Survival Properties of Garlic and Apple Cider Vinegar

Guest post by 

Garlic is one of the earth’s greatest health tonics and does indeed have scientifically-proven medicinal properties. It contains a substance called Allicin, which has anti-bacterial properties that are equivalent to a weak penicillin. It is a natural antibiotic and is useful in treating everything from allergies to tonsillitis. Garlic contains many sulfur compounds which detoxify the body, boost the immune system, lower blood pressure and improve circulation. Garlic has also demonstrated anti-cancer, antibacterial, anti-fungal and anti-oxidant effects. Garlic has powerful anti-viral properties.

 

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Garlic can stimulate the production of glutathione, an amino acid which is known to be a very potent antioxidant and de-toxifier and the smooth muscle relaxant adenosine, also found in the herb, will lower blood pressure.

Today people use garlic to help prevent atherosclerosis (plaque build up in the arteries causing blockage and possibly leading to heart attack or stroke), reduce colds, coughs, and bronchitis.

Survival Properties:Garlic is a great antibiotic and also has powerful antiviral properties making it a good choice all year to combat colds, flu, ear infections, and maintain a healthy circulatory system.

Latin Name: **Allium sativum
**Common Names: **Allium, Garlic, Rustic Treacle, Stinking Rose

Properties: antibiotic, antibacterial, anti-fungal, antiseptic, anti-viral, expectorant, fungicide, antihistamine

Uses: Lowers blood pressure and LDL Cholesterol. Prevents atherosclerotic buildup. Lowers or helps to regulate blood sugar. Helps to prevent blood clots from forming, thus reducing the possibility of strokes and thromboses. Removes heavy metals such as lead and mercury from the body. Reduces yeast infections. Relief from rheumatism. Protects against heart disease and strokes. Wounds, ulcers, skin infections, flu,

“Garlic Acid Tincture Recipe”

Apple Cider/Garlic Tincture Recipe
Ingredients:
4 cloves of fresh Pressed Garlic
6 oz. Raw unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar

1 clean glass jar

Potato Ricer and or cheesecloth

Directions:
Mix both together in a glass jar for 2-4 weeks the longer the stronger shaking daily.
Strain garlic and squeeze well in a cheesecloth and or potato ricer put 1/4 of raw pressed garlic back in jar and bottle. The raw garlic will help maintain the potency level at optimal

1. Place 4 oz. of Cider vinegar in a jar add minced or pressed garlic cloves.

2.Cover and shake daily for a min of 2 weeks, longer will give you a stronger and more potent tincture.

3. After 2 weeks or more strain garlic from cider vinegar and press the juices from the garlic with a cheesecloth or place the socked chopped garlic wrapped in a cheesecloth and press it in a potato ricer and squeeze the juices back into the cider vinegar them replace the chopped garlic back into the vinegar and bottle.

Use 1/2 teaspoon or 1 full eyedropper into a 6 oz. glass of WARM filtered water for cold and flu and even Bronchitis or as a daily healthy Tonic this is great for the circulatory system.This is good for cold and flu and as a natural anti-viral antidote a great travel aid and first aid companion.
Do Not Use if pregnant or breast-feeding.

“Garlic for ear infections”

Take 1/4 cup of olive oil and 2 cloves of pressed garlic mix well, microwave or heat for 2 minutes let get down to a warm state, put 2 drops in affected ear followed by a sterile piece of cotton. By morning you should feel more than relief if not well altogether.

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How to Starve Cancer Cells

Editor’s note: In my F-bomb article, fructose and glucose are culprits behind obesity, liver damage, and a host of other nasty, chronic health issues. We had one doctor tell DRG to eat an alkaline diet to help fight the cancer. Here Dr. Mercola shares promising info on eating a ketogenic diet to recover from cancer.

Source: Mercola.com

By Dr. Mercola

To some, a ketogenic diet amounts to nothing less than a drug-free cancer treatment. The diet calls for eliminating carbohydrates, replacing them with healthy fats and protein.

The premise is that since cancer cells need glucose to thrive, and carbohydrates turn into glucose in your body, then cutting out carbs literally starves the cancer cells.

This type of diet, in which you replace carbs with moderate amounts of high quality protein and high amounts of beneficial fat, is what I recommend for everyone, whether you have cancer or not. It’s simply a diet that will help optimize your weight and health overall, as eating this way will help you convert from carb burning mode to fat burning.

Ketogenic Diet May Be Key to Brain Cancer Recovery

The featured video shows Thomas Seyfried, Ph.D, who is one of the leaders in teasing the details of how to treat cancer nutritionally. I am scheduled to interview him shortly and hope to have that interview up later this year. In the video, Professor Seyfried discusses how, as a metabolic disorder involving the dysregulation of respiration, malignant brain cancer can be managed through changes in the metabolic environment.

“In contrast to normal neurons and glia, which transition to ketone bodies (beta-hydroxybutyrate) for respiratory energy when glucose levels are reduced, malignant brain tumors are mostly dependent on non-oxidative substrate level phosphorylation due to structural and functional abnormalities in mitochondria. Glucose and glutamine are major fuels for malignant cancer cells.

The transition from glucose to ketone bodies as an energy source is an ancestrally conserved adaptation to food deprivation that permits the survival of normal cells during extreme shifts in nutritional environment. Only those cells with a flexible genome, honed through millions of years of environmental forcing and variability selection, can transition from one energy state to another.

We propose a different approach to brain cancer management that exploits the metabolic flexibility of normal cells at the expense of the genetically defective and metabolically challenged. This evolutionary and metabolic approach to brain cancer management is supported from studies in orthotopic mouse brain tumor models and from case studies in patients.

Calorie restriction and restricted ketogenic diets (R-KD), which reduce circulating glucose levels and elevate ketone levels, are anti-invasive, anti-angiogenic, and pro-apoptotic towards malignant brain cancer.”¹

Current conventional cancer treatment typically involves chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Chemotherapy is a cytotoxic poison, and radiation is devastating to the human body. More often than not, the treatment is what eventually kills the patient. This can no longer be accepted as “the best we can do.” As Dr. Seyfried says:

“The reason why we have so few people surviving is because of the standard of care. It has to be changed, if it’s not changed, there will be no major progress. Period.”

Metabolic Therapy/Ketogenic Diet Being Investigated as Cancer Treatment

CBN News recently published an article on the ketogenic diet.² Clearly, many people are realizing that what we have been doing in terms of fighting cancer is simply not working, and we cannot afford to continue in the same way. Prevention mustbe addressed if we ever want to turn the tide on the growing incidence of cancer across all age groups. But even more astounding, in terms of treatment, is that cancer may respond to diet alone.

“Dr. Fred Hatfield is an impressive guy: a power-lifting champion, author of dozens of books, a millionaire businessman with a beautiful wife. But he’ll tell you his greatest accomplishment is killing his cancer just in the nick of time,” CBN News writes. “The doctors gave me three months to live because of widespread metastatic cancer in my skeletal structure,” he recalled. “Three months; three different doctors told me that same thing.”

Dr. Hatfield was preparing to die when he heard of metabolic therapy, also known as the ketogenic diet. He had nothing to lose so he gave it a try, and… it worked. The cancer disappeared completely, and at the time of his interview (above), he’d been cancer-free for over a year.

 

The video above also features Dr. Dominic D’Agostino who, along with a team of researchers at the University of South Florida studies metabolic therapy. They found that when lab animals were fed a carb-free diet, they survived highly aggressive metastatic cancer better than those treated with chemotherapy. CBN reports:

“’We have dramatically increased survival with metabolic therapy,’ [Dr. D’Agostino] said. ‘So we think it’s important to get this information out.’ It’s not just lab mice. Dr. D’Agostino has also seen similar success in people – lots of them. ‘I’ve been in correspondence with a number of people,’ he said. ‘At least a dozen over the last year-and-a-half to two years, and all of them are still alive, despite the odds. So this is very encouraging.’”

 Read the rest here

Related articles

• Ketogenic Diet May Be Key to Cancer Recovery (articles.mercola.com)

 

Medicinal Moonshine to cure coughs

 I’m always interested in home remedies to keep me away from doctors. I pick plantain from our yard and school yard when it pops up to use for insect bites and other ailments. For sore throats I use is raw apple cider vinegar, honey, and water. James over at Survival Punk shares a home remedy for a stubborn cough that uses three of my favorite ingredients – medicinally, of course. Check it out…

For this article I wish I had a gypsy wagon for selling snake oil from. Crazy James’ Snake Oil Wagon of Wonder. Maybe a new business venture for me if this Survivalpunk thing doesn’t pan out. So I got over the stomach virus thing and a few days after I started having a sore throat and a horrible cough. I felt really bad for a few days, achy, tired, runny nose, the works. I thought I might have caught the flu going around. Actually I might have or maybe bronchitis, I’m not sure I don’t go to the doctor and I’m not a doctor, I don’t even play one on the internet. All I know is five days later I’m still coughing and it sucks. One of my good friends who knows a lot more about both herbal remedies and a lot more about moonshine told me to take some to get rid of my lingering cough. Well I’m never one to turn down a chance for booze so this is what I did for my cough.

The recipe my friend gave me, after I already made this one, is as follows:

• One Shot of Moonshine
• A spoon full of Honey
• A squeeze of Lemon juice

I might try that when I wake up but right now I’m drinking another recipe. I knew she had said to combine Moonshine, Honey and Lemon and Googled that while waiting for her to text me back with her recipe. I came across a whole slew of Moonshine remedies on this site. What I followed was his Pleasant-tasting syrup for a nagging cough, and a nagging cough was exactly what I have. The recipe looked super easy so let’s make some Moonshine cough syrup.

Ingredients

You will need three things to make this cough syrup. Moonshine, Honey and a lemon. I love short shopping lists. If you can get real Moonshine or make it then that’s the best. I was in a pinch and even living in Tennessee couldn’t get any quickly. The local liquor stores now sale moonshine. It is not as strong as the real stuff but close enough for me. For the honey I suggest going local if you can. I bought the most local stuff I could get with the cone still in it. For the lemon just get one, unless your Florida Hillbilly you probably don’t have them growing in your backyard.

Read the rest of the recipe here

Related articles

• DIY Herbal Cough Drops: Sore Throat Remedy (20somethingallergies.com)

Slippery Elm Bark and its wonders

A week ago I came down with 24 hour stomach bug with a 102 fever – the day before DRG and I had planned to leave on our mini-vacation. Fortunately it was only a 24 hour bug. The fever broke the next morning and we set sail. The effects of the bug had me pulling over several times for ‘rest stops’ since I had to ‘go’ 6 times on what would have been a 5 hour trip.

That was probably too much info. However, the article below is another example of how nature provides so many avenues for healing our bodies – not only when pharma drugs aren’t available, but in place of the local pharmacy.

Source: Totally Organic

 by MedicineMan

The Wonders of Slippery Elm

 

 

 

 

Traditional Use

Slippery elm was one of the most useful medicinal plants of the American wilderness. Native Americans from the Missouri River Valley used a tea of the fresh inner bark to make a soothing laxative. Among the Creek, a poultice of the bark was a toothache remedy. The Osage and other groups applied bark poultices to extract thorns and gunshot balls. Surgeons during the American Revolution used bark poultices as their primary treatment for gunshot wounds, and a soldier, separated from his company, survived for ten days in the wilderness on slippery elm and sassafras barks. During the War of 1812, when food was scarce, British soldiers fed their horses on slippery elm bark. Nineteenth-century physicians recommended slippery elm broth as a wholesome and nutritious food for infants and invalids, and the tea has long been the herbal treatment of choice for acute stomach ulcers and colitis.

 

How to make a “moc” chocolate milk drink with slippery Elm.

 

The Recipe:

Take 10 oz. Hot Milk

2 tblspns Slippery Elm Bark Powder

1 tspn spoon honey

This can be added to fruit juices and create a freshness / earthy flavor. It adds a healthiness to a good quality fruit juice or add it to a freshly juiced juice e.g. apple celery carrot  or sprinkles some throughout your cereals hot or cold. Watch the difference!!!

So why is it so Great !!!

Slippery Elm was also used by native americans to remove the gamey taste out of their meats. It was also used to gel certain kinds of foods. this is because slippery Elm will absorb almost 20 times its volume and becomes like a liquid oatmeal ( this is also known as a gruel).

Read the rest here

6 Cold and Flu-Fighting Recipes Your Doctor Probably Didn’t Tell You About

Thanks to Caroline Cooper (a top Sherpa contributor) for the practical advice in her article over at eatkamloops.org. Fight back smarter with these natural remedies.

Healthy Household: Comfort for Colds

by Caroline Cooper

March is one of the worst months for colds and flu. Here are some strategies for avoiding colds and flu.

Tip Number One: Eat a diet of nourishing traditional foods. Avoid all processed foods and sugary snacks. Make sure your diet has plenty of healthy fats. Eat coconut oil which has anti-viral components. During the winter, eat pastured lard which is high in vitamin D. During the winter and early spring, supplement your diet with fermented cod liver oil and high vitamin butter oil. If you have a source of raw milk you only need to supplement with fermented cod liver oil. Remember to eat your garlic. Use at least one crushed or minced fresh garlic clove everyday in your food.

If you do get sick, there are a few recipes below that will help your family avoid taking pharmaceutical drugs. Remember that colds and flu come from viruses which hate heat. Fevers kill viruses. Fevers should be allowed to take their course in most cases, except in very young children or very high fevers. An out-of-control fever is a medical emergency. Use good sense and get to emergency services.

Tip Number Two: Take care of yourself early in the illness. When you first get that sense that you are getting sick try taking Aconite 30c . This is a homeopathic remedy for stopping colds and flu but only works in the very earliest stages of an emerging illness. I started using homeopathic remedies because I wanted to do something very gentle for my children when they were ill. I have found homeopathic remedies work surprisingly well with young children. I use the Helios Homeopathic First Aid Kit.

If you prefer herbs, this is the time to use oregano essential oil (Origanum vulgare) which is a good addition to your Herbal First Aid Kit. (I will talk about making your own Herbal First Aid Kit in a later posting.) This is a very strong essential oil and can be used many ways. For an emerging sore throat, try 1-2 drops in the mouth twice a day. Swish the oregano essential oil around your mouth for a few minutes and then swallow. Some people find straight essential oils too powerful and will cut it with a small amount of olive oil. This treatment is better for adults. Children don’t like the strong taste.

If you prefer herbs, this is the time to take Echinacea Extract or Angelica Extract. Extracts take three to six weeks to prepare so it would be best to make the extracts in the fall or you will have to purchase the extracts at a health food store. Many people find Echinacea Extract works very well to improve immune function. I find Angelica Extract to work better for me. We are all different so you will have to experiment to find which extract will work best for you. The extracts should be taken three times a day in hot water. Along with talking an extract, make up a Ginger Infusion or Cold Away Infusion and drink this throughout the day. If you have a really sore throat find a local supply of propolis and suck on a small piece.

Remember food should always be your first medicine. If you are feeling poorly, this is the time to make some nourishing bone broths, stews and soups. Warming drinks are very comforting. Get plenty of rest. This is the time to increase your consumption of coconut oil to a therapeutic level which is thought to be 2-3 tablespoons a day.

Tip Number Three: Have some cold supplies in your pantry, ready for use. Here are six recipes that will come in handle if someone gets sick in the household. The Ginger Infusion will work for most colds and is liked by children. Cold Away Infusion is better when you are really sick and can’t seem to shake the cold or flu. Elderberry Syrup can be taken during flu season to avoid getting sick or can be used after the cold or flu sets in. Licorice Lozenges are really nice on a sore throat. Honeyed Ginger is good for a sore throat or nausea.

Making extracts are very easy but will take about six weeks to infuse. Start making medicines in the fall for the winter months.

Echinacea or Angelica Extract
1/2c Echinacea root (Echinacea purpurea) or Angelica root (Angelica archangelica)
2c clear Vodka or Tequila, 40% alcohol
Use a small pint-sized glass canning jar with a plastic lid. Put either the Echinacea root or Angelica root into the jar. Add the alcohol of choice and fill the jar. Label the jar with the name of the plant, percentage of alcohol, today’s day, and the decanting day. Decanting day will be in six weeks. The jar will need to be turned over every day for at least the first week. On decanting day, use a cotton cloth to squeeze out all the liquid from the roots. Some herbalists use a juicer to get all the goodness out of the plant materials and into the extract. (Due to all the woody parts, I broke part of my juicer trying this, so be careful if you try this with your juicer. For home preparation, squeezing out all the liquid is far easier. Sometimes it’s best not to copy the professionals!) Store the extract in a dark glass bottle. If available, use a dropper top for easy dispersal.

Ginger Infusion
1/2c fresh ginger (Zingiber officinale), grated finely or 1/3c dried ginger
1L boiling filtered water
local raw honey, to taste
lemon, freshly squeezed, to taste
Put fresh or dried ginger into the glass jar. Pour boiling filtered water over the ginger and fill the 1L glass canning jar to the top. Put the lid on the jar and let the infusion steep for 4 hours or overnight. Squeeze out all the juice from the plant material into the infusion. When ready to drink, gently re-heat the infusion. Do not allow the infusion to boil or you may lose some of the medicinal properties of the plants. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice and local raw honey to taste. This drink is very soothing on a sore throat.

Cold Away Infusion
1/4c Rosehips (Rosa canina) or Yarrow Leaf (Achillea millefolium)
1/4c Elder Flowers (Sambucus nigra)
1/4c Peppermint Leaf (Mentha piperita)
2L boiling filtered water
Put plant materials into 2L glass canning jar. Pour boiling filtered water over plant materials and fill the 2L glass canning jar to the top. Put the lid on the jar and let the infusion steep for four hours or overnight. Squeeze out all the juice from the plant material into the infusion. When ready to drink, gently heat up the infusion. Do not allow the infusion to boil or you may lose some of the medicinal properties of the plants. Consume as needed.

Elderberry Syrup
Take 1T of syrup everyday to avoid colds and flu. Or if ill, take 1T three times each day.
1/2c Elderberries (Sambucus nigra)
5-10 cloves (Syzygium aromaticum)
1 cinnamon stick (Cinnamomum zeylanicum)
1-2T fresh ginger (Zingiber officinale), grated finely
2c filtered water
1/2c local raw honey
Bring filtered water to a boil. Add Elderberries, cloves, cinnamon stick and ginger. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes until liquid is reduced by one half. This is known as a decoction. Squeeze out all the juice from the plant material into the decoction. Let the decoction cool before adding the local raw honey. Stir well and refrigerate. This syrup will last for months in the fridge.

Licorice Lozenges
1c Slippery Elm powder (Ulmus rubra)
1/2c Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
2c filtered water
1/4c local raw honey
Bring the filtered water to a boil and add the Licorice Root. Simmer for about 30 minutes until at least half of the water is gone. This is a decoction. Squeeze out all the juice from the plant material into the decoction. Let the decoction cool before adding the local raw honey. This avoids destroying the healing properties in the raw honey. Put the Slippery Elm powder in a bowl and add enough licorice decoction to make a soft dough. Roll out the soft dough on more Slippery Elm powder to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Cut the dough into small 1/2 inch squares. Place the lozenges in a dehydrator overnight until dry. The lozenges will last for months in a metal tin.

Honeyed Ginger
1 organic ginger root (Zingiber officinale), sliced diagonally
1c filtered water
enough local raw honey to cover ginger
1 pint glass canning jar
Slice the organic ginger diagonally. You do not have to peel the ginger if it is organic. Put ginger slices in boiling water and reduce heat to very low. Cook the ginger for about 40 minutes until the ginger becomes translucent. Reserve the ginger liquid and water down for a soothing tea. Traditionally, this honey would be cooked with the ginger, but I feel it is best to just store the ginger in enough raw local honey to cover the ginger. If you find the ginger just too spicy, very gently warm some of the honey while stirring the ginger. Gently heat for another 40 minutes. The ginger will become more and more translucent. Store in a glass jar in the fridge. The ginger flavored raw honey can also be used as a treatment for a sore throat. Just spoon it out by the teaspoon. The relief will be immediate.

 

Essential Vitamins & Minerals

Today we have a guest post from Alex Estra, MD. His bio follows this article. I was contacted by Mary Jane from http://www.dansdepot.com asking if I accept guest posts. I do from time to time. If you have a post that would be interesting to SS readers, please contact me here on the blog or via email through the Contact Info tab at the top of this page.

I hope to post a review of a cool camp stove tomorrow. Stay tuned.

__________________________________________________________

Photo credit

Health and well being is an often overlooked component of modern life. In the race to accumulate more, we often neglect the general health of our body for material gain. We often think that people from poorer countries don’t have enough to eat, yet here in the United States we may have more than plenty to eat, but the reality is most Americans have an unbalanced and unhealthy diet. Let’s discuss an essential topic when talking about having a well-balanced diet. This is about vitamins and minerals.

When talking about diet with regards to health, we should not be simply talking just about general health. As outdoorsmen and athletes, diet plays an essential a part in sustaining peak performance during physical activity. Now you may think that you are within your ideal body weight and have a healthy level of conditioning, however what happens inside your body is just as important as what you see outside. Let us be clear first, with regards to the outdoors, vitamins are taken to supplement a normal and healthy diet. Vitamins should never be used in a survival situation as this may hasten dehydration.

Now vitamins are essential part of a healthy diet. Almost all of the vitamins that you need are supplied by a well balanced healthy diet. You might ask, “what about vitamin pills”? Now there is no harm taking one single vitamin pill per day, particularly with the typical American diet, which has an imbalance of certain nutrients. Our exceptionally stressful lifestyles also need some vitamin supplementation, even within the realm of a healthy diet. Stress often leads to more oxidation of cells and vitamins may help restrain this oxidation. You can further consult your healthcare provider about how to properly take vitamin pills.

Some Important Vitamins and Minerals
Calcium, Zinc, and Magnesium:
These three minerals are highly essential to have in your diet. Calcium and magnesium play a large part in healing and bone building. Magnesium also helps your body in absorbing calcium, and aids your body’s defensive cells to migrate to an area of injury or infection. Zinc plays a large part in enhancing your immune system, making you more resistant diseases and illness.

Copper:

Copper is another additional mineral that is important for the wound and tissue healing. It also plays a part in absorbing iron and making energy for the body. Copper is also important for the formation of hormones and collagen.

B complex vitamins:
B complex vitamins are co-factors when it comes to important metabolic functions and tissue healing. Without proper amounts of Vitamin B complex in our bodies, we wouldn’t be able to release the all the energy from the carbohydrates we take in. Amino acid (needed for protein building) production is also highly dependent on adequate Vitamin B complex in our body. Other important functions include formation of hemoglobin for health red blood cells, and the formation of serotonin, an essential neurotransmitter that plays an essential part in regulation sleep and moods. Some great food sources of Vitamin B complex would include whole grains, tuna, liver, meats, bananas, eggs, and even everybody’s favorite, beer!

Vitamin C:
Vitamin C has always been touted as the super vitamin. It is reputed to reinforce the immune system, helping you resists both viral and bacterial infections. It also plays an immense role in collagen production, which is important for tissue rebuilding and repair. Take note however, that taking large doses of vitamin C is not good for you as this may cause an upset stomach and other possible side effects. Although vitamin C can be taken as a supplement pill, it is much better to take it in the form of fruits such as oranges or green leafy vegetables. Taking your vitamin this way is so much better because it also supplies fiber, needed for a health digestive system and cholesterol lowering effects.

Vitamin K:
Vitamin K is an often neglected part of a healthy diet, yet vitamin K plays an important part of blood clotting, particularly when you sustain wounds. However, as with everything too much of a good thing is bad for you, and overdosing on Vitamin K may lead to excessive clotting, which results to a stroke. It can also affect “blood thinner”drugs. So if you’re ever on these drugs, always ask your healthcare provider about Vitamin K. Vitamin K usually does not need supplementation as it is abundant in most natural food sources, so chances are you will get sufficient amounts. Foods that have a high amount of vitamin K include green leafy vegetables and bread.

If your are planning to take a long hike or even a day trip where the food sources you bring with you are limited, it would probably be a good idea to bring a complete multivitamin pill that you can take per day. You can ask your healthcare provider if he has any to recommend.

Author bio: Alex Estra, MD is a doctor of Podiatric Medicine.  He has an avid interest in survival/wilderness preparedness and regular contributor to Dan’s Depot.

Oil Pulling: An Ancient Technique For SHTF Dental Care

by Todd Walker

Do you kiss your mama with that mouth!?

Ever let one slip over at grandma’s house and have to wash your mouth out with soap? It was her attempt to exercise that foul language from your soul.

I’ve posted several times on the health benefits of coconut oil. Here and here. Just when I think coconut oil has reached its maximum usefulness, I discover Oil Pulling.

Photo credit

Oil pulling has nothing to do with vehicle maintenance. Interestingly enough, this technique is similar to changing the motor oil in an engine. I started the ancient (bazaar to me) practice of oil pulling about two weeks ago. I’ll give you my take on its effectiveness (two weeks of anecdotal evidence) and a little research before you’re tempted to file this in the “Snake Oil” folder.

In DRG’s battle with cancer, preventive medicine has become a priority of us. Oil pulling is my latest journey into a non-pharmaceutical method of healing and health.

History of Oil Pulling

Oil pulling is a traditional Indian folk remedy dating back thousands of year from Ayurveda medicine. Many claim it’s healing effects, both for teeth and gums, and the entire body. We can trace the modern practice of oil pulling to Dr. F. Karach, MD who introduced the technique in 1992. He claims that oil pulling cured his chronic blood disorder and arthritis.

After reading Dr. Joseph Mercola’s article on oil pulling, I was intrigued. I follow his how-to suggestions.

Oil pulling is simple. Basically, it involves rinsing your mouth with coconut oil, much like you would with a mouthwash. The oil is “worked” around your mouth by pushing, pulling, and drawing it through your teeth for a period of 15 minutes…This process allows the oil to “pull out” bacteria, viruses, fungi and other debris. The best time is in the morning before eating breakfast, but it can be done at any time, the important point is to just do it. I seek to do it twice a day if my schedule allows. The used oil is discarded and your mouth rinsed with water. You should not swallow the oil because it’s loaded with bacteria, toxins, pus, and mucous. [Emphasis mine]

I especially like the whole idea of ridding my mouth of pus – before DRG plants a wet one on me! Totally nasty, right. It’s too early to see the effects on my oral health. I can report that my teeth and gums “feel” better, cleaner. I’ve also noticed my sinuses completely clear after pulling. Is this just in my mind or does this stuff work? I guess I should make my once a decade dental appointment to get checked out. Seriously. My last visit was to have my impacted wisdom teeth removed in 2004. Oil pulling could push the frequency of dental visits to every 20 years I’m hoping.

The technique makes sense. When I change the oil in our vehicles, the previously clean oil has turned black from pulling out all the engine gunk hiding in the dark crevices of the motor. Sucking and swishing oil (oil has to be used to bind the nasties) between my teeth uses the same principle.

Photo credit

Lead or Fluoride

Why not just use a fluoride mouthwash? When I first started buying investment properties, I had to give every tenant a CYA brochure on the dangers of lead paint if the house was built before 1977 (if my memory is correct). Apparently, allowing your child to eat the peeling lead-laced paint chips off the wall is a bad idea. Who knew? Stating the obvious, government officials said eating lead is quite harmful. The same I’m-from-government-and-here-to-help crowd crowed about the importance of fluoride treatment for oral health despite studies showing this chemical to be more toxic than lead. [Scratching my head] Hum, which to eat – lead or fluoride? I’ll take unleaded, thank you.

Oil pulling shouldn’t replace regular brushing with a non-fluoride toothpaste and flossing (which I never do with string floss). My flossing method is achieved via wooden toothpicks. I floss with the shredded wood fibers. It’s more of a habit I kept from childhood. Oil pulling should only enhance my efforts. It’s also important to quite eating processed junk foods and refined sugars. Oil pulling/swishing is now part of my SHTF dental plan. Its cheap and is beneficial to more than oral health.

How To Getting Started

You can use any veggie oil. Finally, a healthy use for hydrogenated vegetable oils. Just remember not to swallow. I prefer coconut oil. Every morning, I wake up and brew a pot of coffee. When its ready, I add some organic heavy whipping cream and a spoon of coconut oil to my cup of Joe. This has nothing to do with oil pulling. I just like CO in my coffee.

5 gallons of Tropical Traditions coconut oil ‘under’ the Christmas tree

Next, I place a clean spoon full of coconut oil in my mouth. Do this without eating or drinking anything before hand. It takes a few seconds to melt since CO’s melting point is 76 degrees. I chew it up to speed the process. I sit down to do my daily routine on the computer – while swishing and pulling the oil around in my mouth for about 20 minutes. After checking email, responding to comments, and reading an article from LRC or SurvivalBlog, its time to spit out the disgusting pus-filled, bacteria, virus laden liquid in the kitchen sink. Of course, you won’t notice any visible nasties in the discarded spittle. There are just so tiny.

I wash my mouth out with water and go back to my coffee. I’ve read where it’s recommended to go ahead and brush you teeth at this point. Being up several hours before DRG, I don’t have to talk to anyone when I’m pulling oil through my teeth. You understand, talking with a mouth full of oil is not an option. My dogs know when I’m pulling and never start a conversation until I’m finished.

Oil pulling offers more than just oral health benefits according to experts. “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire” doesn’t necessarily apply. But there’s lots of smoke in the air surrounding oil pulling. Below are a few more links to help you investigate.

• Detoxification: Read here, and here.
• Cleansing: I’ve experience a noticeable clean feeling in my mouth after each session. My sinuses are also relieved of congestion. If using coconut oil, Streptococcus bacteria, which causes plaque, tooth decay and gum disease, is inhibited.
• Immunity builder

Read oil pulling testimonials.

• Oil Pulling for a Brighter Smile and Better Health
• My Attempt at This Crazy Thing Called Oil Pulling: Does It Really Make a Difference?
• Oil Pulling: My One Month Experience
• Will Oil Pulling Fix my Sensitive Teeth…or is it Just a Hoax?

In the coming weeks, I’ll give a more detailed account of my oil pulling experiment. If any of the regular Sherpa Commentistas are oil pullers, I’d love you’re feedback.

Another Use for Coconut Oil: Head Lice

In my last post, I said I was posting part II of my Individual Preparedness Plan. That’s not going to happen…today. Dirt Road Girl finished her last radiation treatment yesterday – we celebrated – Woot Woot! So, I hope you enjoy today’s post from Ready Nutrition.

Tess Pennington is one in a growing number of folks in the preparedness community offering practical, common sense advice on survival and self-reliance. She runs a No-Hype Zone site.

“You’ve Got Cooties!” was originally published on her site, Ready Nutrition, and reprinted her with permission. You may also want to check out her excellent series “52 Weeks to Preparedness.”

____________________________

You’ve Got Cooties!

Tess Pennington
Ready Nutrition
October 2012

That embarrassing scourge of elementary schools everywhere, head lice are becoming more and more resistant to chemical means of getting rid of them. The expense of buying all the products can be a real financial hit, once you add in washing all your clothes in bleach, spraying the bedding and carpet with special spray and treating your child twice with a toxic remedy purchased from the drug store.

Not only is it expensive, chemically toxic and time-consuming, but there may come a day when the remedy for getting rid of lice is not as close as your nearest pharmacy.

I learned the hard way about how to get rid of head lice when a plague of them swept through my daughter’s school.  It was so bad that the school began performing twice-weekly head checks and sending children home with a note that they could not return until their heads were inspected and found to be free of lice and nits.  Seven year old girls being seven year old girls, with the hugging and hat sharing and whispering, it wasn’t long before my youngest was sent home with head lice.

I dutifully went out and purchased the toxic chemicals from my pharmacy and proceeded to treat my daughter and my house as per the directions….fast forward to the emergency room where the quickly washed-off chemical had caused a horrible burning rash and allergic reaction on her delicate scalp.

Coconut Oil Method:

It was then that I learned about more natural alternatives of ridding a head of lice. One being, coconut oil. Coating the head in a thick coat of coconut oil will suffocate the lice and kill them. An added benefit of this method is it naturally conditions and softens your hair in the process. Simply, add a generous amount of coconut oil to dry hair and place a plastic bag or shower cap over hair and allow it to penetrate hair for 30-45 minutes. Wash hair well to remove oils.

Read the rest here

4 Lessons From Our Personal SHTF Event

by Todd Walker

Date: 10/01/2012

We all get blindsided by personal end of the world as we know it situations. Loss of a job or the death of a loved one can turn your plans to a pile of rusting rubble. Some events are worse than others. There’s no way to prepare for all of life’s storms. Losing a job sends desperation and panic through a single mother’s bones. How will she feed, clothe, and shelter her babies?

Life is not fair

I’ve repeated this line to our own children and the students I teach more times than I can recall. The pain of this statement is like sliding down a dull razor into a wading pool of alcohol. It does more than just ‘sting’.

Our world as we knew it stopped this past January. Dirt Road Girl (DRG) was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer that had metastasized to her brain. After melting down in tears and working through the initial wave of emotions, we were empty. All we wanted were answers and healing, maybe a miracle. TEOTWAWKI happened. Personally.

SHTF happens

Whether it’s a sudden change or gradual loss of quality of life, SHTF happens on a personal level all the time. Ours happened suddenly and has progressed gradually. Fighting the cancer has left us drained physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, and every other ‘ly’ imaginable except spiritually. We aren’t the first to get strapped into this crazy cancer roller coaster ride. It just seems that way. We had no answers. Just questions. Hanging on for dear life.

Why am I sharing our personal SHTF struggle? There are lessons in it for all of us.

1.) Physically: I heard more than one doctor say that due to her “being young and fit” we can be aggressive in our treatment. After months of her body being assaulted by chemo and radiation, she’s glad she put effort into her physical conditioning. Just going through the treatments has added years to her. She’ll recover and rejuvenate when they stop pouring poison in her.

What kind of shape are you in for your personal SHTF or worse, a universal TEOTWAWKI? You could be in the best physical shape. It doesn’t matter if you’re deprived of sleep. I just spent the last three nights on a plastic hospital cot next to DRG. I may have gotten 12 hours in three days. I wondered how sleep deprivation would affect me in a long-term collapse situation. The number of pullups, pushups, and squats I can hump won’t matter if my brain shuts down from no sleep. Without REM sleep for more than 3 days, we lose our ability to think and act coherently. This highlighted a glaring weakness in our hunker down strategy. We must have enough bodies for watch duty in a long-term collapse.

2.) Mentally and Emotionally: I lumped these two together because I’m to mentally drained to separate them. Everyone who has survived cancer told us that attitude determines survival chances. Never quit. This past week DRG got an infection and spent three days in the hospital with hoses pumping fluids and drugs into her body. I’ve never seen her more sick. Being raised by mid western parents that survived the Great Depression taught her mental toughness. You can’t get that from popping a pill. Being tough mentally was passed down from her parents. She’s gone through a lot of fire in her own life that has forged her attitude. Something that all preparedness minded parents need to instill in their kids. Don’t lie to them and cave to PC pressure by telling them that everyone is a winner and gets a trophy. You’ll only hamstring them for life.

Get them off the video game baby sitter. Take a walk…together. Breathe the air. Smell the wind. Listen. Just sit somewhere and listen. No talking. Look inside for just five minutes. As the adult, fight the urge to think outside of yourself. Focus on you and your child. And don’t forget to turn off the cell phone. You’ll come away refreshed…mentally and emotionally. Take advantage of these peaceful times while we can.

Get rid of the crutches. Millions of Americans are on all kinds of mind and mood altering drugs to mentally make it through a regular work day. An increasing number of students have to be drugged to get through 8 hours of forced schooling. According to this report, “since 2007, the number of prescriptions for A.D.H.D. medications dispensed to people ages 10 to 19 has risen by 26%, to almost 21 million yearly, or about two million individuals.” What’s going to happen when there aren’t pills to help them cope? Mood swings from hell and dangerous levels of freaking out will follow.

Personal SHTF events, while they suck going through, with the right mental attitude, will prepare you for the big one. Get your mind right.

3.) Financially: We are down to one paycheck. That’s it. Not complaining here. We’ve had to make major adjustments. We’ve always been frugal in our preparedness purchases – always looking to save money. It’s pretty simple. We either have to spend less or take in more. At this point, we are going with the former. What use to be extra time for me is now used as a caregiver to DRG. Side jobs that produce extra income take time that I can’t spare. So we cut our spending. Here are a few ideas that you may want to try. They may not sound like much, but they do add up.

• Great Depression Tooth Paste/Powder: Baking soda with a little coconut oil
• Homemade laundry detergent. We use to use this but got away from it and started using store-bought. It’s necessary now.
• Homemade cleaners. Baking soda and vinegar.
• Use Kroger Card. We shop at Kroger and build up fuel points. You get $.10 off/gal of gas for every $100.00 you spend in the store. So, we buy gift cards that we use for items we normally would spend our own cash on. This summer, I bought 35 gallons of gasoline at $3.00/gal for storage. I saved $.40/gal.
• Eat storage food
• De-clutter and sell items

I’m sure you folks have more great ideas. I’d be glad to hear them.

4.) Spiritually: I was a part of organized religion for most of my life. Over the last ten years or so I’ve grown closer to God by not being involve in institutional church. Your mileage may vary. Since DRG’s diagnosis, we both have grown more in tune with what we think God is trying to show us. Mercy, love, peace, and forgiveness. There was someone I held a lot of unforgiveness towards for a couple of years. “Life is short” really sinks in now. I didn’t have to forgive this guy, but I did. How can I withhold forgiveness when I need so much myself. That’s freedom. Letting go. Embracing my humanness. I can’t change this dude. I can only change me.

Our personal SHTF experience was a dark-night-of-the-the-soul for our family. We’ve overcome the initial shock. I’m still scared of the unknown. The way we prepare is to be prayed up and laid back. Find out what God is doing in your world and join Him. Be thankful for each day. Have fun and enjoy life like there’s no tomorrow. There’s a purpose in all of our personal SHTF events. It’s our job to figure it out, learn from it, and move forward.

Ideas are always welcome!

Doing the stuff,

Todd

 

160 Reasons to Stock Coconut Oil in Your Larder

160 Uses for Coconut Oil

Source: Wake Up World

By Jennifer

Hybrid Rasta Mama

Coconut Oil – An Overview

Offering a myriad of health benefits, coconut oil is affordable, readily available and completely natural. I use it for EVERYTHING. Literally. I buy it in 5 gallon increments and keep it all over my house. I even have some in the car. So here is a little information to inspire you to check out this amazing oil!

Coconut Oil Is:

• Anti-bacterial (kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, gum diseases, and other bacterial infections)
• Anti-carcinogenic (coconut oil has antimicrobial properties so it effectively prevents the spread of cancer cells and enhances the immune system)
• Anti-fungal (kills fungi and yeast that lead to infection)
• Anti-inflammatory (appears to have a direct effect in suppressing inflammation and repairing tissue, and it may also contribute by inhibiting harmful intestinal microorganisms that cause chronic inflammation.)
•  

  Anti-microbial/Infection Fighting (the medium-chain fatty acids and monoglycerides found in coconut oil are the same as those in human mother’s milk, and they have extraordinary antimicrobial properties. By disrupting the lipid structures of microbes, they inactivate them. About half of coconut oil consists of lauric acid. Lauric acid, its metabolite monolaurin and other fatty acids in coconut oil are known to protect against infection from bacteria, viruses, yeast, fungi and parasites. While not having any negative effect on beneficial gut bacteria, coconut oil inactivates undesirable microbes.)

   

• An Antioxidant (protects against free-radical formation and damage)
• Anti-parasitic (fights to rid the body of tapeworms, lice and other parasites)
• Anti-protozoa (kills giardia, a common protozoan infection of the gut)
• Anti-retroviral (kills HIV and HLTV-1)
• Anti-viral (kills viruses that cause influenza, herpes, measles, hepatitis C, SARS, AIDS, and other viruses)
• Infection fighting
• Has no harmful for discomforting side effects
• Known to improve nutrient absorption (easily digestible; makes vitamins and minerals more available to the body)
• Nontoxic to humans and animals

Daily Dosage:

Here is a chart outlining the recommended daily dosage of virgin coconut oil for persons over the age of 12. Coconut oil may be consumed by children under 12 but it is advisable to check with a healthcare practitioner on the proper dosage. Any good naturopath will have the information at the ready. (Starting at 12 months of age, I gave my daughter one teaspoon per day and she weighed about 16 pounds at that time.)

Weight in pounds/kilograms	Number of tablespoons of coconut oil daily
175+/79+	4
150+ /68+	3 1/2
125+ / 57+	3
100+/ 45+	2 1/2
75+ / 34+	2
50+ / 23+	1 1/2
25+ / 11+	1

 

Type of Coconut Oil to Use:

• Virgin (unrefined) coconut oil tastes and smells coconutty and is great for cooking and baking where you want that flavor. You can use it for anything but it will impart a coconut taste (mild) and odor (pleasant in my book)! Unrefined coconut oil retains the most nutritional value and is superior to refined oil.
• Expeller pressed (refined) coconut oil can be used for anything. It does not have a coconutty smell or taste. It is still outstanding to use but does lose some of it’s health properties during the refining process.
• Food grade should always be used.

160 Uses for Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil for Personal Hygiene/Body

1. Age Spots (also known as liver spots) – applying coconut oil directly to the age spot will help it fade.

2. After Shave – coconut oil will help heal your skin after shaving without clogging pores. Great for razor burn!

3. Baldness – apply three times a day to affected area of hair loss. Coconut oil supports cell regeneration.

4. Birth Marks – can be used after a laser removal treatment to aid in healing. Can also be applied after an apple cider vinegar treatment to help support and aid the fading process.

5. Body Scrub – mix coconut oil and sugar together and rub all over! Rinse off and your skin will be super soft! You can add in essential oils if you would like a specific smell.

6. Bruises – applied directly to the bruise, coconut oil enhances the healing process by reducing swelling and redness.

7. Bug Bites – when applied directly to a bug bite, coconut oil can stop the itching and burning sensation as well as hasten the healing process.

8. Burns – apply to burn site immediately and continue applying until healed. Will reduce the chances of permanent scarring and promotes healing.

9. Chapstick – just rub a little into lips and it not only acts as a softening agent but it also has an SPF of about 4 so you get a little protection!

10. Cradle Cap – having issues with dry skin on your baby’s scalp? Coconut oil will not only nourish your baby’s skin, it also helps eliminate cradle cap. Just rub a teaspoon onto scalp daily.

11. Dandruff – coconut oil soaks into the scalp moisturizing dry skin and relieves symptoms of dandruff. It also helps to control oil secretion from the scalp, another leading cause of dandruff.

12. Deodorant – coconut oil alone can be used as a deodorant, but even more effective in combination with cornstarch/arrowroot powder and baking soda!

13. Diaper Salve – very comforting on a rashy bum with no harsh chemicals. Also safe for cloth diapers.

14. Exfoliator – coconut oil mixed with sugar or sea salt is a very nourishing and effective exfoliator and safe to use all over the body.

15. Eye cream – apply under the eyes to reduce puffiness, bags and wrinkles. Use on the lids in the evening.

16. Face Wash/ Soap – mix equal parts coconut oil with olive oil, almond oil, avocado oil and castor oil and use in place of soap when washing your face. Wet face, rub oil in and leave on for two minutes, rinse and pat dry. One teaspoon should be adequate.

17. Hair conditioner/ Deep Treatment – use as a leave-in hair conditioner by applying a teaspoon of coconut oil to your ends and then running your fingers through your hair to distribute the rest! For a deeper treatment, rub in a tablespoon of coconut oil onto your dry scalp and gently work through to the ends. Put a shower cap on to prevent transfer onto bed linens and leave on overnight.

18. Hair Gel/ Defrizzer – rub a little between your palms and either scrunch into hair (for curly hair) or finger comb in through from scalp to ends (for wavy/straight hair).

19. Healing - when applied on scrapes and cuts, coconut oil forms a thin, chemical layer which protects the wound from outside dust, bacteria and virus. Coconut oil speeds up the healing process of bruises by repairing damaged tissues. Plus, it smells a heck-of-a-lot better than anything from the pharmacy.

20. Lubricant – it is an all-natural, perfectly safe personal lubricant. Not compatible with latex!

21. Makeup Remover – use a cotton swab and a dab of coconut oil and you would be amazed at how well it works!

22. Massage Oil – pretty simple; grab some and rub!

23. Moisturizer – simply scoop some out of the jar and apply all over your body, including neck and face.

24. Mole Remover – when applied after an apple cider vinegar compress for several weeks, moles have been known to “slide off” or just disappear.

25. Nipple Cream – works great to nourish cracked, sore or dry nipples. Apply to a cotton ball and leave on your nipples between feedings.

26. Oily Skin Fix – prone to oily skin or an oily T-zone? Use a pea sized amount underneath makeup or alone to reduce the appearance of oil.

27. Pre Shampoo Treatment for Hair – rub a little into scalp and hair before shampooing. This is especially useful for those with course or frizzy hair.

28. Pre-Shave – coconut oil will prep skin for the pending damage caused by shaving.

29. Skin Problems – coconut oil relieves skin problems such as psoriasis, dermatitis, and eczema.

30. Stretch Mark Cream – coconut oil is great at nourishing damaged skin. It may not be the magic stretch mark cure but it will help.

31. Sun Burn Relief – rub liberal amounts of coconut oil into the affected area.

32. Sunscreen – see my post on natural sunscreen for more detailed information.

33. Swimmers Ear – mix garlic oil and coconut oil and put a few drops in affected ear for about 10 minutes. Do this 2-3 times a day and it usually works within one or two days.

34. Tattoo Healing and Moisturizer – continued use of coconut oil on tattoos will help keep the pigment from fading. Used on new tattoos, coconut will hasten the healing process and decrease the chance of infection.

35. Toothpaste – there are numerous recipes out there but I just mix coconut oil and baking soda and dab a little of the mix on my toothbrush.

36. Wrinkle Prevention and Wrinkle Reducer – rubbing coconut oil on winkles and sagging skin helps strengthen the connective tissues to bring back that youthful look!

 

Coconut Oil for General Health and Wellness

37. Breastfeeding – for breastfeeding moms, consuming 3 ½ tablespoons of coconut oil daily will enrich the milk supply.

38. Bones and Teeth – coconut oil aids in the absorption of calcium and magnesium leading to better development of bones and teeth.

39. Digestion - the saturated fats in coconut oil help control parasites and fungi that cause indigestion and other digestion related problems such as irritable bowel syndrome. The fat in coconut oil also aids in the absorption of vitamins, minerals and amino acids, making you healthier all around.

40. Energy Boost – coconut oil boosts energy and endurance making it a great supplement for athletes as well as those needed a quick pick me up.

41. Fitness - coconut oil has been proven to stimulate your metabolism, improve thyroid function, and escalate energy levels, all of which help decrease your unwanted fat while increasing muscle.

42. Improves insulin secretion and utilization of blood glucose making it great for both diabetics and non-diabetic.

43. Lung Function – increases the fluidity of cell surfaces.

44. Nausea – rub some coconut oil on the inside for the wrist and forearm to calm an upset stomach.

45. Nose bleeds – coconut oil can prevent nose bleeding that is caused by sensitivity to weather such as extreme heat and extreme cold. This condition happens when the nasal passages become dry because of cold or dry air resulting to burns and cracks in the mucus membranes so bleeding happens. To prevent this just put coconut oil in you nostrils. Coat your finger with coconut oil and then lie down and coat your finger inside your nose. Doing this will strengthen and protect the capillaries in the nasal passages. A Vitamin C supplement will also help prevent nose bleeding.

46. Oil pulling with coconut oil offers a two for one health benefit!

47. Stress Relief – relieve mental fatigue by applying coconut oil to the head in a circular, massaging motion. The natural aroma of coconuts is extremely soothing thus helping to lower your stress level.

48. Vitamin and nutrient absorption

49. Weight loss - the saturated fats contribute to weight loss and controlling cravings. Also increases metabolic rate.

 

Coconut Oil for Health Problems (when taken internally it is known for aiding, preventing, relieving or even curing these health issues)

50. Acid reflux/indigestion aid if taken after a meal

51. Adrenal fatigue

52. Allergies (seasonal hay fever)

53. Alzheimer’s/Dementia

54. Asthma, even in children

55. Autism

56. Bowel function

57. Bronchial Infections

58. Cancer (has been shown to prevent colon and breast cancer in laboratory tests)

59. Candida Albicans

60. Cholesterol – improves HDL (‘good’ cholesterol) to LDL (‘bad’ cholesterol) ratio in people with high cholesterol

61. Chronic Fatigue

62. Crohns Disease and resulting inflammation

63. Circulation/feeling cold all the time

64. Colds and Flus

65. Constipation

66. Cystic Fibrosis

67. Depression

68. Diabetes – helps keep blood sugar levels stable and/or helps with cravings

69. Dysentery

70. Eczema – in addition to taking it internally, many have success applying it externally, but some don’t

71. Edema

72. Energy boost

73. Epilepsy (known to reduce epileptic seizures)

74. Fever Support

75. Flaky, Dry Skin

76. Gallbladder disease and pain

77. Gas

78. H. pylori

79. Head Lice

80. Heart Disease (protects arteries from injury that causes atherosclerosis)

81. Hemorrhoids (can applied externally or internally twice a day)

82. HIV

83. Hot Flashes

84. Hyperthyroidism

85. Immune System Builder

86. Irritable Bowel Syndrome

87. Jaundice

88. Kidney Disease

89. Kidney Stones (aids in dissolving them)

90. Liver Disease

91. Lung Disease

92. Malnutrition

93. Mental Clarity

94. Menstruation Relief regarding pain/cramps and heavy blood flow

95. Migraines (with regular use)

96. Mononucleosis

97. Osteoporosis

98. Pancreatitis

99. Parasites

100. Periodontal Disease and tooth decay

101. Prostate Enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia)

102. Rickets

103. Skin problems

104. Scurvy

105. Stomach Ulcers

106. Toenail fungus

107. Thrush

108. Thyroid Function (regulates an overactive or underactive thyroid)

109. Ulcerative Colitis

110. Underactive thyroid gland – results have shown subsequent thyroid blood tests becoming normal after ingesting coconut oil daily

111. Urinary Tract Infections (Bladder Infections)

Coconut Oil and Health Problems (when applied topically it is known for aiding, relieving, or even curing these health issues)

112. Acne

113. Allergies/Hay Fever – rub a little inside the nostrils for quick relief. The pollen will cling to the oil.

114. Athletes foot

115. Back pain/sore muscles

116. Boils and cysts

117. Canker sores

118. Cellulite

119. Circumcision healing – although I am personally against circumcision, I have read that coconut oil is a really great healer for this.

120. Decongestant – rub coconut oil on the chest and under the nose when congested from a cold or allergies

121. Ear infection – place a few drops inside the ear twice daily for relief from pain. Also fights the infection itself.

122. Genital Warts (through topical application over 6 weeks, and coconut oil enemas twice a day depending on the location of the warts)

123. Gum Disease and Gingivitis (use as a toothpaste or rub directly on gums)

124.Herpes (applied topically and taken internally)

125.Hives (reduces the itch and swelling

126. Pink eye (applied around and in the eye)

127. Ringworm

128. Toothache

129. Warts

Coconut Oil and Cooking

130. Butter Substitute – use 1 cup to 1 cup ratio when replacing butter in recipes with coconut oil.

131. Nutritional Supplement – melt and add to smoothies.

132. Replacement for butter/lard/Crisco/PAM in its solid form for greasing pans, pie crusts, etc.

133. Replacement for various oils in liquid form – baking, cooking, sautéing, etc.

 

Coconut Oil and Pets/Animals

Check with your veterinarian but the recommended dosage for animals is 1/4 teaspoon for every 10 pounds of body weight twice daily.

134. Aids healing of digestive disorders like inflammatory bowel syndrome and colitis

135. Aids in arthritis or ligament problems

136. Aids in elimination of hairballs and coughing

137. Applied topically, promotes the healing of cuts, wounds, hot spots, dry skin and hair, bites and stings

138. Clears up skin conditions such as eczema, flea allergies, contact dermatitis, and itchy skin

139. Disinfects cuts and promotes wound healing

140. Great for dogs and cats for general wellness. Just add a teaspoon to their water bowl daily.

141. Helps prevent or control diabetes

142. Helps sedentary dogs feel energetic

143. Helps reduce weight, increases energy

144. Improves digestion and nutrient absorption

145. Makes coats become sleek and glossy, and deodorizes doggy odor

146. Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) have been shown to improve brain energy metabolism and decrease the amyloid protein buildup that results in brain lesions in older dogs.

147. Prevents and treats yeast and fungal infections, including candida

148. Reduces allergic reactions and improves skin health

149. Reduces or eliminates bad breath in dogs

150. Regulates and balance insulin and promotes normal thyroid function

 

Other Uses for Coconut Oil

151. Chewing Gum in Hair Remover – just rub some coconut oil over the stuck chewing gum, leave in for about 30 minutes, then roll the gum between your fingertip. Voila! It’s out!

152. Goo Gone – just mix equal parts coconut oil and baking soda into a paste. Apply to the “sticky” area and let it set for a minute. Then scrub off with an old toothbrush or the scrubby side of a sponge.

153. Insect repellent – mix coconut oil with peppermint oil extract and rub it all over exposed skin. Keeps insects off better than anything with DEET! Tons safer too.

154. Moisturizing and cleaning leather products

155. Oiling wood cutting boards and wood bowls

156. Polishing Bronze – all you have to do is rub a little oil into a cotton towel and then wipe down the statue. It cleans and helps deepen the color of your bronze.

157. Polish Furniture – coconut oil with a little bit of lemon juice to polish wood furniture. However, I recommend you test it first on a very small, unobtrusive part of your furniture to make sure it works the way you’d like.

158. Seasoning animal hide drums

159. Seasoning cookware

160. Soap making – coconut oil can be used as one of the fats in soap.

Did I miss any? Do you use coconut oil for something not on my list? Please add it in the comments. I am always excited to find new ways to implement coconut oil!

I have also written several other posts about coconut oil that you may be interested in reading. A few are listed here but please check my Coconut Health page regularly as I update that with my twice monthly posts related to coconut oil:

• Coconut Oil Unleashed – Reader Questions Answered

• Coconut Oil for Digestive Disorders

• Coconut and Pregnancy (coconut products in general are discussed)

• Eating Traditional Foods and The Blood Type Diet (coconut oil is
discussed in this post but not the focus)

• Let’s Talk About Fats Baby! (discusses coconut oil as a healthy
source of fat in your diet)

• Nipples, Lady Bits, Coconut Oil – Oh My!

Interested in purchasing coconut oil? Check out my resources page to find out what brands I love!

You can also check out these books for further information on coconut oil:

• Virgin Coconut Oil by Brian and Marianita Shilhavy

• Eat Fat Lose Fat: The Healthy Alternative to Trans Fats by Mary Enig, PhD, and Sally Fallon

• The Coconut Oil Miracle Revised and Coconut Cures both by Bruce Fife.

Until next time…I am aiming for 200 Uses For Coconut Oil!

Yours In Coconut Health, Jennifer

This article was discovered at ybertaud9.wordpress.com – We highly recommend checking out this very informative site.