is quite contagious, so these restrictions are in place to prevent the spread of infection to other children within the group.
Local Honey: Can It Alleviate Allergies?
As one who makes his living by writing about allergies and asthma, I am often asked about the potential health benefits of using local honey. Here I am talking about alleviating allergy symptoms, not “curing” allergies, which is far easier said than done. Honey contains bits and pieces of pollen and honey. As an immune system booster, it is quite powerful. In talks and articles and in my books, I advocate using local honey. Frequently I’ll get e-mails from readers who want to know exactly what I mean by local honey, and how “local” should it be. This is what I usually advise.
Baby Massage From A-Z
Baby massage has been practiced since ancient times. It can be as simple as a gentle rub with lotion after a bath or a more practiced infant massage. The benefits are many for both baby and parent. You can, and should, massage a child of any age from newborn to adulthood. Children learn much about the power of gentle touch. There's something very special about spending a little time giving your teenager a backrub or foot massage. It maintains a beautiful parent-child connection throughout a lifetime.
Natural Treatment for ADHD?
A recent study suggests that spending time outdoors may help reduce symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Parents of children aged 5 to 18 years old diagnosed with ADHD participated in a study. The parents of the 322 boys and 84 girls were interviewed about how their children behaved after participating in a wide range of activities. Some activities were conducted inside, some outside in places without much greenery (such as downtown areas or parking lots) and some in relatively natural, green outdoor places (such as back yards or parks).
Natural Steps to Deal with ADD and ADHD
A diagnosis of ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) can send an entire family into an uncomfortable tailspin of doubt and worry. While it's often reassuring to frazzled parents to have an actual diagnosis to their child's symptoms, the diagnosis can raise more questions than it answers.
What can I give my child when she's had a stressful day, is nervous, fearful, teething, or cannot seem to fall asleep?
Mrs. Rabbit's secret tea is the answer to a multitude of baby and child upsets. Peter Rabbit’s heart went pit-a-pat as he ran from Farmer MacGregor, but his mother knew to calm him with a nice warm cup of chamomile tea. When he couldn’t sleep or had a tummy ache, good old chamomile came to the rescue.
Ear Infections and Homeopathy
When my first boy had an ear infection when he was a baby, I was able to figure it out by paying close attention to him. No, he didn't really tug on his ear; he more or less flapped it with his hand, a lot like a hound dog scratching his ear. But Joey developed a sudden breast preference and was using the definitive "pain" cry at night.
I’ve heard that when using homeopathic remedies, my symptoms will get worse before they get better. Why is that a good thing? What's the point? First, may I point out that while your symptoms do worsen with the correct remedy, in the end, you actually feel better. You gain mental clarity. I know I get all foggy when I'm sick, so the mental clarity helps brighten my outlook.
Cough syrups, antihistamines and night-time coughs
As much as your sick child and yourself need sleep, it does not appear that cough syrup or an antihistamine will help either of you sleep. Parents completed a survey about their child’s coughing and its effect on sleep. Then, the children were randomly assigned to either receive the cough syrup Benylin, the antihistamine Diphen AF or simple syrup (placebo) for one night. The next day, the parents again completed the survey.
Immune-Boosting Supplements for Winter Health
Holiday cheer isn’t the only thing that abounds this winter: Cold weather ushers in the sniffles, sneezes and coughs of cold and flu season. Check with your health care provider to see if any of these supplements can help your family avoid illness or feel better quickly in the event you do get sick.
Homeopathy for Tummyaches
There’s not much that makes you feel worse all over than any sort of gastric upset. After thoroughly checking into your symptoms, look to homeopathy to help out. Remember to pay close attention to the symptoms. Even seemingly irrelevant minutiae like which side the pain started on or what makes you feel better or worse can make a big difference in which remedy will be most effective.
Safe, Non-Toxic Treatments for Head Lice
If you are like most parents, you want a safe and effective treatment for head lice. Most treatments are toxic and are not recommended for toddlers. Here are three different treatments from parents.
The ABCs of Treating Your Kid’s Excema
Eczema is a common, recurring skin condition characterized by a dry, flaky, itchy rash, which can affect different parts of the body. Its appearance may vary depending on its severity and topical location.
Dare To Raise Drug-Free Children
We teach our children about drugs -- what they are, not to take them, how to avoid them, how they harm their bodies and distort their minds -- but what about the drugs we give them when they have a runny nose, fever or sore throat? What about scheduled immunizations? Is there really any difference?
Natural Approaches to Asthma
For some children, asthma can be quite a simple issue to resolve; for others, it can be life threatening. The same toxins that cause eczema in one child or sinus congestion in another can cause the breathing tubes to constrict in a child so genetically predisposed. Skin and sinus issues are uncomfortable, but a fight for breath can be terrifying.
Assemble a Homeopathic First Aid Kit
Life’s bumps, bruises and burns are easier to handle if you have a few remedies on hand to administer as the need arises. So tuck these and other remedies that you find especially useful in with the bandages and witch hazel. Here’s a jumping off point for some of the common needs of children.
