Medicine doesn’t only live in a bottle. It lives in our kitchens.
GINGER — when someone is nauseous, carsick, bloated or dealing with an unsettled stomach. Slice fresh ginger into hot water, add it to broth, or combine it with lemon and honey for a warming tea.
GARLIC — When sickness starts moving through the house, garlic goes into everything. Crush it into honey, stir it into soups and broths, or add it generously to meals. Garlic contains sulfur compounds studied for antimicrobial and cardiovascular effects.
TURMERIC — Think sore, achy, inflamed bodies. I grate fresh turmeric into broth, blend it into warming drinks or make turmeric honey. Its curcuminoids are well studied for anti-inflammatory activity.
RAW HONEY — One of the simplest remedies in the kitchen. A spoonful can soothe a cough and irritated throat, and it becomes a beautiful carrier for herbs like garlic, ginger and thyme.
THYME — One of those little kitchen herbs I wish every mother knew better. When someone has a cough or feels congested, I love a strong thyme tea with honey.
FENNEL SEED — Keep this one around for the belly. Gas, heaviness, bloating after dinner, crush a spoonful of seeds and steep them in hot water. Fennel has a long history as a carminative herb for helping ease gas and digestive discomfort.
PEPPERMINT — For the “my stomach hurts” moments. Peppermint is cooling and antispasmodic and can be wonderful as a simple after-meal tea for digestive discomfort.
CINNAMON — when someone needs something warming and settling after a heavy meal, with a loose or unsettled belly, or as part of a warm honey tea when nighttime coughing is keeping everyone awake.
COCONUT OIL — for simple external skin care, especially for dry, irritated areas where I want something soothing and protective. Coconut oil contains lauric acid and other fatty acids that are anti-fungal can be used externally around sensitive areas.
Our kitchens heal